Trevor Jackson Talks New Single, MJ & Dating

Trevor Jackson is a name you won’t soon forget. The bubbling R&B singer/actor is making waves with his new song “Drop It” but the 16-year-old Indiana native already has an impressive résumé.

At the age of eight, he was roaring on national stages as the famous cub, Simba, in the Broadway musical The Lion King. Fast forward a few years later and he has flooded TV screens with appearances in the 2012 Disney Channel original movie Let It Shine, and CBS shows “Cold Case” and “Criminal Mind.”

Now, Trevor’s laying down the groundwork as a triple-threat. As he plots a musical takeover with his past-PG lyrics and charming personality, the “Like We Grown” singer gives his take on young fame, following in the moonwalk of a legendary artist with the same last name, and his love for older women.— Terry Carter Jr.

For a young entertainer, you juggle a lot as a writer, actor, singer and dancer. Which one do you enjoy doing the most? Trevor Jackson: That’s hard man. They all kinda go hand in hand. If I write a song, I’m gonna end up singing it. If I sing it, I gotta dance to it. Even when you’re on stage, you have to act, sing, dance, all of them. I don’t know if I can pick.

You played young Simba on the Broadway rendition of The Lion King when you were eight. How did it prepare you for fame at such a young age? That was amazing. That was kinda like the whole training grounds for what I’m doing now. I was touring for three years, singing, dancing and acting everyday. It really helped me. Now it’s weird because if I’m not doing anything, I get antsy. I feel like I always have to be doing something.

You’re performing at the WNBA All Star game this weekend. Do you ever get pre-show jitters before you get on stage? You always wanna go out there and make sure everything goes right so yes and no. I love performing so much and making people smile, doing what I love to do. Of course, there may be jitters right before you go on, but as soon as you step foot on there, it’s like ‘This is what I do.’

You have a song called “Like We Grown” which leans on the mature side of relationships. Do you ever feel pressured to act a certain age? No. It’s funny because a lot of the stuff is a little too old for this first album. But yeah, “Like We Grown” compared to the other records we have now plays a little young. The new stuff is not going over any boundaries or anything, but it’s definitely a little insinuating here and there.

So when it comes to the ladies, are you into older women? (Laughs) Yes, yes I am. That’s always been my case since I was little. Let’s just say when I was 8 years old, my girlfriend was 11. And as I kept growing, [I was] 13, she was 18. It just keeps going.

Who are some of the artists you’re listening to right now? J. Cole for sure. Kendrick [Lamar], Drake. Some Chris Brown. I love country music. Hunter Hayes. Rascal Flatts. Ray Charles. Stevie [Wonder]. Michael Jackson.

Speaking of Michael Jackson, you’re both from the same hometown of Indiana. How has he inspired you in your career? He’s inspired me in so many ways. It was actually him and Gregory Hines to be honest. When I first started tap dancing, I would watch tap movies. Gregory Hines was in there and then I would watch Michael Jackson videos. It was weird because when I was little, I used to think I was Michael. I think I had a disorder or something, but every time Michael was on TV, I was like, ‘That’s me, that’s me!’ I always felt a connection to Michael and everything he did, not even as an entertainer, but as a person. He cared about the world. He cared about children. He was the perfect specimen of what a good entertainer should be. He’s a beast. Can you tell I’m a fan?

READ MORE: http://www.vibe.com/article/trevor-jackson-drop-it-michael-jackson-dating-older-women

Source: VIBE / MJ-Upbeat.com