Here’s the thing. While interviewing the former B2K boy bander Raz, I was trying to avoid the obvious.
Ever since he agreed to perform at a couple of gay pride celebrations and appear in the upcoming season of gay-com Noah’s Arc, tongues have been wagging about Raz’s sexuality. Considering I never ask interview subjects, "are you straight?" I decided it would be a double standard to ask the opposite - and honestly, I think he likes the mystique. Instead, it was just straight talk with one of the most mature interview subjects I’ve met in a long time - gay or straight.
R.C: Why the name "Raz?"
Raz: I got that in my group B2K. Actually my first group Melodic switched into B2K, which consisted of the three of us, J-Boog, Lil’ Fizz and myself… then Omarion came. But I had a raspy voice in the group, so I wanted time for it to grow before I dropped it on the world. I dropped the "B," and Raz stands for "Revealer of Secrets."
R.C.: I heard the single and it sounds nothing like a B2K track. What made you go in this direction?
Raz: Believe it not, I love making universal music. But when you’re in a group you have to humble yourself in different positions. I wanted to make a universal album. The whole album doesn’t sound like that..that track has a country Avril Lavigne feel.
R.C.: So what’s poppin’ on the music side now?
Raz: We running everything through my site, Raz Me. We aren’t selling anything in stores.
R.C.: You think your fans will follow your new sound?
Raz: I think my supporters will support me. If you support God, you’re supporting me.
R.C.: B2K got pretty huge for a while…as a solo artist, does that work to your advantage or disadvantage?
Raz: Definitely an advantage. I think everybody had something to do with the group. I’m a household name, and children all around the world know us.
R.C.: When you broke up, it wasn’t the best situation. I heard you had some issues with your cousin, Chris of TUG Entertainment?
Raz: Things are great, it’s been some articles in Jet and The Source, where Omarion stated some things. But we got together, and the spirit of God came down and we have made up.
R.C.: Do you think you guys will ever get back together?
Raz: Definitely, definitely…
R.C.: At the height of your B2K popularity, you had all the little girls (and probably some little boys) fawning over you. What was the strangest thing someone did to get your attention?
Raz: Oh, I got one for you. We were in Oakland and a girl was in the shower. We came into the room and the girl was in the shower and she ran out. She had her clothes on, but security grabbed her. We gave her a kiss and a picture for showing so much love.
R.C.: I would have locked her up for trespassing…changing gears, you’ve been performing some concert dates recently?
Raz: Yeah, I did a Gay, Lesbian & Trans-gendered film festival. There’s no discrimination there..we representing God and love - just don’t touch my booty. I am gonna be right there dapping and hugging, it’s all love… no discrimination. More celebs should be that way.
R.C.: So you’re embracing the gay community?
Raz: We gotta break the curses.
R.C.: How has your performance style changed with being solo?
Raz: In B2K all four of us held a quarter in that group. It wasn’t about one person. When I look across the stage and see them not there, I pick up the slack. They’re with me in heart. If I am by myself, I gotta come harder then when I was in a group.
R.C.: I have to admit, I never bought a B2K cd, even though I heard you guys on the radio 24/7. Strangely, I didn’t know you could sing. Did you sing in the group?
Raz: I sung a lot of background. I sung the lead on Pandemonium on songs "Tease" and "Everything." I actually perform those in concert. I wasn’t the lead singer, but you finally got to hear my voice.
R.C.: For teenagers, you guys were ripped. Did you guys compete body-wise?
Raz: We would do that out of fun and being stupid because all of us had to look tight. In the "Uh Huh" video we were ripped; we were on low carb diets and stuff for a month. And I just started working out again…that’s why I don’t have any naked pics to show the ladies.
R.C.: Is there anyone you want to work with musically?
Raz: I got a chance to work with Michael Jackson and Shaquille O’Neal. I met Mike in 2001, when Rodney Jerkins invited me to the "You Rock My World" video shoot. And I met him again at the MTV Music Awards.
R.C.: Did he remember you?
Raz: Nope, nope, nope. Then I got him at the BET Awards. When he came out for James Brown I ran out of my seat and ran around the back. Steve Harvey grabbed him, and I said, "Michael, I would love to work with you, you’re an inspiration to me and so many others." He laughed and I laughed. I got a track from him though.
He sings the hook, "We Be Ballin’," so I was talking to Shaq about licensing it to the NBA.
R.C.: I like this hustling mentality you have…you won’t put Mike on your album, but you’ll pimp him to the NBA.
Raz: Aww man, I will put it on the album…but I will make way more money with the NBA.
R.C.: So was the Michael track old vocals he passed on to you?
Raz: Nah, new vocals…he sang the hook.
R.C.: That’s a big deal.
Raz: Things we doing is beyond the physical.
R.C.: Ok, I hate to keep bringing up old shit, but do you ever run into Fizz and J. Boog?
Raz: We don’t hang out as much, I am in Seattle and they are in LA. I want to say congrats to Boog - he just had a child. Fizz is working on his album, and Omari - he got his albums gold, doing it real big.
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Tags: B2K, Interviews, Omarion, Raz B
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