GLOBAL RADAR: Mann
Being looked to as the next Will Smith may be setting high standards, but not for up-and-coming actor and rapper, Mann (real name: Dijon Shariff). With manager Steve Lobel (Run DMC, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Nipsey Hussle, Iyaz, Sean Kingston) on his side, Mann is in good hands. The Los Angeles native is humble, well-spoken and has just the right sense of fashion. The perfect combination.
Mann is entering the industry with the frame of mind it takes to have his name remembered by everyone in his path. For him, it’s all about fun. “My movement is called the B-Day Movement, just live everyday like it’s your birthday. That’s what my movement represents… I’m an entertainer, I love making music and I love performing. I just love being in front of people.”
Currently known for his single, “Text” featuring Jason Derulo, the song is an R&B/hip-hop collaboration which has everything it takes to make the perfect summer anthem. The two young artists teamed up via their record label, Beluga Heights, and together they created magic.
NEXT PAGE: MANN TALKS ABOUT HIS JASON DERULO COLLABORATION ‘TEXT’
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“Text” is both fun and catchy, the perfect combination for the blended pop and hip-hop market. “I like collaborating with rap and R&B because I like both genres a lot. When they come together perfectly, there’s nothing else like it.”
You can tell Mann takes his career seriously by the way he carries himself and at 18 years old, his youthful wisdom is beyond refreshing. Yes, he’s young but he already has the poise and experience of a veteran.
Born and raised in LA, Mann is not the stereotypical West Coast artist. “I’ve been acting since five, that’s what actually got me into music. I did stage shows at a conservatory, which is what taught me acting, singing and dancing. After that, I started loving to dance and I turned into a dancer. From dancing I listened to so much hip-hop I started falling in love with the music I was listening to.”
As a rapper marketed as a pop star, the acting experience works for him. But don’t read him wrong, he’s still a hip-hop artist with rap influence.
‘The only people I listen to right now are Wiz (Khalifa) and Curren$y, those are my favorite two artists right now. They’re really fly but they’re saying stuff that no one else is saying. There are a lot of rappers who are really dope that are saying the same lines that everyone else says but just differently. (Wiz and Curren$y) are just saying totally different stuff and I appreciate that because it’s just really fresh.”
NEXT PAGE: WATCH THE VIDEO FOR ‘TEXT’
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With his debut album, Mann’s World expected to drop by the end of the summer, Mann has a lot to offer in this ever-changing hip-hop industry. Look out for this multi-talented artist who has the potential to become the next big thing.
Check out the video!
