Last month, while millions of people were flocking to see The Dark Knight, Rochester native Qwanell "Que" Mosley was just trying to make it out of a movie theater alive.
During what was supposed to be a calm Sunday afternoon on July 20, Mosley and his group-mates from Day26 — a popular R&B act featured on MTV's Making The Band 4 — headed to Manhattan's Times Square to see Heath Ledger and Christian Bale duke it out.
Instead, Mosley and company found themselves running for cover.
"There were like, 200, people that chased us through Times Square and into the movie theater," recalls Mosley, still sounding like he was in shock during a recent phone interview. "I've never been so scared in my life. My heart was pounding. They just kept screaming, 'Oh my God. It's Day26!'"
Since beating out thousands of hopefuls to make entertainment mogul Diddy's band in August 2007, Mosley's life has been chaotic. The 2005 School of the Arts grad has already filmed three seasons of Making The Band 4, and the third is set to premiere Wednesday, Aug. 13. The new season will follow Day26 on its first national tour, alongside fellow Making The Band acts Danity Kane and Donnie Klang.
The reality show has become one of MTV's most popular programs, helping Day26's self-titled first album debut at No.1 on the Billboard 200 chart this past March. (It sold 190,000 copies during its first week of release.)
The fandemonium has gotten to the point where Mosley says he can't even go out to a mall when he comes home to Rochester without inciting a "riot." And Internet rumors continue to swirl about him, most of them focusing on his relationship (friends, or more?) with Danity Kane cutie Dawn Richard.
When we caught up with Mosley two days after the crazy Times Square incident, the 19-year-old set the record straight on a few things, including how real reality TV actually is and whether he and Richard (who's five years his senior) are an item:
What was it like being on a national tour, hitting cities like Chicago, Orlando and Las Vegas?
This was my first tour, and MTV was taping it. So it was a crazy experience.
Looking back, is there a 'Wow!' moment that stands out for you?
Yeah. The opening night (of the tour) was crazy. It was sold out. We were in New York City, and usually when females scream they scream pretty loud, but at a concert they scream even louder. When I was onstage and the curtains were up, I could hear everybody screaming, and when the curtains dropped they just went crazy. I think that was the best experience of my life. If I could give anybody an experience of being a star, it would be to feel the adrenaline when you go onstage right before you perform.
It's been almost a year exactly since you made the band. What's it like to be living this life?
I've dreamed about this all my life. When you're little you really dream about it and you want it, and then it actually comes true and you're living it. It's kind of weird and scary. I remember when I graduated from high school, everyone wrote in my yearbook, 'I can't wait to see you on BET or MTV.' Then a year later I go to college, and during the first semester of college I become a star. It was very overwhelming.
What was it like hearing that the album debuted at No. 1?
That's crazy, too. A lot of good artists that have been out a while don't even go to No.1, and they're legends. We went No.1 our first go-round.
Do you ever worry that all of this might go to your head and you guys might become complacent?
I don't even think about it. And being around Diddy makes you not even think about it. He always strives for perfection, and just because you're No.1 now doesn't mean you'll be No.1 tomorrow. He always preaches that you gotta work hard and keep growing to keep that No.1 spot.
When you're home in Rochester, are you even able to go out without getting mobbed?
I can't really go anywhere. When I do step out it's crazy. I'm not allowed to go to the mall anymore. I got kicked out, because last time I went, there was a riot. When I go to Seabreeze or Darien Lake, I have to let them know ahead of time, so I can go behind the scenes and ride the rides. I can't do normal stuff anymore, especially at home.
You hear a lot of reality TV stars say they don't watch the episodes when they air. Do you?
Sometimes I do. Sometimes I don't. It's weird. You don't know how they're going to edit it or change it. For the most part I watch it, but sometimes there can be an episode on and I'm like, 'I'm not watchin' this.' Sometimes I don't want to know what's goin' on. And then the funny thing about that is the next week everybody will be talking on the Internet, and if you didn't watch you don't know what they're talking about.
Do you regret anything from those first two seasons?
I don't regret anything. You only live life once, and it's reality TV, so it happened. The editing is different now, though. They can edit something to make it seem totally different.
Like what?
The whole incident with me and Donnie, when they tried to make it seem like I called Aubrey (from Danity Kane) to come to spy on him while he was going on two dates. I didn't do that. Donnie actually planned that and said it would be great for television to do that. (The camera crew was) in the room and they got all that information of Donnie putting it together, but then when they edited it they made it seem like I was the bad guy. So that's the only downfall of reality TV sometimes. They can make it seem how they want it to seem, even if it didn't really happen like that.
There have been several rumors out there floating around. There was one earlier this year about you dating singer JoJo. What's the craziest rumor you've read about yourself?
When I first made the band, somebody put out a rumor saying I was dating this dude and that I was caught in the movies with him. It was this crazy story saying that I lived in Brooklyn and was going on these dates with this man. Who makes up crazy stories like this? I don't get how you can sit at home and make up a story that's so creative and put it out there like it actually happened.
OK. Now it's time for the question I'm sure everyone asks you.
Yep. I already know what it is.
You and Dawn?
Yeah. That's my girl.
So it's official?
Yeah. She's my girlfriend.
All right. So other than you and Dawn, what can people expect from the third season of Making The Band 4?
Of course, there's gonna be me and Dawn, but it's going to show how we've grown as artists. Each season we just keep getting better and better, and that's the key in this industry. It's not just how good you are, but how you're growing and where your potential is at.
What other people are saying...
Hiyda from Philly - January 01, 2009 at 10:26 PM
what's up que how have u been baby
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