Q&A with R&B singer Omarion
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NEW YORK (AP) -- At an age when many are leaving college and embarking on their first professional job, Omarion is firmly cemented in his third career.
He started off as a rapper and has dabbled in acting, including the movie "You Got Served." But his biggest success has been as a singer. He fronted the platinum-selling boy band B2K, and after they broke up in 2004, released a successful solo debut, "O."
His sophomore album, "21," could be even more successful. Like his previous effort, it debuted at the top of the charts when it was released in late December and he already has two hit singles from it - "Entourage" and "Ice Box."
Though technically Omarion is 22, "21" represents Omarion coming of age, as an artist and a young man.
AP: Are you trying to show a more mature side on this album?
Omarion: For this album it was definitely a more mature side of me. Not just with the topics or the writing, but just my image as well. If you look at the front cover of the CD I am rocking the suit. There is a real grown-up feel. That is the image I was looking for.
AP: You might sing and dance everyday, but weren't you a rapper at one point?
Omarion: Yeah. I was a rapper before I was a singer. That is how I got the name Omarion because I used to be part of this rap crew called The Wild Kingdom. One of the guys, Ruckus, he gave me my name Omarion, the young king.
AP: Why did you decide to focus on singing?
Omarion: Truthfully I was really young when I started that rap group and my mom said something to me. She knew exactly what to say to me at that time. ... She said to me, "Omari, you might want to sing." I said, "Why?" She said, "Because you know singers get all the women." I was like, "Okay." It stuck with me.
AP: Speaking of women, on your single "Ice Box," you sing about a girl who breaks your heart. Is this a true story?
Omarion: Yes. "Ice Box" is a true story. It is something that I knew would connect with a lot of men as well as women out there. Women have their anthems like, "To the left. To the left" (Beyonce's "Irreplaceable"). They have their records. Truthfully this is a record to me being an R&B cat. It is not super sensitive. It is not super soft. It is basically saying what it is. I got this ice box where my heart used to be. I do love you and care about you, but I am so cold. It is for the fellas.
AP. Since this girl has supposedly made your heart ice cold, do you think there is a woman out there who can melt it?
Omarion: With my experiences with relationships and love, you might be missing out on a good thing if you don't let your guard down. People are going to be who they are going to be. Sometimes you have to let your guard down in order to find that out.
AP. Do you see yourself getting married young?
Omarion: The thing is, being that I started so young, I would consider myself a lot more mature than the (average) 22-year-old man. I wouldn't mind getting married early. I just want to know that it is right. ... I wouldn't mind having somebody that is my best friend or somebody that I could look at and say that is wifey.
AP: You collaborated with Timbaland for "Ice Box." He is having a huge amount of success right now. As an artist, what level did he push you to?
Omarion: For me, it is just the energy. Something that I find with a lot of people who have been in the game for a long time is that they are really nice people; so humble and kind. Having to work with Timbaland made me feel like everything that I have worked for was not done in vain. ... It wasn't like, "Let's make a phone call because I want to work with Timbaland." It was more like, "I really hope I work with that dude." It just happened. I give it up to the man upstairs, Jehovah, for helping me with that one.
AP: Is there any hope for a B2K reunion?
Omarion: I wouldn't want to jerk anyone's chain and say yes. We are all in different places right now. One thing we were all taught in being in B2K was that in order for a group to work you have to share on vision. I know we are all divided mentally in becoming our own men. I am becoming who I want to be. The other members are becoming who they want to be. The business side never mattered to me. We established a friendship and a brotherhood first. I can pick up the phone and call and check on them and they can do the same for me. More than anything, I love that we have a friendship. Besides anyone asking me will you guys do an album, I want them to know, our friendship is back. That is all that matters to me.
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© 2007 The Associated Press.
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