Roshon Fegan Interview

As far as the creative arts go Roshon Fegan, aka Ya Boy Ro, does it all. This 19-year-old Disney star is involved in everything from acting, dancing and singing to producing and rapping. The artist’s new album comes out this spring and his single “I AM” is currently available on iTunes. Not only did he choreograph his own moves for the “I AM” music video, but he also choreographed the Zombie dance on a recent episode of the Disney Channel series Shake It Up!

TheCelebrityCafe.com: Do you thrive on juggling all of these creative pursuits-- acting, dancing, singing, rapping and producing--or is there one that you plan to focus on?

Roshon Fegan: I love doing them all. I’ve been doing it all of my life, so it’s something that is a part of me as an entertainer. My dad’s an actor and producer and it was something I’ve always been used to while growing up. I like to do all I can.

TCC: At what age did you decide you wanted to become a producer? You already have your own label and you’re only 19 years old.

Roshon Fegan: I decided to start professionally making music at about 11. I was like, "Okay, this is something I really want to do." I started playing drums at about seven or eight. My mom used to let me play with the pots and pans and instead of telling me to stop like most moms would she just let me do it. So the noise kind of turned into music. From that point on, musically, that’s what I want to do: start creating beats. At about 13 I had a whole library of all kinds of stuff that I started writing songs to.

TCC: Speaking of creating music, you’re coming out with an album. When can fans expect to hear it?

Roshon Fegan: We’re looking at about a month to two months. It’s not so much of actually creating songs since I have so many of them, but it’s just making sure everything in the collection is right. It will be coming out very soon. I did drop the first single “I AM,” which is on iTunes and it’s doing well. It’s going to be really crazy. I’m pretty excited about it.

TCC: And not only do you sing, but you dance and act too. You’re on Shake It Up! where you play Ty Blue and contribute your choreographing skills. Will you be choreographing dances for any of your own song’s music videos?

Roshon Fegan: We just did the “I AM” music video so that’s coming out very soon. I choreographed the whole dance number in there. It’s a really fun video that’s going to be pretty crazy. It’s about showing who I am and being real. That’s what it’s representing.

TCC: Are the songs on your album anything like the songs that you have done for Shake It Up! or the Disney feature Camp Rock? If you had to choose a genre, which would you put your album in?

Roshon Fegan: It really is brand new. It’s something that is just totally coming from within me. It’s fully produced and written by me, so it’s full Ro. It is a mix of hip-hop and pop, so it’s “hip-pop.” I’m actually coining that phrase to be my particular genre, my specific genre. It’s something that really hasn’t been stated yet so it’s something that I’m making my own. It’s kind of like Bruno Mars and B.o.B. mixed. They’re such an odd union and I’m just one person.

It’s going to be pretty crazy though because all of my tracks are real feel good music. It’s all about being happy, feeling good, and keeping things really smooth.

TCC: If you could collaborate on a song with anyone out there, who would you choose?

Roshon Fegan: Aw man, I don’t know. There are so many crazy artists out there. I would love to do a track with Will.I.Am. He’s always creating amazing songs. I mean to be honest Chris Brown has always been amazing so I would hop on there and let him do his thing and create some magic there. As for a producer I would love to work with J.R. Rotem. He’s my favorite producer out there. He creates all of the pop tracks like Jason Derulo and all of Sean Kingston’s stuff. I really am just excited and would love to work with someone who has a huge passion for what they do.

TCC: I saw your video on Disney for “Anything’s Possible,” which was made to recognize Black History Month, and I noticed that you went on your tiptoes and did some really high spin-kicks. Where did you learn to dance like that? Did you just pick it up or did you watch a lot of Michael Jackson?

Roshon Fegan: Actually that is the answer. I’ve always loved Michael Jackson and was inspired by him so I incorporated all his moves and copied what he did when I was younger. Then I realized like, “I don’t have be do just Michael Jackson,” so I started making up my own moves and that’s how it happened. I’ve been forming my dance skills that way.

TCC: Are the moves on Shake It Up! rehearsed or did you make them up on the spot?

Roshon Fegan: I am a freestyle dancer so everything I do is freestyle most of the time. Of course there are those times where there has to be choreography involved because there is someone else dancing with you and they want to make sure everything is straight. So a lot of the stuff is choreographed dance, but I usually just take the choreographed dance and add my own stuff to it.

TCC: I’ve noticed that you’re pretty stylish at events. Can you tell me a little about your personal style?

Roshon Fegan: I love dressing up. I like going out and buying some crazy stuff. I like stuff that’s new, innovative and weird. I just pick out stuff that is unique and anything that I’m really diggin’. I don’t really care if it’s kind of out there. That’s what I’m about. I like picking stuff that is really different.

TCC: What are your favorite stores to shop at?

Roshon Fegan: I don’t really have a specific place I like to go to. I just go to random malls and walk around to see what’s in there. I love the store Zara. They usually have things that fit me well because I’m kind of skinny. I go everywhere. I collect watches and hats and shoes and all kinds of stuff.

TCC: Do you have any big plans for the summer other than obviously releasing your album?

Roshon Fegan: Just going around and promoting my album, performing, and having a good time with family and friends. I’m looking forward to meeting a lot of my fans and doing it big.