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Star Spotlight
What do you get when you cross six talented teens and original songs with a funk-filled blend of urban and pop sounds? It would probably sound just like Fatty Koo, six young stars—Eddie B., Gabrielle, Marya, Ron, Valure, and Josh— who have created a hot mix of R&B, hip-hop, Latin, jazz and pop. You can listen to their new album, House of Fatty Koo, which is available in stores now, but first, check out our exclusive interview with the six rising stars.
Q & A
Q:
Most of you met while you were touring on the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus. How did you become involved with that?
Gabrielle: It goes around the U. S. and gives students a chance to learn about the music industry and record for free with all the equipment. We were part of a program called Capacity in Columbus [Ohio], doing music. They had found out about [our program] through different music educational programs and we all got chosen to go on the bus.
Eddie B.: We were one of the first artists from the bus to get signed. It was a nonprofit organization and a bus as well. When they heard our music, they decided to sign us.
Q:
So, the five of you were at Capacity, and then Josh hooked up with you. When did you start writing and recording music together?
Gabrielle: We would meet at Capacity after school to hang out because we loved each other's passion for music. We really didn't have equipment to record and that is why the bus gave us our first chance to record anything that we had written or made.
Q:
When did you know that this was something that could really click?
Eddie B.: We finally realized that this was going to work when we signed our management deal and our label deal. Everyone was in love with the music and that is when everybody had the idea that this could be something. Getting all those approvals, that's when we knew that our music was good enough to make it.
Q:
Are all the songs written by the group?
Valure: Yes, we wrote [and] produced the whole album.
Eddie B.: Our writing process is basically that I make a beat or whatever and these guys sit down and make melodies and lyrics and I put it down.
Q:
Where did the name Fatty Koo come from?
Josh: Rob Riley, the producer, was in a writing mode, and he was basically freestyling doing a song called "Fatty Koo." [Our] management got hold of Fatty Koo and [thought] that was a good name for the group. It ended up to mean your mojo—who you are, what makes you, you. That is what Fatty Koo means.
Q:
Would each of you describe another member in the group?
Ron: I think Eddie B. [is] like the heart of the group. He has endured a lot of things and you have to have a good heart and determination to survive this game.
Eddie B.: Valure has such a powerful voice [and] she is very outspoken.
Gabrielle: Marya is the graceful arms of the group because she is there to pick everybody up. She is the peacemaker. Plus, she plays the cello and gets a great workout on guitar.
Valure: Ron is the laughter of the group.
Ron: Josh was the last member and he basically put everyone together and to work in some way. He is like the head. Even though he is the youngest, he has a lot of knowledge.
Josh: Gabrielle sees different things that a lot of people don't notice. Sometimes she is quiet, but sometimes she speaks up. She notices things to the fullest degree.
Q:
How did your experiences growing up affect your musical styles?
Eddie B.: I have been exposed to a lot of different aspects in life—the negative side and the positive side. Music was an outlet for me, a way for me to express myself. I express that on paper by writing down all my emotions. Musically, [I would] listen to what other people were doing and what they put out there with their heart and soul. That is what made me want to get into music—the love of it and the passion a lot of artists have for it.
Valure: I have been blessed with two ultimate gifts: one with talk and the other with song. Musically, I always used to mimic all the artists that my mother used to play. Socially, I didn’t really have too many friends in elementary and high school, so I hung around the teachers and sat and listened to how they talk to each other. It gave me a better insight into how to talk to people.
Q:
Are there times that you want to seek out the opinions or the companionship of the other guys?
Eddie B.: Definitely! Believe it or not, a lot of our songs were inspired from personal situations. It is great when you can connect with people that are around you, when you can express yourself and they might be able to relate to you and they can come back to you with help. One of the songs on the album, "Move On," was about a situation between Gabrielle and Valure. It turned out to be a great song because they were able to express what they were both going through and why, and if they just realized each others point, everything would be OK.
Q:
What was going on between Gabrielle and Valure?
Gabrielle: Valure is the oldest girl and I am the youngest girl. Marya was away at college and we were just stuck with each other. [Valure] is good in areas where I am not and I am good in areas where she is not. In order to humble ourselves and keep it together, we would have to get everything off of our chests. It was like arguing and sometimes I would pick on her just because I can and she gets very irritated. It is like a younger sister/older sister sort of thing. One day we were fighting and one of the producers that had come down to work with us said, "You guys are always fighting. We should make a song." It was fun.
Valure: By the middle of recording the song we were laughing and cracking up at our words. It was really cool!
—Interview by Marie Morreale
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Fatty Koo
(Courtesy of fattykoo.com)
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STAR STATS
Star Calendar
Fatty Koo is on tour. Check their Web site to see if they're coming to a town near you!
Star Stats
Full Name: Ronald Devon Riley
Nickname: Shapell
Birth Date: May 12, 1983
Birthplace: Columbus, Ohio
Height: 5' 8"
Full Name: Marya Valoria Barrios
Nickname: Mar-Ja
Birth Date: December 3, 1986
Birthplace: Maracaibo, Venezuela
Height: 5' 4"
Full Name: Daryl Edward Brickerson
Nickname: Eddie B.
Birth Date: April 24, 1984
Birthplace: Detroit, Michigan
Height: 5' 9"
Full Name: Joshua Aaron Michael Welton
Nickname: JAM
Birth Date: October 21, 1989
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois
Height: 5' 9"
Full Name: Gabrielle-Solange Karis
Nickname: Sonji
Birth Date: November 5, 1987
Birthplace: Columbus, Ohio
Height: 5' 5"
Full Name: Kiara Ladisha Anais Allison (Valure)
Nickname: Wazzy
Birth Date: August 7, 1984
Birthplace: Newark, New Jersey
Height: 5' 6"
Star Faves
Ron
Sports: Basketball and golf
Movie: Batman
Actor: Ben Stiller
Musicians: Black-Eyed Peas
School subject: Music
Marya
Sport: Soccer
Movie: The Matrix
Actor: Brad Pitt
Musician: Shakira
School subject: Art
Eddie B.
Sports: Basketball and football
Movie: Braveheart
Actor: Denzel Washington
Musician: Stevie Wonder
School subject: History
Josh
Sports: Basketball and football
Movie: Rush Hour
Actor: Denzel Washington
Musician: Michael Jackson
School subject: Music
Gabrielle
Sports: Soccer and tennis
Movie: Batman
Actor: Halle Berry
Musician: Janet Jackson
School subject: Science
Valure
TV show: Family Guy
Movie: Requiem For A Dream
Actor: Mos Def
Musician: Rachel Pharrell
School subject: Debate
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