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Now,
I know what you’re thinking, and no, he’s not Lil’
Corey, he’s just Corey. He is his own person and stands
alone, unparalleled. He is plain old 14- year old, Corey
Hodges from Atlanta, Georgia. This Atlanta, GA native seems
to know exactly what he wants in life, and that’s to sing.
For more on Corey, check out the
in depth one on one chat I had with him.
Sirion: Hi Corey, can you please introduce yourself to the
Seaspot audience?
Corey: My name is Corey, I am a
14 year-old singer, from Atlanta, Georgia and I’m a Scorpio.
S: Do you have any brothers or
sisters?
C: I have one brother and one
sister.
S: So, what have you been up to?
C: Right now, I’m trying to get
into acting and I’m starting work on my 2nd album.
We just flew to Los Angeles yesterday and were just riding
around getting the feel of things, having fun, auditioning for
movies, going to Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles, you know, stuff
like that.
(Both laughing)
S: When did you first know you
wanted to start singing?
C: I never really knew I wanted
to sing professionally. I like singing a lot, and I was
singing at the mall one day and a lady came up to me and asked
me to come back the next day. So I went back, met some
people, sang for them, and got a production deal. After that,
I got signed to Motown.
S: How would you describe your
singing style?
C: I don’t really have a style,
I just sing from my heart and the way I sing just comes from
deep down. I feel something it’s kind of like a warm feeling.
S: How would you describe
yourself?
C: I would describe myself as
fun, curious, growing up, getting older, getting taller,
staying in school, hanging out and crackin’ jokes.
S: Who are your musical
influences or favorite artists?
C: Michael Jackson, Usher, Jesse
Powell, Myself, Bow Wow, and ‘Romeo.
S: Have you ever been told you
look like or sound like Sammie?
C: Yeah, a lot of people have
said that.
S: Do you like Sammie’s music?
C: Yeah. I like his music, it’s
nice.
S: Now, on your first single,
“Hush Lil’ Lady”, you worked with Lil’ Romeo and Lil’ Reema,
what was it like working with them?
C: Both of them were humble
people. I got to hang out with Romeo more than I hung out
with Kareema, only because we were on tour together. Both of
them were great people to hang out with. Romeo is humble and
Kareema is humble, I take nothing from them. Kareema’s nice
and short and I’m taller than her so we were crackin’ tall and
short jokes. Romeo and I are the same way so we were just
crackin’ jokes back and forth. We were just having fun, he
likes basketball and I like basketball, so we were vibin’.
S: How was it working with Shaq
on “MVP”?
C: I never really got a chance
to actually meet Shaq. He did his part at a different
studio. Motown got Shaq to rep on my album and I got a chance
to hear it and it was great. He got down. I liked the way he
was rapping and how he expressed himself on the song.
S: How was it making your first
video?
C: Making my first video was off
the chain. I had to run down the school hallway from all
these girls. I can’t even explain it. I got to hang out with
Romeo and we played basketball. It was cool, and it was hot!
S: Where did you film the video?
C: We made it out here in Los
Angeles.
S: What did you think, the first
time you heard your song on the radio?
C: The first time I heard my
song on the radio was on my birthday. So you can imagine how
much fun that was. I was already happy it was my birthday and
I was getting money and gifts and then my song just popped up
on the radio. Ahhh man, I went crazy! I had just gotten a CD
player that day and I was running around telling everybody,
“Listen, my song is on the radio!”
S: Yeah that’s real cool.
That’s the best birthday present you could get.
S: Why did you decide to
release, “The First Time” as your second single?
C: It wasn’t really me deciding
I had a little pick in it. I just like “The First Time”.
S: What is the meaning behind
the song?
C: “The First Time” is about me
having a girlfriend who had to move and there wasn’t anything
she or I could do about it. It was pretty much over. She
wasn’t trying to breakup with me and I wasn’t trying to break
up with her. I don’t even think her family was trying to
break us up. Her dad had gotten a new job and they just
wanted to move to where they could increase their money.
