Being the son of Diana Ross might seem like an instant entrée to superstardom, but Evan Ross waited until he and his mother thought it was the right time. After winning raves for his breakout role as the younger brother in the movie ATL, Ross hasn't stopped working. In Life Support, he played a kid with AIDS who is forced to sell his medication on the street in order to survive. In Pride, he was teamed up with Terrence Howard to play a swimmer on the first black swim team. Howard has become a mentor. "We're very close," says Ross. "He has an understanding of acting that I hadn't seen before. I learned so much from him."
Ross's mom also taught her son well. "My mom's main thing is always be prepared and don't be scared to make a fool of yourself. She said, 'Don't be worried about what people are going to think.' More than anything, watching her work has been amazing." Ross's half sister, actress Tracee Ellis Ross, who has her own very successful sitcom, Girlfriends, costars as his sister in Life Support. "Tracee and I work on scenes together. We all help each other out."
Born in Greenwich, Connecticut, Ross shuffled between New York, Los Angeles and Norway, where his father lived. Surrounded by family friends like Michael Jackson, Ross learned from the best -- it's no surprise that he is a prolific dancer and currently in the studio cutting his debut album, a mix of R&B and pop. "I want everybody to be able to dance to it. I want to make sure it is worldwide music," he explains. "I love Prince's sound. I've learned from listening to Stevie Wonder and my mom and Michael Jackson. It's taking from all those places and adding something new."
If you can't wait to see Ross busting moves, he can be found regularly on the dance floor of L.A. clubs. "I do like to go out sometimes," he says with a mischievous chuckle. "I love the ladies, and I have to see what's going on at the clubs and, of course, dance."
Peter Davis
BlackTree TV catches up with the So So Def camp; Jermaine Dupri, Dondria and Hot Dollar, a at the Precursor to the 2008 BET Awards, the TAG Records Party hosted by Jermaine Dupri. Putting an end to months of speculation about who would be the premiere artist signed to Tag Records, the New York-based venture led by hip-hop entrepreneur Jermaine Dupri, Island Def Jam Music Group and global giant Procter & Gamble (P&G), it was announced today that Brooklyn's own "Q" will be the first young rapper to be launched on the new label. In conjunction with P&G's leverage of TAG Records as part of its re-introduction of TAG this summer, Q will be on the receiving end of one of the biggest promotional campaigns ever devised, including television, print, radio, digital and event marketing. This unprecedented launch is a cornerstone of TAG's initiative to cultivate relationships with the urban community through development of programs that provide opportunities for aspiring hip-hop talent. P&G will showcase Q and Dupri across TAG's various advertising and marketing initiatives throughout 2008. Q (aka Kareem Savage) was a former member of Da Franchise with fellow Brooklynites Red Café and Gravy. Q started his solo career as a contributor to mix-tapes by DJ Clue, Kay Slay, DJ Khaled and others. Relocating to Atlanta, it was inevitable that he'd cross paths with Dupri — who quickly recognized Q's talent and put him in the studio. Q landed his first major feature on Da Brat's "World Premiere" and the Drumline hit movie soundtrack. Ever since signing to JD's So So Def/Virgin imprint in the summer 2006, Q has been heard on a string of top-charted remixes including "Make Me Better" by Fabolous featuring Ne-Yo, "No One" by Alicia Keys, "Fine" by Mary J. Blige, "Can't Help But Wait" by Trey Songz, and more. At the same time, Q's humanitarian side and dedication to youth culture comes out via the Glenn Toby Organization and the Book Bank Foundation.
Tags: Evan Ross Diana Michael Jackson Jermaine Dupri Tag Records Katerina Grahm ATL pop r&b so def bet awards
