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— by Shaheem Reid
Just 24 hours ago, the self-proclaimed Teen President was partying like the king of the world with Chingy and Murphy Lee in his hometown of St. Louis. But now, he's experiencing the other side of the coin: Like many a president before him, J-Kwon is finding out that it's hard to please all of his constituents.
A small group of teens has gathered on West 45th Street in New York to greet J-Kwon as he enters the building for his first visit to MTV's "TRL" — but not everyone is welcoming him with open arms.
"Yay-aaayyy Omarion!" yells one girl as she points to the painted picture of B2K's former frontman she's holding. Next to her, another young lady is holding a belt buckle that reads "Omarion," and next to her, yet another screaming B2K fiend is hollering "Omari!"
Like any good distinguished gentleman, J-Kwon doesnıt even flinch at the insolence. The fact that supporters of the singer J-Kwon has publicly accused of "stealing" the beat from his hit single, "Tipsy," are trying to put a damper on his first-ever live appearance on national TV doesnıt seem to bother him (see "J-Kwon Out To Shock With 'Tipsy' Remix, Rips Omarion For 'Stealing' Beat"). J-Kwon simply gets his George Bush on and walks by silently, giving a smile and waving without even breaking stride.
"I'm just feeling real focused," Kwon says minutes later, shortly after getting props from Kanye West in the "TRL" greenroom. "I'm on another level with [success] right now. If donıt nobody else thank me, I'll thank myself."
Kwon may seem to have a little too much swagger about him, but what kid that's been thrust into the spotlight wouldn't be verging on cockiness? Let alone one who's had to overcome some very grown-up situations, like hustling in the streets, homelessness and being a father to two kids of his own.
Overcome he has: J's debut album, Hood Hop, entered the Billboard 200 albums chart at #7, selling more than 125,000 copies in its first week, and "Tipsy" has been a staple on the magazine's Hot 100 singles chart.
Not only that, he's gotten this far largely on the strength of his attitude. During an audition, he famously mooned Arista Records' then-president, L.A. Reid, and razzed producer Jermaine Dupri about his diminutive height (see "J-Kwon's 'Tipsy' Road To Success Included Mooning L.A. Reid, Mocking Dupri" ). And if it werenıt for Kwon disagreeing with Dupri about his choice of a single, he might still be toiling in the Lou, trying to find a way to break through.
"I made ['Tipsy'] with the Trackboyz," Kwon remembers. "JD wasn't gonna put it out as a single, he had some other picks. After we [heard about his plans], we just start pressing up copies of the song and sending them out. It was L.A. Reid's favorite song — thank you, Mr. L.A. Reid — so we moved it out. We seen what happened, JD seen what happened, then he jumped behind it, 100 percent. Boom!"
So how does a kid fresh out of the 'hood know enough about hit records to defy the plans of Dupri, a veteran hitmaker and executive who's been in the business longer than Kwon has been alive?
"I don't know, 'cause I ain't had a lot of hits," Kwon says, flashing his crooked grin. "After the second [hit], I can tell you the formula. But I can't tell you right now: I'd be lying to you, and the Teen President don't do that! Before he lies, he won't say nothing."
However, he's more than candid about everything else, from attracting older women ("I'm 18," he says, smiling. "They was robbing the cradle before that, though. It was all good.") to his two kids.
"You see, my face lit up when you said that," Kwon beams at the mere mention of the word "kids." He has two reasons to rejoice, his 2-year-old daughter, Destiny, and his infant son, Jerrell, nicknamed Moonman.
Can you imagine if Avril Lavigne, Hilary Duff or even Bow Wow were in a similar situation? Endorsement deals probably would be jeopardized, movie roles put on hold, radio spins would wane — and donıt even talk about the headlines the gossip columns would run. You can have the tightest flow or the most magnetic beat, but teen parenthood is still considered taboo by plenty of older folk.
"I love my shorties!" J-Kwon continues unabashedly. "Thatıs my dirties there. I love the kids. I don't care what nobody tells me. The label, my momma, my baby-momma can all tell me, 'Don't say nothing 'bout your kids.' But that's a part of me. If you see me, you see my kids. I'm real open like that."
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The Teen President speaks:
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"What goes along with being a Teen President is, you gotta hold your teens down. I gotta keep it real with the teens. [But I'm a parent too], so I'm thinking from two points of view: I'm thinking from the parents' point of view and I'm thinking from our point of view. I wouldn't tell teens nothin' that ain't right."
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While some parents may cringe at the thought of a barely legal guy who fathered his first seed at age 16 acting as a role model for their children, Kwon wonders who could be better to talk to young bucks about youthful mistakes than someone who went through them. Estrangement from family, homelessness, hustling, cutting school: He's experienced it all.
"I feel good about [being a role model]," Kwon says. "What goes along with being a Teen President is, you gotta hold your teens down. I gotta keep it real with the teens. I'm here for them. I be feeling like, 'Yo, what are my kids gonna grow up and be?' So if their daddy shows a positive way for them and every teen in America, we can't go wrong. [I'm a parent too], so I'm thinking from two points of view: I'm thinking from the parents' point of view and I'm thinking from our point of view. My album, OK, it's a little explicit, but that's entertainment. I wouldn't tell teens nothin' that ain't right."
And who knows more about a teen's short attention span than another teen? Kwon has the attention of his peer group now, but whether or not he keeps it depends on the example he sets and the music he churns out.
"I ain't worried about no let-downs," he scoffs, just before being whisked away by the "TRL" staff. "I don't believe in let-downs. Either it's supposed to happen or it ain't supposed to happen. I'm gonna give it my all, 120 percent."
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