Last week, Omarion released his DJ Drama-assisted mixtape, The Awakening. I had the opportunity to catch up with the R&B singer out in Hollywood for the latest installment of “The Flipside” and my first one as a resident of the West Coast. O was a laid back guy who was more than willing to chop it up about whatever including:

— The reason for the tape not being a Gangsta Grillz, but still hosted by Drama

— Why he chose now to reveal his rapping abilities

— What the past year has taught him about the industry that the previous decade didn’t (with the Young Money and Raz B controversies) 

— How frustrating it is to know his past sometimes plays a big part how people perceive him and his music

— How shooting NSFW videos (“Come And F*ck With Me” w/ Rosa Acosta) differs from normal ones and how difficult it is not to let natural emotions take over

Below are some additional photos Omarion and I took together. Much thanks to O for taking the time out of his schedule to make this possible. Follow him on Twitter at @1Omarion.

Images by: Shaz