Mindless Behavior

Mindless Behavior Break Down Ode To Texting, 'My Girl'

16 Nov 2010 16:59:10 EST

'We text, our parents text, the song could relate to everyone,' 13-year-old Ray Ray tells MTV News about boy band's catchy debut single.
By Jocelyn Vena

Mindless Behavior
Photo: MTV News

Mindless Behavior have been burning up teen girls' iPods with their catchy debut single, "My Girl," a track about a girl who texts her boyfriend constantly. It's a topic the up-and-coming boy band — Ray Ray, Princeton, Prodigy and Roc Royal — told MTV News they could relate to.

"Well, 'My Girl' is about, we're talking to each other, talking to our friends or whoever you hang out with, that our girls text us a lot," Ray Ray explained. "And everyone texts. We text, our parents text, the song could relate to everyone." Ray Ray's bandmate Princeton added that the song not only appealed to them lyrically, but its funky, techno/R&B beat also won them over. "First, when we heard the beat it was just catchy and then our management team made the lyrics," he said. "So it went perfectly." The four 13-year-olds are also stoked about the video for "My Girl," which serves not only as an intro to the new pop group, but also an eye-catching spectacle of smooth dance moves. "It was exciting. We were all happy. We had a lot of fun on the set," Ray Ray said. Princeton noted that although the daylong shoot could have been grueling, it was in fact a good time. "It was an all-day shoot. We started at 5 o'clock in the morning and ended at 10 o'clock at night, so it was fun. We saw the different outfits and the crew was amazing too," he recalled. "[The video] starts off with us walking out of a concert and girls are screaming. It's basically just us at a concert performing in different outfits and different scenes." What do you think of Mindless Behavior's "My Girl" video? Tell us in the comments!

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Mindless Behavior Say Touring With Justin Bieber Was 'Crazy'

31 Jan 2011 14:29:20 EST

'Bieber, he's a great dude. He gave us advice backstage,' bandmember Roc Royal tells MTV News.
By Mawuse Ziegbe

Mindless Behavior
Photo: MTV News

According to Mindless Behavior, touring with Justin Bieber is a rowdy experience. The rising quartet, which includes 13- and 14-year-old Philadelphia and Los Angeles natives Prodigy, Roc Royal, Princeton and Ray Ray, hit the road with Justin Bieber in December. When they stopped by the MTV News offices on Friday, they dished that opening up for the teen superstar meant rocking the stage for thousands while grappling with the Biebs' hard-core fanbase.

"It was crazy," plaited singer Ray Ray admitted. "He has a lot of fans." Fellow Mindless singer Princeton — who fans may remember as that cute krumpin' kid from Gym Class Heroes' 2006 video for "Cupid's Chokehold/ Breakfast in America" — added that in addition to dodging legions of Beliebers, the boys had to bring it in massive arenas. "Every night, 15,000 fans," the curly haired crooner said, adding that the teen crew used the adrenaline to pump up their performances. "It made us nervous, but the minute we hit that stage — and the stage is big, by the way, like really big — but the minute we hit that stage the nerves just turned into great energy." Getting face time with concertgoers also helped to ease their nerves. "Before the show we always did meet-and-greets, so the fans were really nice and very supportive," Princeton explained. With their peppy text-friendly jam "My Girl" gaining traction and their status as budding heartthrobs blossoming, the Mindless fellas got some tips from Bieber on how to handle their growing fame. Rapper Roc Royal said the "Baby" singer was really cool about doling out pop-star guidance. "Bieber, he's a great dude. He gave us advice backstage. He's nice," Roc said. "He told us don't be nervous because it's just fans, and you love it." Roc added that Bieber was always down for a laugh — even if it came at the expense of the Mindless guys' eardrums. "[Our] favorite moments [were] when Bieber came into our room and we start playing," he smiled, recalling an instance in which the pop megastar barged into their rooms blasting an ear-shattering horn. "Like, he starts blowing the whistles in our rooms. [It's] like, 'Aw, man stop!' "He came in on a Segway, and he was like [makes horn sound]. We were like, 'Ah!' " Roc continued. "Definitely those moments when we were backstage and we were in our sweats just having fun." Pop-star mentorship aside, the boys insist that Bieber isn't going to get away with the reckless whistle-blowing. Ray Ray joked that the guys might just turn the intense energy of Bieber's fans against him. "We gonna put fans backstage so when he comes he gets attacked," he laughed. Princeton had another idea: "Take his Segway!" he said, pretending to jack Justin's wheels, exclaiming, " 'What up, Biebs? Vrooom!' " Did you see Mindless Behavior on tour with Justin Bieber? Tell us about it in the comments!

