By: Lynn Barker
After releasing their second album, the sensational “Mindless Behavior” guys are launching a 26 city “All Around the World” tour in Stockton, Ca. on July 3rd. They are headlining with the OMG Girlz and Coco Jones opening for them.
Prodigy, Ray Ray, Roc Royal and Princeton (real name Jacob Emmanuel Perez) have been rehearsing their “fannies” off and can’t wait to hit the stage. Soft-spoken and kind, Princeton encourages fans to spread peace and be themselves. Let’s put him on the page….
Love the pants!
Kidzworld: You must be so excited about the tour.
- Princeton: It’s been really crazy. It’s our first time rehearsing for two events; the tour and the BET Awards (airing Sunday, June 30th).
Kidzworld: Wow, that’s a lot of work! What track from “All Around the World” is your personal favorite?
- Princeton: I love “House Party”. When I first heard the album full through, I really liked the hook of “House Party”. It’s a great, comfortable vibe. I really like that song and I love all the singles “Keep It on the Low”. It’s a great album.
Kidzworld: Do you guys hang out with the OMG Girlz or Coco Jones and do you plan to on tour?
- Princeton: Yeah, we’ve been texting the OMG Girlz. We can’t wait to see each other on tour. The only time we really see each other is when we’re working. Coco, we’ve done two shows with her so far and she’s been really humble. It’s going to be really comfortable because it’s our headlining tour so we kind of know the rounds, what we’re expected to do.
Coco and OMG Girlz
Kidzworld: Do you stay in a tour bus or hotels when on tour?
- Princeton: We usually stay at hotels if it’s overnight but me, personally, I love the tour bus. If we’re at a hotel, we usually get there around 4 A.M. and the call is usually around 6 so I’d rather just take my shower, get on the bus and just wake up with the engine going and me feeling comfortable and I don’t have to move at all.
Kidzworld: Makes good sense. What do you try to do in your downtime on the bus?
- Princeton: I usually take a travel-sized keyboard and play the piano or I’m always on Netflix, I love to watch movies.
Kidzworld: If you have time are you going to try to go out and be a tourist in towns you are performing in?
- Princeton: Well, you know it’s crazy. We’ve been to New York like thirty times but we’ve never actually been to the Statue of Liberty. When we’re there it’s usually promo (events) and we really never have time off. I really want to see the Statue of Liberty. Also, it’s a tradition, we take a day and go to a mall in different states.
The guys talk tour
Kidzworld: Okay fans, look for the guys at your local mall when they’re in town. Do you have a favorite fan encounter?
- Princeton: You know Milwaukee is always great. I don’t know what’s up with Milwaukee but they always have a lot of energy both when we’re on stage or off, performing or not, the fans have a lot of energy so I really like Milwaukee.
Kidzworld: Does anybody in the group get stage fright and, if so, what do they do about it?
- Princeton: We don’t get stage fright but we all get really, really nervous before shows. But, once we hit the stage, the nerves go away and we’re just in the moment of singing or dancing.
The boys in white
Kidzworld: If you get an idea for song lyrics or music, what is the next step.. write it down or sing it into your smartphone or iPad or… what?
- Princeton: I often do that. If I get an idea I’ll wake up and sing it into my phone and I’ll wake up the next morning to a random sleepy voice on my recorder on my iPhone. When it comes to MB songs we usually think of a concept and then we have a writer who writes the song but it’s all very relatable.
Kidzworld: Do you guys get to contribute ideas for your choreography?
- Princeton: Oh yeah, we’re always doing that. Even if we’re on a lunch break, we’ll be dancing to random music and our choreographer will say “Oh, that move! I want that move right now! Let’s put it in the next song”. We’re always moving around.
Is it a Blues Brother or Princeton!
Kidzworld: Do you also get a say in what you wear? You have some cute outfits!