S: So it’s a true story?
C: Oh yeah, it’s a true story.
S: Did you write any of the
lyrics on your CD?
C: I wrote on “MVP” and I also
wrote on “Hush Lil’ Lady”.
S: What was it like recording in
the studio?
C: The first time, I cried.
Because I believed I could get it right. I don’t know what it
was, every time I did it, it was just wrong. To me it sounded
like it was right but it was wrong.
S: So it was stressful?
C: Yeah, I wanted to get it
right. The feeling wasn’t there, so I had to come back the
next day and I got it right and the song came out perfect.
I’m happy I did it over so many times.
S: Practice makes perfect.
C: Yeah, it really does.
S: What can we expect from a
Corey show?
C: I won’t even tell you, I’ll
leave it as a surprise. All you have to do is come and see
the show.
S: Do you have any plans of
touring? I heard rumors of you being on the Scream II Tour,
with Bow Wow, B2K and IMX.
C: Uhh, were trying to figure
that out now, nothing has been confirmed yet. But yeah,
that’s pretty much what’s about to happen as soon as it’s
confirmed.
S: Do you have any plans of
coming to Seattle?
C: I don’t know. That’s up to
my management. They handle the business side, anything that
comes to singing and performing, that’s me.
S: I saw you perform on Soul
Train and I know that they make people lip sync, did you feel
a little weird about that?
C: Umm, not really. Soul Train
was fun. I mean, it looks smaller in person, when you see it
on TV. You would think it would be big but it’s really not,
it’s smaller. We had a great time it was fun. I got to meet
a whole bunch of people like, Busta Rhymes, Ronald Isley, and
RL from Next. I met pretty much everyone who was on the
show. I also got to meet my all-time favorite legend, Don
Cornelius.
S: If you weren’t singing, what
do you think you would be doing?
C: I don’t know what I would be
doing, I haven’t even thought of that. I would probably be a
musician or something because I do know how to play the piano.
S: What is an average day like
for you?
C: Four interviews, Shows (TV),
probably some dance rehearsals, hanging out with my friends,
hanging out with my manager, and mainly all of us being
together having fun.
S: What is the best part of
being a star, to you?
C: Seeing how many lives you can
change. Just being a star, is not really all about singing.
Singing isn’t going to get you everywhere. It’s all about
being nice to people. Some [people] can be the greatest
singers in the world but if they have an ugly attitude, it can
change the way people look at them. It can change a person a
lot. For example, people who look up to you, aren’t expecting
you to do anything wrong. And when they actually see it, they
might think it’s ok and do it too. If you keep a positive
attitude about everything, then everyone that looks up to you
will be positive also.
S: So, do you consider yourself
a role model?
C: I don’t consider myself a
role model. But I know everyone else looks up to me as a role
model. So I have to keep acting professionally and
positively.
S: Do you have any crazy fan
stories?
C: Ohh, man. I have thousands
of them.
S: Can you tell me some?
C: Sure. In Jacksonville (FL)
they tried to flip our limo. My manager lost his 2-way. A
girl jumped on top of our limo. One girl tried to snatch one
of my dancers back into the crowd. And in Atlanta, at a
skating rink called, Skate Town, they actually knocked my
bodyguard over and I had to run out the door.
S: That’s crazy!
C: Yep.
S: Did you ever think you would
get a record deal and be on TV, on tour, and be featured in
magazines?
C: I never thought I would, I
really didn’t. It just happened. The first chance I got - I
took it.
S: How does your family feel
about your success?
C: My brother, mom and sister
are happy. I really thank my sister a lot, even though she
doesn’t know it and I don’t tell her a lot but my sister is
the one who made me who I am. Only because of the things she
used to say when we were little. Like, I used to be singing
and she’d be like, “Corey, you can’t sing.” And every time
she said that, it just made me want to try harder. Every
time. I always feel like I have to impress my sister. And to
this day, I still “catch it”. I just have to accept the fact
on my own and have to believe in me. That’s how I see it.