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Mindless Behavior Enlist Ciara, Tyga, Lil Twist For 'My Girl' Remix Video

28 Mar 2011 18:49:31 EDT

'These kids are stars to me,' Ciara tells MTV News on the clip's set.
By Vaughn Schoonmaker, with reporting by Kara Warner

Mindless Behavior
Photo: MTV News

Mindless Behavior might be made up of four boys in their early teens, but that hasn't stopped them from grabbing the attention of established stars like Ciara, Lil Twist and Tyga, who are all featured on the remix of their hit debut single "My Girl." The remix video debuted on BET's "106 and Park" on Monday (March 28), and MTV was on the set with the young stars a few weeks ago, just days before they kicked off their tour as Janet Jackson's opening act.

" 'My Girl' needs to just branch out," said Ray Ray, surrounded by his bandmates. " 'My Girl' is the best record ever!" As a follow-up to their video for the original version of the song, the 'My Girl' remix video delivers plenty of choreographed dancing, references to the art and etiquette of text messaging, and teenage girls dancing around the miniature heartthrobs. In the video, Ciara dances alongside Mindless Behavior in an industrial-like setting. Lil Twist and Tyga rap in a room full of excited fans while the boys dance along. "A year ago, we were fans of these artists," Princeton noted. "And now we're working with them. Just to know that is great." Ciara jumped at the opportunity to work alongside the boys. "These kids are stars to me, and they asked me to be part of the remix," she said. "I was like, 'I'm gonna be a part of this!' " Once a teen prodigy herself, Ciara already shared something in common with Mindless Behavior. "I remember when I was young. It's really just about being a part of something that's young and fresh and something that I believe in. In this case, they're young and I want to make sure I fit in that way. I give them the young 'CiCi' in me, I guess you could say." What do you think of the new video? Let us know in the comments!

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Mindless Behavior Call Meeting Janet Jackson 'Heaven'

13 Apr 2011 07:51:56 EDT

Roc Royal, Ray Ray, Princeton and Prodigy open Number Ones Tour.
By Vaughn Schoonmaker

Mindless Behavior
Photo: Johnny Nunez/ Getty Images

In the age of Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Willow Smith and the cast of "Glee," teen group sensations have slid off the radar after the boy band and girl group hurricane of the late '90s and early 2000s. Mindless Behavior are here to change that.

