If you were left wanting more from JoJo’s Rap-Up Sessions, then you’re in luck. In addition to performing her Agápē mixtape single “Andre” and a mashup of Drake songs, the 22-year-old singer delivered something old and something new during the second half of her acoustic set.
Accompanied by guitarist JinJoo, she gave us chills with her sultry take on her Noah “40” Shebib-produced single “Demonstrate.” She also served up a rare treat for her longtime fans, performing “Like That,” the Ryan Leslie-produced cut off her 2006 sophomore album The High Road.
Watch JoJo go unplugged live from our Hollywood studio.
JoJo brought her powerful pipes to the Sunset Strip to perform an acoustic set exclusively for Rap-Up Sessions. Joined by JinJoo the Guitar Girl, the 22-year-old singer heat up our Hollywood studio with “Andre” off her mixtape Agápē (as her dog Agápē looked on).
As the sun set over the hills, she sizzled with a mashup of Drake hits including “Houstatlantavegas” and her own remix to “Marvin’s Room,” which has become a viral sensation.
Watch both performances below and check back for more from JoJo’s Sessions.
JoJo professes her love for a guy like Andre 3000 on her single “Andre.” The video received an overwhelmingly positive response from her fans and even a text from the man himself.
Their mutual friend Flying Lotus sent the OutKast rapper the video after it premiered. We caught up with JoJo at the “Love Is Heroic” benefit in Hollywood, where she was still reveling in the moment.
“I got a text from friggin’ André 3000. I couldn’t believe it,” she told Rap-Up TV. “Flying Lotus sent him the video and he was like, ‘This was one of the coolest compliments I’ve ever got.’ I can’t believe it! I definitely bugged out, almost peed in my pants.”
The text from the elusive star caught her completely off guard. “I didn’t expect him to hear it or see it,” said JoJo. “He is the exact type of man that I’m singing about in the song, someone who does his own thing and is unapologetically who they are.”
Watch her reaction and find out what she said to him in response.
JoJo finds her Mr. Right in the video for “Andre.” The 22-year-old singer gushes over her guy, who embodies the qualities of OutKast’s André 3000. From his art to his style, she is head over heels in love.
JoJo wakes up in his downtown loft and visits him at his job at an art gallery. Look for cameos from her girlfriends including Leah LaBelle, Karina Pasian, Denise Janae, and even her dog Agápē.
She expresses her love for André Benjamin on the song, which can be found on her 2012 mixtape Agápē. “Andre’s style is something that I love,” she told Rap-Up TV. “I just think the sexiest thing is when a man is himself and does his own thing, and there’s a really great example of that in André Benjamin.”
JoJo fans have been waiting years for a new album. To thank them for their continued patience, the singer performed a mini-concert from her keyboardist’s living room and broadcast it live online via Stageit.
She gathered her musician friends including Leah LaBelle and Austin Brown and jammed with them during the 50-minute set. Viewers donated money and in exchange they were treated to past and present hits including “Leave (Get Out),” “Disaster,” and “Marvin’s Room,” which JoJo credits for changing the course of her career.
She also threw in a cover of Paula Cole’s “I Don’t Want to Wait” and dueted with her BFF Leah on John Legend’s “Ordinary People” (Part 3).
“While I’ve been in this limbo, your support has literally kept me alive,” a grateful JoJo told her fans before closing with “Too Little, Too Late.” “I can’t wait to explain everything to you. It’s gonna blow your fu**ing mind when you hear what’s going on.”
JoJo went in front of the lens to shoot the video for “Andre” over the weekend in downtown L.A. The 22-year-old singer modeled some hipster chic looks as she performed on a rooftop overlooking the city and in front of artwork at The Hive gallery. She was joined on set by her girlfriends including Leah LaBelle.
“THANK YOU to everyone who dedicated their time to helping #ANDRE come to life,” tweeted JoJo. “I am beyond appreciative and I can’t wait to see the final result.”
The song, which appears on her mixtape Agápē, was inspired by OutKast’s André 3000. “Andre’s style is something that I love,” JoJo told Rap-Up TV. “I just think the sexiest thing is when a man is himself and does his own thing, and there’s a really great example of that in André Benjamin.”
On her 22nd birthday, JoJo gave her fans the gift of free music with her mixtape Agápē. Just days before the new year, we caught up with the singer in sunny Venice, Calif. Overlooking the beachfront boardwalk, a red-hot JoJo spoke about her André 3000-inspired single “André,” 2013 plans, and how her new puppy inspired her mixtape.
“Agape has changed my life. She is a joy,” said JoJo, who is an advocate for dog adoption. “She makes me a better person, a more patient person, more loving.”
She felt a deeper connection to the pup, who appears on the mixtape cover. “I could kind of relate to being left or mistreated and when I saw her and I looked into her eyes, I was like, ‘You’re my babe, you’re my girl,’ and I wanted to bring that spirit of unconditional love into this mixtape.”
One of the songs on Agápē, “André,” was inspired by the famed OutKast rapper. “Andre’s style is something that I love. I just think the sexiest thing is when a man is himself and does his own thing, and there’s a really great example of that in André Benjamin,” said JoJo, who has had André’s 2003 album The Love Below on replay.
She plans to tour this year with her friend Leah LaBelle and has more music on the way. “There’s really encouraging, awesome things going on,” she teased.
Elle Varner and Marcus Canty revealed theirs. And now JoJo shares her top 5 albums of 2012. Fresh off the release of her mixtape Agápē, we caught up with the 22-year-old singer in Venice Beach, Calif.
While overlooking the beachfront boardwalk, a red-hot JoJo shared which albums she had on repeat this year. Find out which West Coast rapper’s lyricism excites her, why Miguel is killing it with Kaleidoscope Dream, and which pop starlet rounds out her top 5.
Look for more from our interview with JoJo in the coming week.