Right now, if I were to go in the house signing, or play the
piano, my sister is always going to be the only one to say,
“You can’t do it.” And that’s going to make me try harder.
S: So you have a little
motivation?
C: Yep, pretty much, she’s my
motivation.
S: What artists would you like
to work with in the future?
C: I want to work with
everybody. All upcoming artists, I want to work with them
all.
S: Who are your favorite music
artists out today?
C: I like Usher a lot, I have
his album, I listen to it. I like, “ U don’t Have to Call”,
number 10, umm, I don’t actually know the name of the song but
I know it. I like those. That’s pretty much it.
S: What are your hobbies?
C: Basketball, football, I like
all sports and playing games.
S: What is your favorite food?
C: I change all the time man.
It used to be pizza then it became bread. Right now its
everything. I just might as well say everything. I’m going
to change again and y’all gon’ think I’m lying. It’s
everything I like it all.
S: What is your favorite candy?
C: Recee’s Cups.
S: What is your favorite color?
C: It’s constantly changing
too. I like ‘em all.
S: What is your favorite
television show and movie?
C: I like Martin and my
favorite movie is Rush Hour, both of them.
S: What is your favorite video
game?
C: My favorite video game is
that Tony Hawk one, I can’t lose.
S: What is your favorite song on
your CD?
C: My favorite song on my CD
would be [track 12], “Cutest Girl”.
S: Yeah, I like that one, and
“What” and also “Ghetto Superstar”.
S: Are you really from the
ghetto, as you say in the song?
C: Yeah man. Pretty much. I
grew up there.
S: But you’re living better now,
right?
C: Uh, yeah, a little bit. I
still like the ghetto it’s where I’m from. It’s always good
to know where you came from.
S: Right. All the girls want to
know if you’re single?
C: Tell all of them yeah, I’m
single and I don’t have a girlfriend.
S: I will.
S: What advice would you give a
kid or someone looking to get into the music industry?
C: Keep your head up. If you
want to be a rapper or singer, anything you want to be, you
gotta keep practicing. Don’t let anyone tell you, you can’t
do it. You always have to have confidence in yourself, no
matter if you can do it or not. My manager always tells me,
“You don’t have to look like a million dollars to have it.”
Or, “There are some people that go out in the world today,
that look like they have 3million dollars and don’t have it.”
It’s not all about your appearance. These days, people think
that your appearance counts. Everything is becoming an
illusion.
S: Where do you see yourself in
5 years?
C: Old! (Both laughing) I’m just
playing. In 5 years I want to still be singing. I want to
have some fun. I want to be able to drive, I’m learning how
to drive but I want to have my own car. I want to have my own
studio, and my own house, everything that adults have.
S: Do you want to go to college?
C: I want to go to college.
S: Any specific one in mind?
C: Morris Brown.
S: Well that’s about it. I just
wanted to let you know that your CD is great. You definitely
have skills, your voice is awesome and you got love in
Seattle. Keep doin’ what you’re doin’! Thank you very much
for your time, it was nice talking to you.
C: Thank you, bye.
Words I would use to describe
Corey:
-Destined for greatness
-As wise as an old man
-Rooted
-Humble
-Happy
-Funny
-Real
-A true Southern representative
“Just Corey”
truly showcases his vocal skills. “Just Corey” is a blend
of party time, feel good, emotional music. It’s also a combination of modern R&B and hip-hop with a pop twist. There
are fast songs and slow songs and the best thing about it is
that they all sound great. I will be honest and say there are
some songs I don’t listen to but overall, it’s a really good
album. This kid is obviously very talented and blessed. His
voice is amazing, he definitely has skills and I will
undoubtedly be in line to purchase his next CD Corey is here
to stay!
If you don’t own Corey’s debut
album, “Just Corey”, I suggest you go pick it up
today. In Stores Now. Go get it!
For more on Corey visit:
Http://www.JustCorey.com
Http://www.Motown.com
Special thanks to: Corey and
Shirronda Sweet at Motown. I’ll be seeing you.
-Sirion Sewell
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