Filling the hot slot of Janet Jackson's opening act, Mindless Behavior are currently traveling the country for her Number Ones Tour. MTV News caught up with Roc Royal, Ray Ray, Princeton and Prodigy in their dressing room at the legendary Radio City Music Hall in New York City to find out what it means to be "mindless," what it's like opening for Janet and what we can expect from the 13-year-olds as they strive to headline their own tour someday soon. "Two years ago, we all auditioned for the group," Princeton explained from behind his large designer sunglasses. "Our managers took us to Interscope, and they signed us to Streamline Records. And then, after that, we started working on our album, #1 Girl." Mindless Behavior's yet-to-be-released debut album will include featured artists Ciara, Lil Twist and Tyga. Regarding the band's name, Princeton explained, "Mindless Behavior is our movement that we want everybody to join." "Being mindless is having confidence and being yourself," Ray Ray added. The boys intend for their album to find mass appeal. "Our music is very R&B and pop," Princeton described. "When you listen to our first album ... there are a lot of songs that adults and kids can relate to." As far as subject matter, Ray Ray noted, "All of our songs talk about girls. We love the ladies." With inspirations including Diddy, Eminem, Michael Jackson, Kanye West and Usher, the boys of Mindless Behavior bring wild synchronized dance moves, some high notes and some serious rapping to the stage. "When our manager told us that we were going to be on tour with Janet Jackson, we couldn't believe it!" Ray Ray gushed. "The first time I met Janet, I was stuck. I couldn't move." Princeton recounted, "I kept telling them, 'Is it just me, or is the room warm?' I think it was just me because I was so nervous." "When we walked in her room, it felt like we were in heaven," Roc Royal remembered. Prodigy was tickled by the experience: "She's really relaxed and quiet, and she looks gorgeous." Janet even offered the young hip-hop artists a bit of advice: "She said to keep doing what we do and we're very talented," Princeton said, beaming. "Coming from Janet, that was big." The boys said they have felt very welcome on Janet's stage thus far on the tour. "Janet fans are amazing!" Roc Royal said. "There's not one person in the crowd that's sitting down or looking away or texting or doing something else," Princeton added. "They're always looking at us." The fact that Janet was the headliner didn't stop dozens of Mindless fans from waiting outside of Radio City on the three nights of performances, screaming toward all windows in sight with the hope that the boys were in one of them. "Every time we're in New York, they're outside waiting," Princeton said, gesturing toward the nearby open window through which screams repeatedly traveled. "They inspire us to do better onstage," Roc Royal noted. "And they like to give us gifts!" Ray Ray said, referring to the mountains of merchandise from the M&M Store piled around the dressing room. The boys of Mindless Behavior hope to treat their fans with a full headlining tour of their own sometime soon. "When we headline our first tour, it's going to be something that people have not seen before," Princeton promised. "It's going to be something that the fans love," added Prodigy. Roc Royal exclaimed: "Everything's going to be mindless!" Are you a Mindless Behavior fan? Let us know in the comments below!

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Mindless Behavior Predict Big Things For #1 Girl

21 Sep 2011 15:41:35 EDT

After touring with Justin Bieber and Janet Jackson, the MB boys finally drop their debut album.
By Tami Katzoff

Mindless Behavior
Photo: MTV News

After three years of preparation in the studio and on the road (with the likes of Justin Bieber and Janet Jackson), the young men of Mindless Behavior are finally able to share the result of their efforts: their debut album, #1 Girl. Taking a quick break from an album signing session at Basement Mix Records in Brooklyn, teens Prodigy, Princeton, Ray Ray and Roc Royal talked to MTV News about everything that's led up to this moment.

"It's all come down to this day," Princeton said of their Tuesday release-day. "Last night we stayed up until 12 o'clock. And we were in our hotel room all together, and we got back at like 11:40 so we had 20 minutes, and we just waited. And we didn't say one word until it turned 12 o'clock." Once it was officially September 20, the celebration began. "We just started to scream and jump up and down," Princeton recalled. It was a crazy night, added Roc Royal — "the most exciting night of our lives." To put together #1 Girl the R&B/pop group enlisted the talents of several top producers, including Polow Da Don, Boi-1da and JukeBox. And if the members of Mindless Behavior are excited about it, their fans are positively giddy. "We'll never get used to it," Ray Ray said about the throngs of teen and pre-teen girls that greet MB at every appearance. "It's always different. First time they're just screaming. Next time they're biting Princeton, third time they're pulling my hair." Some of those fans can be seen as extras in Mindless Behavior's latest music video, "Mrs. Right" — directed by "Tower Heist" helmer Brett Ratner. Princeton explained how their partnership with the Hollywood heavyweight came to be. "After the Kids' Choice Awards, we went to his house. We ate dinner and hung out with him, and within the next month he was like, 'I want to direct your next video.' " The boys predict more big things in their future. After they return from the Scream Tour (with Diggy Simmons, the New Boyz and others) this fall, there's going to be "more albums, more fans and more shows," Princeton said. Their list of dream collaborators includes Drake, Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, Rihanna and Jay-Z. And then, according to Prodigy, the Grammys will come ... as well as "every award you can think of."

