5 Questions 4 Omarion
Omarion has come a long way since he jettisoned his boy band mates in B2K and nosedived into the merciless world of solo R&B singers. Whereas B2K basically had the boy group thing on lock, Omarion is now a part of a crowded and cutthroat ring of crooners competing for the same group of screaming girls and yearning women. However, despite his competition and tender age (22), Omari Ishmael Grandberry has made a mark on the industry with his smooth vocals and kinetic dancing. With two #1 albums and more movies on the way, he’s poised for even greater success.
I caught up with him recently while he was taking a break from recording his upcoming album with a famous peep (guess who?) and he mentions a little something about his new music, new movie and new friend.
It was rumored that you and Rihanna were dating earlier, but she told me in a recent interview that you are one of her best friends.
Yeah. That’s true. She is great and a lot of fun. She likes to laugh and have a good time. If you don’t know her, you would think that she was a serious person. She likes to bowl.
She told me you were nice enough to show her around Los Angeles when she moved there. Why do you think people thought you were dating?
When you’re out with someone, people will always assume. We know what it is.
What do you think of the transformation that she has made with the new look and the new sound?
She is at the height of her career and has one of the hottest records out now. I am really able to see her beauty and I am like, Wow! But, she has undergone a dope transformation. I went through a period want[ing] to rebel as well.
I spoke with Bow Wow the other day and he told me that you and he are releasing an album together, a’ la Jay-Z and R. Kelly’s “The Best of Both Worlds”. What should we expect?
The music is crazy! We are in the studio now finishing it now. That’s what’s so brilliant about it; it is not typical Omarion or Bow Wow. This album is going to go! For real. We are going to go on tour.
I know you are a workaholic, so what else do you have coming down the pipeline in the coming year?
I have a movie coming out called Feel The Noise that Jennifer Lopez produced. It’s about a young cat from New York that goes to Puerto Rico to visit his father who lives out there. He is a frustrated kid who finds the Reggaeton sound. I am also going to open a dance studio and have my own video game.
Interview by Isoul H. Harris, an entertainment journalist based in Atlanta, GA.