I'm just gonna keep on working man, and I'm writing songs for everybody right now but definitely Rihanna's going to have a hit record.

Q: What kind of sound is she aiming for? We hear she's working on a drum and bass track?

A. It's definitely going to be more diverse. One of the songs I'm doing for her is like crazy soul. It's like pop, but it has everything in it. And it's got a futuristic sound. And that's the sound that I worked for with my new album. People are loving the record so, y'know, it's all good.

Q: When you're writing songs, are you sometimes working on something for somebody and think, 'Actually, this is too good, I'm going to keep it for myself?'

A: Nah, when I make a record I listen to what I've made and go, like, this song should be for that person - I right the records and then I just know who it's going to work with.

Q: Your new album features some diverse artists - Good Charlotte being one of them.

A. I love Good Charlotte man, we cut a song on the album, it's called 'Shoulda Let U Go' and it's basically a mix of rap, reggae and pop. It's uptempo, it's nice, it's got a catchy melody to it. It's all about having fun man.

Good Charlotte had this beat with a hook and it builds up to this, like, crazy high - orchestra with electric guitar - and it's like a movie man, it's a crazy record, I love it.

I've been a huge fan of Good Charlotte, and they're signed to the same label, so basically, I told my manager 'Yo - lets do a record with them.' He phoned their manager and he was like, 'Yeah man, they love your songs, you can put it together.' And we got like three tracks out. All the three tacks were crazy, but out the three there was one that stood out and that's the one we've put on the record.

It's different to what my fans normally go for, and I haven't started performing it yet, but I can't wait to, it's one of those type of records where everybody's gonna be jumping.

Q: You've sold so many records and singles, I've heard 'Beautiful Girls' all around the world, what do you want to do next?

A: I want to start doing movies, and right now I'm actually behind the scenes, because I got my own artists. It's called Time is Money Entertainment. I can't wait I'm just going to be like the CEO, so I'll be sitting back like, chilling...

I reckon I'll make another three or four albums myself. I think. As far as the styles goes I like all the up-tempo stuff, I want to keep making the upbeat numbers, that's the vibe I'm feeling.

Q: What inspired you to come up with 'Beautiful Girls'?

A: So I wanted to do an R'n'B song that'd never been done before. And that song had an edge to it. I like writing songs with a little bit of edge, and a little bit of twist to them.

Like all the way through, the song is looking for fun, so I thought, I'm going to put 'suicidal' in there and like yo, this is it, this is the first single, I know it is. And whoa, it was crazy, it just took off fast!

Q: And how much pressure did that put on you to follow it up?

A: It definitely put pressure on me. But it was the perfect single to jump start the tour and album and I don't feel any pressure from that song now though, that was 07, y'know?

Q: I heard that you met Michael Jackson?

A: It's not true. I wish I had met Jackson! I wish I had been able to meet him. He was a pioneer, he was an icon, he paved the way for me -him and Bob Marley.

I was in New York doing interviews on the day he died, I got a call and I was like, 'What?' - and I wasn't even ready to understand. So I asked what happened and they started to tell me and I jumped out of the chair. And I had to call up everybody. I couldn't believe it. He could not be dead, it didn't sound true to me.

The guy was in rehearsals for his new tour as well, it's such a terrible, terrible loss. I think about it all the time. This guy was soul, he had it. That's why I just gotta say man, rest in peace, and that's why I've got to try my best to carry on my music, and try make Michael Jackson proud. I had a 'Thriller' jacket, I had the gloves and used to try to learn the moonwalk and everything.

Q: Will you do a tribute to him?

A: You know, right now I have a part in my live shows where I pay tribute to him. But I don't think I'd do a song though. Because I don't want to mess something like that up. I want to keep Michael Jackson's memory. I don't want to risk it. A lot of people like to try stuff but I don't want to take one of his songs and it not come off the way I want it to come off.

Q: Do you think some artists have done that?

A: Yeah there's some people. It's just a big, big record to take on man, I think with somebody like Michael Jackson, leave it alone, let it be, I don't think someone should just come out and sample and rework it.

Q: You don't drink or smoke and you don't like hanging out in clubs, what's your idea of fun?

A. I like to go swimming, I like to ride my ATV four-wheelers, I like to buy sneakers and stuff, I love going shopping, but most of all, I have fun riding my bikes. I have all type of bikes, I have four-wheelers, I have dirt bikes I have mini-choppers and biking is just real fun, and I have a lot of space to ride. It's great.

Q: What has been your weirdest fan encounter?

A: I was on the Chris Brown tour and I had a fan that drove, like, two states just to get an autograph and see me and stuff. She was driving behind the bus for like three different cities, and not just somewhere she was from, she was just driving there and waiting for the bus to stop. That was real crazy. I gave her my picture, my signature, everything.

By Andy Tillett


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