Sucker Free Q&A- Sean Kingston

Sean Kingston had a big year in ‘07. By summer time, just months after signing with renowned producer Jonathan “JR” Rotem’s Beluga Heights record label in late ‘06, the Jamaican reggae/rap crooner’s hit single “Beautiful Girls” was a staple of radio station playlists nationwide. His follow-ups, “Me Love” and “Take You There,” helped push his self-titled debut album to more than four hundred thousand records sold, while millions of fans downloaded his songs as ringtones. Recently, Sean wrapped up performing on Chris Brown’s Exclusive Holiday Tour. Now he’s gearing up to release the video for his fourth official single, “There’s Nothin,” featuring Paula Deanda, Juelz Santana and Elan from The D.E.Y.. Sucker Free Blog caught up with Sean in New York last week.

SF: What was it like being on the Chris Brown Exclusive Holiday Tour?

Sean Kingston: It was crazy. Every single night them teenagers was going crazy, screaming wild fans. It was just exciting. And it was just a different vibe for me. I do a lot of different pop crowds and pop stations, but it was a different type of energy. Every single different state, I be going out there and I be killing it. And I was surprised they knew all my songs. It was incredible. I did 24 dates.

SF: What cities were the craziest?

Sean Kingston: Dallas was popping. Dallas was a great city. New Orleans. Miami, of course, because that’s where I’m from. It was a lot of different cities. The whole tour was just fun, I ain’t wanna leave.

SF: There was rumors of tension between Bow Wow and Chris Brown, that Bow Wow spit on him. Did you experience any of that type of stuff when you were on the tour?

Sean Kingston: Yeah man, I’m not gonna lie, I heard about that. I didn’t experience nothing on the tour. Bow Wow is a great dude. Chris is a great dude. There were some altercations, but I’m not gonna come out and just say that. I didn’t really know about it all. I just did what I had to do and that’s it.

SF: So nobody beefed with you?

Sean Kingston: Nah, everybody showed me love. Bow Wow showed me love. Soulja Boy showed me love. And Chris Brown. It was all love.

SF: You’re getting ready to shoot a video for “There’s Nothin,” right?

Sean Kingston: Yeah, we’re shooting it tomorrow.

SF: This new version of the song, which isn’t on your album, has Juelz Santana and this Elan from The D.E.Y. on it. How did the new version come about?

Sean Kingston: I’m with a great label, I can’t even front. That was a label decision. It was my decision as far as Santana on the record because I feel like he’s been in the cut for a minute. He’s one of my favorite mixtape artists that came out and did they thing. I like his punchlines. He’s a dope artist. When I heard the track I felt like he was the one that could deliver what I need other than Lil Wayne. So I basically reached out to him, he said he was 100% down. He did his verses and he gonna be in the video tomorrow. So it’s going to be a great situation.

SF: What’s the concept for the video?

Sean Kingston: I just came back from break. I was in Miami taking a little break, getting ready for this [MTV Super 18 party]. So I been so busy with everything that I [didn't] really get a chance to talk to the director and everything. We also thought we were shooting “Dry Your Eyes,” so there’s a lot of confusion. I don’t know what the video’s going to be about. But I guess you can take it as a surprise and just wait and see.

SF: Who is directing it?

Sean Kingston: Benny Boom.

SF: There’s a street video for the first song on your album, “Kingston.” What were you trying to get across with that video?

Sean Kingston: That’s one my favorite joints on the album. A lot of people don’t know I rap. I started off rapping, that was one of my first loves, doing rap music. And “Kingston” is a rap, hard street joint, so I was like, “Yo man, if I come out and shoot a youtube video for ‘Kingston,’ get my point across that I could really spit, I could get a lot more fans.” It’s a street record. I’m not saying I’m the hardest dude out, but I grew up hard, I got a little streets in me. “Beautiful Girls” put me on a different edge. So “Kingston,” I just shot it out there. I paid for everything, and it is what it is.

SF: Now what do you consider yourself: a rapper, R&B singer, pop artist, reggae artist?

Sean Kingston: I consider myself as a reggae/pop star. A reggae/ pop artist. But I do everything. But like I said, I’m versatile. Right now I’m trying to do hooks for every and anybody that got the right budget and who got the right music. I’m with it man. I’m just trying to stay in the game and do my thing, because I know it’s hard out there.

SF: You’ve got some collaborations out now, right?

Sean Kingston: I got the Rick Ross (“Real D-Boy”), the Bun B (“That’s Gangsta”), I got Flo Rida’s second single (“Roll”). It’s a lot of good things going on. And that’s because I’ve teamed up with one of the hottest producers around, JR Rotem is doing his thing. And I’m signed to him. If an artist comes to him… JR got a lot of my hooks on his beats. So he’ll play em a hook and if they like it, they’ll take it and flow on it. And if they really really like it they’ll make it a single or an album track. So that was one of them Bun B type things. Bun B heard the track, he fell in love with the track and was like, “Yo, we gotta make it as a single.”

SF: There were rumors about you being cast for the role of Biggie in the upcoming Notorious B.I.G. movie, and then rumors were shot down. Are you playing Biggie?

Sean Kingston: Everything is still up in the air. Hopefully I still do the Biggie movie. I’m more than happy to do the Biggie movie. He’s one of my favorite rappers of all time. He’s Jamaican. He’s big. I’m big. I’m Jamaican. I think it should have went down. It is what it is though. If it don’t go down, much love to everybody over there and thanks for the opportunity. If it does go down, I’m a blessed man.

SF: But did they originally offer you the role and then go back on it?

Sean Kingston: They originally reached out to me and I did the audition and then we were still waiting to hear what happened. It’s still up in the air, like I said, so anything could go down.

SF: So you only did that one audition?

Sean Kingston: Exactly.

SF: Hip-hop had another year where sales were down. Are you unhappy with how your album sold or did the ringtones and downloads make up for it?

Sean Kingston: I could be mad if I wanted to. Cause it’s crazy. I sold 7.2 million digital ringtones and digital sales. 7.2 million, that’s a couple away from 10. That’s kind of a big number. For me to do that as a new artist, a lot of fans are not really buying into artists no more, they’re buying into ringtones and songs of Itunes. So I’m happy. My album is doing good. It’s at four hundred and something thousand, almost gold. So I gotta thank all my fans out there. And make sure you go big up the album if you don’t got it.

SF: What’s your focus for 2008, a second album, movies?

Sean Kingston: The focus is the second album. I’m trying to make the second album huge. Hit after hit after hit. Bring it to another level. You gotta be on another level. This is my sophomore album. And after that, maybe some movies, and we’re going to do the same thing we did on the first album. Some promotion, get out there to the radio stations, show em some love.

SF: Do you know when you’re gonna try to put the second album out?

Sean Kingston: I don’t when we’re trying to put it out, but I know we’re trying to shoot a single off the second album by like Summer.

SF: You got an album title for it yet?

Sean Kingston: Not yet, we’re still bubbling.