Qaasim Middleton On His Big Post Idol Plans

AMERICAN IDOL XIV: Qaasim Middleton is given the judges save and moves on to the next round on AMERICAN IDOL XIV airing Thursday, March 19 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. CR: Michael Becker / FOX. © FOX BROADCASTING CO.

Qaasim Middleton is sad to be leaving American Idol, but not too sad. He told reporters in a conference call on Thursday that he’s got BIG plans in the future that include acting, songwriting, creating video games, and playing in stadiums. The singer, who got his start as the guitarist in the Nickelodeon show, the Naked Brothers Band, was eliminated at Top 8 after losing the twitter vote to Rayvon Owen. He’d love to open for the Top 5 when the American Idol summer tour hits his home town, New York City, but he’s got so much “baking in the oven” he’s fine either way.

Check out the interview below.

What was his favorite moment on Idol? “My favorite thing on Idol is just the fact that I met all of these wonderful people and the network and connect. And the fact that we are about to…really just take over the game, one step at a time. I got so much to give y’all. I’m so excited. You have no idea.”

Who was his favorite person on Idol? “The person who was my mentor, my coach outside Scott Borchetta was Kenya Hathaway. Other than my mother, has been really helping me out vocally and keeping me whipped into shape. Really just keeping me focused and showed me all the ropes about everything that’s going on in this industry. She really was an amazing help and asset to my progress as a human being and as an artist. I’m really happy that she did this for me. I can’t wait to see her again and see all the rest of my Idol family again.”

How did his faith play a part in his Idol journey? “It’s all about staying true and staying centered. You’ve got to give the glory. That’s what it is. All things happen for a reason. All due praises to him. He definitely has given me a light and a path to allow myself to grow. He’s making me a better human, a better communicator of the arts. Everything is on this earth to communicate in one way or another. I’m just really happy to have gotten this experience and met these wonderful people and gotten this much exposure and networks and connects. It’s such an amazing experience. I can’t wait to keep going.”

What has he learned about himself through the Idol process? “I learned that I’m very resilient and I’m pretty good at singing and dancing at the same time! I’m still learning so much more. This experience has packed in years and years worth of training in such a small amount of time. I was talking to Quentin about this on Saturday. I was telling him [that] I realize our song learning skills and our memory skills have gotten so good over the past several months, because we’re constantly being hounded to learn new songs. I feel like I did everything in my power to do what I needed for the show. I felt like I contributed a heavy amount to the show. In regards to the people [cast] I feel like they also contributed a heavy amount. It’s just a wonderful experience. I’m so blessed, man, you have no idea.”

How important was his family to the Idol journey? “If they weren’t here, I wouldn’t have gotten this far. They kept me centered, and they kept me focused. They kept me envisioned on the path that I needed to do. I didn’t go up into this competition with the mindset to beat everyone. I came in with the mindset to do as well as I possibly could and be better than I was before. That’s literally what I feel like I’ve done. I’ve grown. I feel it. I spiritually feel that. I can’t wait to keep going! I got so much to give to y’all. I got so much that God’s given me. I can’t wait to show y’all what I’ve got.”

How has being a musician impacted his dating life? “I’ve had a girlfriend since last year, it’s about to hit a year right now. She’s been such a huge impact and wonderful human being in my life. I don’t really talk about her as often cause I like to keep that stuff private–especially [because of] the market and the industry that I’m going into. It’s really been a wonderful experience.”

What inspired him to pick Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger,” a breakup song, last week? “I was thinking about my Idol phase. I was thinking about how I came back strong from that. Ironically, that performance wasn’t as good as I wanted it to be. There [were] too many factors…I’m not gonna really go into it, because I don’t want to sound like I’m giving excuses. It should have been better. Everything happens for a reason, so I’m good. That song is the theme song of my life.”

What was he planning on singing next week for the “American Classics” theme? “Will it Go Round in Circles” by Billy Preston and Drift Away by Dobie Gray.”

How did he feel about the judges pushing him out of his comfort zone? Was he more comfortable as a dancer and singer rather than having his vocals pushed up front? “I’ve been singing and playing guitar since I was 10. I just started doing the singing and dancing thing in December, really like hard core. I haven’t even gotten a year in when it comes down to singing and dancing at the same time. This is all new to me. I was experimenting with how good I could be on the stage of American Idol. That’s why I’m really happy. Because I realize that I’m pretty good at it. I can probably pack stadiums in about a year or two. I’m ready to go. I’m a singer/songwriter, and I play guitar. The Stronger performance was really supposed to showcase that side of me a bit better than what it did. That was really my comfort zone more so than the new stuff that I’ve been doing. But I feel very comfortable with this new stuff that I’m doing now. I’m finding myself in so many different new ways. I’m really comfortable with where I’m at. I can’t wait to show ya’ll some more stuff.”

On the growth he experienced on American Idol, “I met some wonderful people who made me a better human being. I got so many different colors that they know that I got, that ya’ll haven’t seen yet. I’m an MC. I’m a producer. I’m an actor. I did the Naked Brothers Band. That helped when it came down to the…craft of everything that we’re going through [on the show]. My brother and I got video game ideas coming out for y’all soon. We got movies coming out. Dance videos–so many different things. Ya’ll have not seen the last of me.”

