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Star Spotlight
This past year, Omarion worked nonstop to produce and release his second solo CD, 21. The singer, who first came to our attention as the lead of the megahit group B2K, says the songs on 21 "just came from my heart." Omarion's hard work has paid off and in early January 2007, 21 hit the Number One spot on the Billboard Album Chart! We recently sat down for a one-on-one with Omarion and got the scoop on 21 and a whole lot more. Read on!
Q & A
Q:
Congratulations on 21. What was it like being 21 and going through such a growth period in terms of your music?
Omarion: It's been a wonderful process. Even though I'm 22 now, I still feel 21. But the experience was great. I really enjoyed experimenting on this album like I never have in any of my past albums. Most of the time, when artists work with producers, we have to find that one song that's really going to connect with the audience and that people are going to love. This time around, I didn't have to do that. I didn't have to search. I used real life experiences. It was just amazing to put the project together with such wonderful producers like Timbaland, Pharrell, the Underdogs, Eric Hudson, Brian Michael Cox—these are guys who are really talented and really great at what they do.
Q:
In addition to writing and performing, you're producing other artists. We just interviewed one of your groups, 2Much. Tell us about them.
Omarion: I'm trying to do a little bit of the business as well as keeping the singing [a priority]. What's so fun about working with 2Much is that they're a group and I've experienced everything that they're going to go through.
Q:
What song do you think is the best on your CD?
Omarion: It depends on how I feel. I pick music for my mood. When I'm really happy and I feel like dancing, "Electric" is a good song. That's a song Eric Hudson produced. There's another song called "Do It" that has more [of a] dance feel. The Underdogs produced that one.
Q:
Last year you had vocal problems and had to go to the doctor—was it hard to get back into singing shape for the CD?
Omarion: They were able to take care of it without surgery. Basically, what happened was, I had developed a cyst on my vocal chord. I had to do some vocal training, you know, retrain my voice. I had to stop eating certain foods, stop doing certain things so I could keep my voice strong. A lot of discipline.
Q:
You wrote the autobiography O—did that help you figure out things about yourself?
Omarion: Yes, definitely. Aside from just that, it taught me to show people that I do write and I am not just a singer. I'm a writer. I do a lot of things.
Q:
Are you interested in writing screenplays?
Omarion: I'm getting into that. Actually, I'm learning how to structure a screenplay right now.
Q:
When is your new movie Reggaeton coming out?
Omarion: It should be coming out sometime this year. It's a really great cast and I'm excited about it because this time around, I'm able to show my range.
Q:
Tell me about ScreamTour5.
Omarion: The tour started on November 22, 2006. We are playing roughly 20 cities.
Q:
Who is the most influential person in your life?
Omarion: My manager, Chris Stokes. He always made sure I did smart things with my money. Of course, I spend and have fun, but he always made sure I did smart things with it, too. He's very honest. He shows me why a manager gets the amount that they get. He's made me take business classes before. He's been a huge influence on my life as far as business, as far as my personal life, as far as everything. He's really helped me. He's kind of like my father.
—Interview by Marie Morreale
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Omarion
(Photo: Eric Ogden)
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STAR STATS
Star Calendar
Visit Omarion's official Web site for ScreamTour5 tour dates.
Star Stats
Full Name: Omari Ishmael Grandberry
Nickname: O
Birth Date: November 12, 1984
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California
Hair: brown
Eyes: brown
Star Faves
Sports: basketball and football
Food: jambalaya
Drink: water and fruit punch
Candy: gummy bears
Fast Food Restaurant: McDonald's
Color: red
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