Omarion Tests His Rap Skills In New Movie
By Ivory M. Jones

Posted October 9, 2007 -- Fans who headed to movie theaters across the country this weekend got a chance to see crooner Omarion showcase his rhyme skills in his new dance movie, Feel the Noise. But for fans who were surprised to see him get on the mic, the R&B heartthrob tells BET.com that it wasn't that unusual for him.

"I was a rapper before I was a singer. A lot of people don't know that," he reveals, adding that he went by the same one-word moniker fans know him by today. "If you really think about it, 'Omarion' is not an R&B name. It's not even my real name. (His real name is Omari.)

Despite getting the chance to flex his rhyme skills, Omarion says that fans need not worry that he'll leave R&B behind.

"I think I'ma stick to the R&B singing. I don't think I'm gonna be stepping into the rap [game]. I'ma leave that to the hip-hop cats," he laughs.

One of the rap cats he's letting have the mic is Bow Wow, who he's currently teaming up with for a collaboration album titled Face Off, due in stores Dec. 11. On that project Omarion lets Bow Wow handle the rapping, while he keeps the ladies happy with his crooning. However, fans are going to have to wait 'til the album drops to check out exactly how the collabo plays out.

"I'm so excited about this. It's so much I can tell you, but I really like to show. I wanna show and prove," he says. "I really want people to see the growth in the music and just the creativeness between myself and Bow...I hope ya'll love it!"

If December is just too far away, then Omarion says fans can get a taste of what Face Off will be offering by logging on to Myspace and checking out the song, "Hood Star." To check the single out, visit www.myspace.com/faceoffthealbum.

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