Was he expecting to be in the bottom 2? What did he think of Jennifer’s comments this week about him owning the stage? “I was getting a lot of flack [from] people [who] think that I’m not that great of a singer, but a great dancer. My thing is–if I wasn’t a good enough singer, I wouldn’t be on the show. I really appreciate her vouching for me and letting the public know I’m actually a great singer. Those are her words not mine. I do have some chops and I really want to showcase those on some original stuff that I got coming out for ya’ll soon. Qaasim’s story–I got so much to give y’all, man.”

Did he meet a lot of Naked Brother fans during his Idol experience? “People told me that they recognized me from The Naked Brothers, from my Instagram and my Twitter. I talked about it on the show a few times, those times never really got aired. I don’t know if it [was] a clearance thing or something. The first time I ever got a sign was yesterday. Somebody came up and said ‘I’ve been a fan of yours since NBB.’ It’s nothing but God, man. Everything happens for a reason. I know what’s up. And I know ya’ll know what’s up. The game is about to be completely changed. We about to really wreck the whole theme. I got so much. The family got so much. The contestants have so much to offer. I consider this a new breed of talent to come out and do damage.”

Will he open in New York City when the Top 5 tours? (The remaining Top 10 may open for the Top 5 in their respective hometowns) “I don’t necessarily know too much about the tour other than the fact that it’s supposed to be only the Top 5 that make it through. Usually it was Top 10. I know that I’m going to be doing some big stuff on my own as well. Whatever happens, I’m down for some big things. We about to really…WHOO BOY.”

What will his original songs be like? “Very similar to the stuff that y’all heard me do on stage, plus some really mellow stuff. Everything that ya’ll heard me do plus some more hip hop. It’s funk/rock/hiphop/soul/alternative. That’s my genre and I’m sticking to it!”

How does he see his life panning out in the next weeks without his Idol friends beside him? What were those few minutes like after he was eliminated? “I was just like ‘Oh shoot. It’s over.’ But I was like ‘Yo. I’m really excited cause now I get to start working on my own stuff now.’  The show is almost like a popularity contest. You got to do something to win over the crowd in your own best way and best light. You still got to do a killer job on stage. You accommodate the people who you want to vote for you. Sometimes that means that you may not necessarily be true to you. Sometimes you can. It depends on whatever song choice you have, and whatever the theme is. There’s a lot that factors into it. I’m glad that I get to rest and work on my craft and really start boosting my career up. I plan on being one of the big stadium artists that you guys know today, like Prince or Michael Jackson, James Brown. I got so much. Bruno Mars. Let’s go. I can’t wait. Let’s go.”

What are his favorite behind the scenes Idol memories? “Me and Daniel [Seavey] would play video games all the time on our down time. Those memories–me, Daniel, Michael Simeon, Adam Ezegelian, Riley Bria, Rayvon OwenQuentin Alexander, Adana Duru–we would all play video games and allow ourselves to feel at home and feel centered. It was like an escape away from all the drama and stress that the show can give to us sometimes.”

Would he consider making a Christian album? “I’m very spiritual. I accidently wrote a gospel song. It wasn’t supposed to be one. But I accidently wrote one. I was writing it–I was just writing it to write it–and it came out to be a gospel song. The theme of it, the way it comes off–gospel is speaking the praises and the word of God. So it doesn’t necessarily have to be in a stylistic format that you would hear from the more popular gospel artists. I am an artist who would normally sing secular music. But I have a sacred intake of the stuff that I talk about. You will hear some stuff that talks about the creator and giving the praises to him. All the stuff that I come out with is going to be a reflection of how I feel [about] the creator.”

More on his goal to create video games, “The stuff that we’re going to come out with is going to be next generation gaming. That’s literally what it is. We got next gen consoles and next gen thinkers, with next gen pixillations. Everything has to be up and up. We have so much to give and so much to brainstorm about. I can’t wait to really show ya’ll what we got. I’m a gamer. My uncle is a professional gamer. He gets paid to do this. He’s been training. He lives in Japan right now. Shoot man, my grandmother, she’s beaten over 200 and something video games. I’m serious about that! She kicks my behind in video games sometimes. I got into gaming really hard when I was younger. Killer Instinct was one of my favorite games when I was younger. It’s a whole nother scene. A whole nother demographic. I learned a lot, actually, from video games. I play video games that give me insight on what to do with life and information about the past. It’s a whole nother market, and I’ve learned so much from video games that I feel I could dish out some of my own now.”

What was it like to work with Kelly Clarkson? “She’s a blessing on this earth, man. She’s really raw and really true and very supportive of every single one of us. She appreciated what I was doing to her song. Hopefully I get a chance to do something with her in the near future. I want to do some big things, man. I got so much in the oven right now. It’s cooking. I’m baking it right!”

Hollywire Post Idol Interview

Qaasim asked Jlo to collaborate with him and he claims she said yes. Heh.

About mj santilli 34830 Articles
Founder and editor of mjsbigblog.com, home of the awesomest fan community on the net. I love cheesy singing shows of all kinds, whether reality or scripted. I adore American Idol, but also love The Voice, Glee, X Factor and more!