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Mindless Behavior To Drop 'Christmas With My Girl' Video

14 Dec 2011 10:04:07 EST

'It's very different from any other music video,' guys say about clip, premiering Wednesday (December 14) on BET's '106 & Park.'
By Jocelyn Vena

Mindless Behavior
Photo: MTV News

Justin Bieber and Michael Bublé have fans celebrating the holidays with their albums Under the Mistletoe and Christmas, respectively, and now it's Mindless Behavior's turn. The boy band wants to spend "Christmas With My Girl" in their new video, dropping Wednesday (December 14) on BET's "106 & Park."

On the set of the winter-themed clip, which brought actual snow to Los Angeles, the guys talked to MTV News about getting in the Christmas spirit for the video. "It's our first Christmas song. ... There's snow everywhere. We're freezing," Princeton said. "We don't go to the snow, the snow comes to us." The video will certainly be a change of pace for the guys, who frequently burn up the dance floor in their videos. "This video is awesome. We don't have no choreography," Ray Ray explained. "We're just hanging out, having fun." The song marks another first for Ray Ray, who finally got the chance to show off his rapping prowess on the track. "It was amazing," he said. "It was my first time rapping on a record, so I was really, really excited." The song was actually recorded on a different holiday while the guys were on the road with Diggy Simmons. "It's just a fun set," Princeton added. "It's very different from any other music video. Recording this Christmas song was really cool, because we actually recorded it in Chicago, in the middle of the Scream Tour, and we had a show before and a show after, so we only had one day out of the whole month. It was on Halloween. So, it was really fun, all day in the studio. " What's your favorite holiday-themed video so far this season? Sound off below!

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LMFAO, Mindless Behavior, More Share Holiday Gifts Not To Buy

22 Dec 2011 12:39:35 EST

'Fruitcake, it's the most disgusting, repulsive food ever,' Travie McCoy tells MTV News.
By Christina Garibaldi

LMFAO
Photo: Jeff Fusco/Getty Images/MTV News

Don't panic, but you only have a few days left to find the perfect holiday gift. Yes, it can be daunting, and yes, it can drive you crazy, but we at MTV News are here to help. But instead of telling you what to buy this season, we asked some of your favorite stars at this year's annual Z100 Jingle Ball concert in New York to tell us what not to put on your holiday gift list.

"The worst gift you could give somebody is a gift that you got from them," Princeton from Mindless Behavior told MTV News. Regifting is also a big no-no for Hot Chelle Rae's Nash Overstreet, who said, "[The worst gift] is a gift that you got that you didn't want, so you gave it to them." Well, if Overstreet is looking to regift anything for his fellow bandmembers, it seems Ian Keaggy might have given him a not-so-subtle hint. "If you're a girl and you're looking for just a random guy gift," Keaggy said, "a safe bet perhaps [is] socks and boxers." Big Time Rush's James Maslow agrees. "Cool, funky socks, or if it's really cold out and they're warm socks, that could be a good gift." If you are planning on baking instead of buying for someone this holiday season, Gym Class Heroes' Travie McCoy says stay away from the fruitcake. "Fruitcake, it's the most disgusting, repulsive food ever," McCoy said. "Who decided to put gummy bears in bread?" But what is the absolute worst thing you can give someone? Nothing at all. "The worst is when you forget to give a gift and they got you a gift," LMFAO's Redfoo said. "So no gift is the worst gift." What is the one gift you should never give someone? Let us know in the comments.

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Photos | MTV.com Exclusive: Mindless Behavior

07 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST

MTV.com Exclusive: Mindless Behavior

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