Sean Kingston is heating up airwaves both here and in the US with his track Beautiful Girls. Born and raised between Jamaica and Miami, Sean has music embedded in his veins. Catching the eyes and ears of JR Rotem, producer to the likes of Brittany Spears and Rihanna, through the networking website myspace.com, Kingston launched his musical career. Already with an album and chart topping singles to his credit, this 17 year old has certainly got his feet wet in the music business. Here he talks inspiration, being connected and how music really can make a difference. You were originally born in Florida, but your family is Jamaican. Did you spend a lot of time in Jamaica?Yes I was born in Miami and then I went to Jamaica when I was six; then I cam back to Miami when I was 10.

How was the transition on you making those moves, at such a young age?
It was pretty different, you know Jamaica has its different environments compare to America and Miami, but it was cool. I adapted to the lifestyle, it was very different but I liked it.
You music is a fusion of both cultures as well, was this what you hoped to do?
I have been listening to reggae since I was very young but I also used to listen to a lot of rap and I was around a lot of people who were doing music.
You put your Hip-Hop inspirations down as Ice Cube and Slick Rick, being that you are so young, how were you exposed to these guys?

Man, Slick Rick, my Mom played Slick Rick and she loved him and I would hear that a lot. Now of course my age would normally say people like Jay Z or TI but I grew up on Slick Rick and I got to like him, he was dope and a great artist and I would listen to him. Both he and Ice Cube have inspired me to do what I am doing today.

Yeah they are classic artists. Now you have gone on to get situated with JR Rotem, how did that come about?

I linked up with him through myspace. I was communicating with his brother who actually controls his myspace page and I was sending him some e mails and asking him to check out my music page. I just kept hitting him up twice a day and then he finally replied to me and the rest is history.

You have some big names working with you on your new album, for someone who is just emerging. Were these people you hoped to work with or were they people JR hooked you up with?

You know some of them, I wanted to work with and then others just came about and I am just loving the situation. Of all the people that I have worked with so far it has been a great chemistry. Things have been good and we are just making good music. Of course JR has a lot of connects and we have been getting great feedback from other artists too.

You have worked with some big artists already, Trick Daddy, due to the Miami connection I assume?

Yeah I worked with Trick Daddy and Pitbull, Pretty Ricky. My cousin he lives in the area and he DJed at 99 Jamz, the radio station and he would bring me around so I could get backstage at a lot of the shows and I was exposed to a lot that way too.

Being that you are quite young coming into the game, you have had to surround yourself with people that have already established themselves in the game?

Yeah, my cousin was in the industry and he schooled me to a lot of stuff and even though I have rapped since I was eight, I just kept on developing and then he started to take me around to all different areas where things were popping off, so I could be seen on the scene with the hopes of picking up.

There is a high crime rate in Jamaica, which is unfortunate. Is the trouble something you may touch on through your music?

Yeah I see myself doing this. I mean Jamaica has his ridiculous crime rate and people are very unsettled, yet there really isn’t that much focusing on the real Jamaica and what is going on down there.

Do you think artists like yourself could make a difference in Jamaica? You know by reaching out the people through your music?

Of course as they get a lot of people behind them through their music and as we are all aware, music is very important in Jamaican culture. I will be going back to promote my album I hope in a couple of months.

A lot of artists complain that they are not being marketed and promoted too well when involved with a major label, is this a concern of yours?

No way because I have so many people on board. I have Jamaican people on board; I have basically you know I am surrounded by my family. My brother, he is basically my manager, my other brother is my assistant manager and I have a lot of people on board so I know I am in a great situation.

When it comes to the business aspect of your career, do you prefer to leave that to your team or do you get involved in that?

I love getting involved in the business side of things, I want to know everything that is going on and if everything is running smoothly. I like to be updated. I am just that type of dude; you know if this album sells well and I am really appreciated I do see myself coming out with my own record label. I have the name and it is copy written already. You know I may be a young dude but I am also an entrepreneur so that when I see stuff I am kept in the loop also.

How are you dealing with the fame so far?

Sean Kingston: It is pretty cool; I don’t have n real problems with it. I have noticed some changes, you know people treat you differently but it’s pretty cool. I am loving it as this is what I have wanted to do. Music is my life and I am living my dream so there is nothing wrong with that at all.

Melanie Cornish

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