- Princeton: Usually our manager Tisha Gamble, picks out everything that we wear but she’ll definitely take things from our personal style and incorporate it. Like, for the “Girls Talkin’ Bout” video, during that time I was really into buttons on jackets and she saw that I had made a jacket with a lot of buttons and when we were on set getting dressed, I had this football jacket with a bunch of buttons so she says “If you’re into that now, I want to incorporate that into the new video” and we get to keep a lot of the wardrobe. Free clothes never hurt!
Kidzworld: No argument there! What is with your hair? Did you come to the group with the cool, big hair or was that some stylist’s idea?
- Princeton: I’ve always had my big hair. Ever since I was a kid, really young, I’ve always liked to stand out in any crowd that I’m in. My hair always did that for me. And, my hair definitely describes who I am. I’m very wild and crazy. I listen to a lot of rock music so it definitely fit me. I don’t think I’d be who I am without my hair. And, when I’m on stage and dancing, when my hair flips, it’s like an extra dance move.
Princeton flippin' the hair for fans
Kidzworld: We love it! Who is the troublemaker in the group and who is the peacemaker? Who is the guy who says, “okay, we need to get back to work now”?
- Princeton: Okay, no real troublemaker but we do have one who jokes all the time and that’s Ray Ray. And Roc is the youngest so he’s always like “Comon guys. We shouldn’t do this. We shouldn’t do that” and I’m always all about my business. I’m like “Let’s have fun, live life freely and get the job done”.
Kidzworld: All groups argue so how do you guys settle a disagreement?
- Princeton: Honestly, you’re gonna think this is funny but if it’s serious, instead of fighting over it we do rock, paper, scissors and whoever wins, wins. We do it when like we forget a step to one of the songs and two (of us) will say it’s one thing and two the other. We’ll do rock, paper, scissors and whoever wins, that’s the move.
Kidzworld: Easy solution. What can fans expect on the “All Around the World” tour that might be new or extra-exciting for them?
- Princeton: New, we have mic stands. We’re used to performing with headsets. This time we have mic stands and we’re excited about incorporating them into the show. I’m playing piano and I’m really excited about that. I’ve been practicing. I’ve always been a band geek so I’m excited that I get to play on tour. We have a lot of new songs and it’s a longer show.
All Around the World album cover
Kidzworld: You have these bracelets that glow and you are trying to get the fans to flash mob with them? What’s the deal on that?
- Princeton: Yeah, basically, if the fans buy a ticket, they all get a “Mindless Behavior” kind of like wristwatch and it lights up if you click on it. During the performance we’re gonna turn the lights off and have the fans perform with us. We’ll move the wristbands and have the fans imitate us. It will be like we’re all performing that night.
Kidzworld: Fun! Will somebody be shooting video to officially document the tour?
- Princeton: Yeah, somebody is always shooting video for us but I’m comin’ out with a website called outsidersink.com and I’ll be doing my own blogs here and there about what’s going on so the fans will get to see it.
Kidzworld: Very cool! What major music star would you love to collaborate with that you haven’t gotten to yet? Either be on stage with them or work on a record with?
- Princeton: Honestly I’ve always wanted to perform with “No Doubt”. I live in a rock household so even if I got to do a song with them, that would be a dream come true.
Princeton takes the mic
Kidzworld: If you weren’t a music star, what else might you be doing with your life?
- Princeton: Anything that I do in life always ends up being entertainment. If it wasn’t music entertaining, I would probably be a back-up dancer because I originally am a dancer. Or, I’d be a fashion designer or doing art. Anything creative and entertaining, I’ll be there.
Kidzworld: Any last message for the fans before you hit the road on tour starting July 3rd?
- Princeton: I would just say be yourself, stay “mindless” and I can’t wait to see the fans on tour this summer on the “All Around the World” tour! We haven’t been performing lately because we’ve been in rehearsal. I just feel like this tour is gonna be really different, really amazing and the fans are going to be able to enjoy the show.
Check out the Mindless Behavior site for tour "All Around The World" dates!
