Omarion Savors Reggaeton for 'Feel the Noise'
Brigid Brown
Hollywood.com Staff
Reggaeton--the scorching mix of rap, reggae, dancehall, salsa and bomba--is so infectious that since its introduction in the '90s, it has taken the country by storm. Most closely associated with Puerto Rico and Jamaica but with a talent-base spread throughout the Latino community, the growing music form has put a whole cast of music stars on the map: Daddy Yankee, Tego Calderon and Noriega, to name a few.
The genre will likely find more followers when R&B star Omarion Grandberry, who made his feature film debut opposite his older half-brother Marques Houston in 2004's You Got Served , brings reggaeton to the big screen in Feel the Noise. Produced by Jennifer Lopez, Feel the Noise infuses the scenes with a vibrancy rarely captured in music movies. The story keeps it real, reminding us that growing up is hard--and chasing a dream might be even harder.
Hollywood.com caught up with the innovative, ever-rising music star who's tackling a new beat.
Hollywood.com: How does your character discover reggaeton?
Omarion Grandberry: My character has ambitions of becoming a rap star and is faced with adversity throughout the course of the film. In the opening scene, he ends up in jail and is then shipped off to Puerto Rico to where his father is--[someone] who he does not even know. He's dealing with a lot of issues inside of him, but on the outside the music follows him and he finds this new sound, which is reggaeton.
HW: What was it like shooting in Puerto Rico?
OG: We shot in Puerto Rico for two months--that was the best part for me. I can't say I was a huge reggaeton fan or understood the Puerto Rican culture, but when I went there I was like, ""Oh man!"" and really experienced something.
HW: Jennifer Lopez executive produced this film. What was it like working with her?
OG: She actually came down to the set and said, ""Baby, you're doing a really, really great job. Keep doing your thing."" That was really nice.
HW: Was it difficult making the switch from music to acting?
OG: I'd say I'm a full-fledged actor. I want to keep challenging myself and keep growing. It's something that I've done before I got into the band [B2K]. I had a nationwide Corn Pops commercial, and I was on my way into the acting world [before Feel the Noise].
HW: What do you hope young people will take away from this film?
OG: The moral of the story: No matter what barriers there are and no matter what's in front of you, you conquer your dreams! I want young people--and everyone--to take that from this, because sometimes people feel like it's too late. And it's never too late to follow your dreams.
HW: What's next for you?
OG: The Face Off album--myself and Bow Wow! I'm so excited about this. We're both 'in a place' that we're creatively in control. I believe there are going to be 14 tracks on the album.
HW: What a smart musical collaboration--you and Bow Wow working alongside one another. It must've brought new energy to the game.
OG: We went on four 'sold out' tours back-to-back, before we did ""Let Me Hold You,"" which was a Top Five single. We just feel like this is a great opportunity for our fans to merge. We both could've done our own solo albums, but we wanted to do something different and exciting.