JoJo just turned 14 and she's already a star. By the age of 13, the songstress from the outskirts of Boston already had a hit, a self-titled album and connections with some of the biggest names in showbiz.
Before meeting her at a Toronto hotel just before Christmas, we were prepared to come face to face with a bratty teen who had sullen, one-word answers prepared for all of our questions. (You know, Avril-style.) We were pleasantly surprised when we met the tiny singer in the flesh.
The youngster opened up to us about her family's money troubles, her mother's fears for her future and being the victim of vicious, real-life Mean Girls. And she has a vocabulary that goes beyond "yep," "like," "you know" and "keeping it real." Here's a look at her take on a variety of topics:
On her mom and inspiration:
"I always listened to her sing and I kind of mimicked the way that she sang," explains JoJo about her church soloist mother. "She wasn't into the whole idea of doing it for money ... she just wanted to sing for God and she felt blessed for what she did have.
"Even though we were very poor, she did feel very blessed that we had a roof over our head and that we could eat. I respect that now, even though at the time it was very difficult."
On why she pursued a music career:
"I think it was watching people on TV," she says. "I remember watching an awards show and seeing people get up there and perform and accept their awards and seeing how happy they seemed and I wanted that feeling. Then I did my first TV show when I was six (Kids Say The Darndest Things) and it really took off from there. The bug bit me."
On realizing that Barry Hankerson's Blackground Records was the perfect fit for her career: "We went into Barry Hankerson's house in California and he said, 'Sing for me,' " she remembers. "I sang ... and he started to cry. He said, 'It was so crazy because it was just like Aaliyah (he's Aaliyah's uncle) was over your shoulder saying, 'Look what I brought for you, Uncle Barry.' " And we all started crying. He was ... telling me Aaliyah had brought me to him. We knew right then and there that this was where we needed to be."
On her mother's reaction to her showbiz dreams: "My mom had a lot of concerns. She still, to this day, wants me to be a normal teenager, but that's never worked for me."
On why life as a driven teen in school was a nightmare: "I was very unhappy at school. Kids were really mean to me because I was focused and I did know what I wanted to do," she says.
While JoJo knew they were being nasty because they were jealous, it didn't make it any easier to deal with. "When kids are mean, they're mean, especially girls.
"Girls are really mean. Girls would just cuss me out, they would try to beat me up. They would call my house ignorant, childish things."
On getting the last laugh: "In my album credits (there's a) thank you to all those people who doubted me and made fun of me because, in the end, you only made me stronger. So thank you."
On keeping it real: "Whether or not I wrote a song (and she did write some on the record), I either arranged the vocals or helped produce a little bit or changed up some of the words or helped with melodies.
"I refused to be like these manufactured artists that have come out," she says.
On juggling school and music: "I would so much rather just do this (music) without school. School is necessary, I have to finish high school, but I love this. School on top of it sucks."
On the most amazing thing that's happened to her so far: "My album going platinum, having a No. 1 single -- and being the youngest to do all that -- getting nominated for awards and hearing other famous people talk about me."
