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Star Spotlight
At the age of 8, little Jovan Campbell was making hot beats in his big brother's home studio in St. Louis. Jovan, who soon became known as Jibbs, had watched the likes of Nelly and Chingy come by and work with his producer brother, so he thought he wanted to get in on the act. It wasn't easy—Jibbs had to convince his brother he could hold his own when it came to knocking out rhymes. His debut CD, Jibbs Feat. Jibbs, came out in 2006 and the first two singles, "Chain Hang Low" and "King Kong" soared to the top of the charts. Here's our one-on-one interview with the young phenom!
Q & A
Q:
When did you first know that you wanted to be an entertainer?
Jibbs: My family had been involved in music because my Mom was a rapper in the '80s and my Dad plays instruments like guitar and drums. When I was 7, they finally built a studio in our house to produce for everyone in St. Louis—like Chingy and Nelly and lots of others. The people who my older brother, DJ Beats, produced for and could work with always amazed me. So I thought I wanted to rap when I was seven. It was something I wanted to do.
Q:
Do you keep a journal for your lyrics?
Jibbs: [My cell phone is] real handy, because I can record on it and it has a keyboard, so I can type real fast as I'm thinking of lyrics.
Q:
What's your writing process like?
Jibbs: Actually, I come up with ideas all the time. I flew over to Europe about a week and a half ago and I went shopping at a few stores and they didn't have the same clothes that they have in America. They've got clothes that you wouldn't find in America. And I came up with the concept to mention that line and just seeing new things and new places inspired me to write a few lyrics in my phone so I could apply a beat later on, something from the radio or something that my brother sent me later on. Or I might just have the beat from working with a producer in the studio and we might come up with something together. He might make a beat from scratch and we might just come up with it together like magic.
Q:
Was it hard not getting into trouble as a kid since you grew up in a pretty rough area in St. Louis?
Jibbs: My family held everything together. My Mom and Dad stayed together and they're still together after all this time. We do everything as a family. I come from the really rough end of St. Louis and we try to stay out of trouble. When I come home from school, I do my homework and then I go straight to the gym. My Dad takes us straight to the gym and then we come home and go into the studio with my older brother. It's fun. When I bring my friends over, they love it. And it keeps them out of trouble at the same time. They love that.
Q:
Why do you think reading is important?
Jibbs: It expands your mind. It opens up your mind. At the end of the day, you learn more about something. I do music. And so when I read, it helps to give me a different perspective on that. I can go write a whole new song after reading.
Q:
What's your favorite subject?
Jibbs: I like to learn about ancient history. When I was in sixth grade, we were learning about King Tut and ancient Egypt. Their lives are so similar to ours and that's what really interested me about it. It's a long time ago, but things move in the same way. I like to look and dig deep. I ask a million questions about something before I even know about it. History is one thing I like to dig deep into.
—Interview by Marie Morreale
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Jibbs
(Photo: Courtesy of Geffen Records)
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STAR STATS
Star Calendar
Check Jibbs's Web site for updates.
Star Stats
Name: Jovan Campbell
Stage Name: Jibbs
Birthday: November 1, 1990
Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri
Star Faves
Sports: Boxing
Sports Star: Michael Jordan
Rapper: Jay-Z, Biggie, Nelly
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