Interview by. Priya Ramanujam
Though 2007 seemed like the year when America put hip-hop music on attack for its “violent, misogynistic and materialistic” public persona, one young artist broke through and managed to steal the attention of thousands without using a single curse word. Sean Kingston burst onto the scene with the radio hit “Beautiful Girls” and street smash “Colors 2007”. We thought it’d be cool to catch up with the teen singer to chat about women and most importantly find out why “bitches” and “hoes” just ain’t a part of his vocabulary.
TELL ME YOUR DEFINITION OF A BEAUTIFUL GIRL — FIRST ON THE INSIDE AND THEN ON THE OUTSIDE.
Sean Kingston: She gotta think good. She gotta be focused; she gotta be a good person. She can’t be on no stuck up person, she gotta be humble, cool, mellow. On the outside, beautiful man, I like girls with long hair, light-skinned girls, dark-skinned girls I like too, I can’t really describe a girl that is beautiful, I’d have to see one.
WHY IS WHAT A GIRL HAS ON THE INSIDE EQUALLY AS IMPORTANT AS WHAT’S ON THE OUTSIDE?
Sean Kingston: Because I don’t want to get into a situation where I’m dating a cute girl but she has a messed up attitude… that kind of turns me off. It has to be very equal from my perspective.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS YOU ENJOY DOING WHEN YOU’RE IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH A GIRL?
Sean Kingston: Well I just like to chill, go to the movies, I just like to do fun stuff, like go to the beach, go eat dinner. Just have fun.
YOU MADE A STATEMENT WITH YOUR MUSIC WHEN YOU DECIDED NOT TO USE PROFANITY. STICKING TO THE THEME OF WOMEN, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE USE OF THE WORD “BITCH” IN MUSIC LYRICS?
Sean Kingston: I don’t think it’s appropriate. I really don’t. I really, really don’t. I think it shouldn’t be used anymore. I think rappers should stop using it. That’s the main reason why I don’t use it because I don’t think it’s appropriate. I think it’s disrespectful. I wouldn’t want no one calling my sister a “b” know what I’m sayin’?
WHAT ABOUT THE TERM “HOE”?
Sean Kingston: That’s even worse. It’s not cool at all.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO SOMEONE WHO JUSTIFIES IT BY SAYING THAT’S JUST HOW I SPEAK? OR THAT’S JUST EVERYDAY SLANG?
Sean Kingston: I’ll just tell him like, ‘yo, don’t put it in your music though.’ If that’s what you’re trying to do, don’t let it be in the music. If real artists knew what they were doing, they wouldn’t really do stuff like that. You’re trying to set a huge fan base that knows what you’re trying to do and that’s a whole different story. What if a pastor’s daughter wants to buy your CD, then he’s not going to let her buy the CD because he thinks he knows what type of artist you are? But if he knows you don’t curse he’ll probably go out and buy your CD. It’s all about touching base with your fan base.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON SOMEONE LIKE DON IMUS WHO WAS CAUGHT ON-AIR SAYING “NAPPY-HEADED HOES”?
Sean Kingston: The craziest thing about it is all the peoples using it in the music, in hip-hop. People are going to pick it up from the outside of hip-hop. I don’t really blame… he should have never said it, but he do have a point, everybody’s using it in hip-hop so why he can’t? People should start chilling out with the hip-hop.
BY NOT USING CURSE WORDS, HOW DO YOU FEEL YOUR STREET CREDIBILITY WILL BE AFFECTED?
Sean Kingston: People know my street background; they know what I’ve been through, through my bios and stuff. I make feel good music; I make music for a certain type of crowd… I’ve been in a lot of situations where a lot of street dudes is bumping “Beautiful Girls” so it’s a beautiful situation. I won’t be that pissed off if I don’t get a huge street cred because I’m just trying to bring feel good music back. I want overseas fans. I want everyone to know me as an artist. Just an artist who makes feel good music.
WHAT MESSAGE WOULD YOU LIKE TO GET OUT THERE ABOUT WHO SEAN KINGSTON IS AS AN ARTIST?
Sean Kingston: [He] young dude who came from nothing to something. His mom left him when he was 14 and went to prison. His dad was never there. The struggle he been through and boom he just came up, got a record deal and writes all his own music, co-produces sometimes. He’s just here to make great music and have y’all relate to it and vibe to it.
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