The meaning of the name Khalil is “friend,” and this young R&B future star certainly has a friendly nature that will pull in fans by the ton. Right behind Jeremih, Khalil will help carry Def Jam into the new decade with a brand of R&B that appeases those invested in the genre, while garnering teen-aged fans by the bushel.

Courted by both Kevin Liles and L.A. Reid, Khalil is now working on his first major release Hot Like Summer. The 15 year-old is testing the climate out with his first scorching single “Girlfriend Ringtone” which is already receiving head-nods, and salutes across the board. Young Khalil sits down to talk to DXnext about all that he’s juggling as a teenager on the a musical rise.

Fifteen, With A Def Jam Deal: “Well my aunt told me to post a video on YouTube so that the rest of the family could see me sing or whatever. I posted the video, and a few weeks later a guy named Kevin Liles called me up and told me that he wanted to fly me down to Atlanta and sing for some people that work for Def Jam. So when I got to Atlanta, I met KP who was Def Jam’s A&R. Once I sang for him, he flew me to New York to meet L.A. Reid and the rest is history.”

Pressure to Perfect the First Album: “[I] want to perfect everything with the album and with my stage show.”

Other R&B Competition: “Really with the lane I want to go down, I feel like there is nobody else there. There is no other young R&B guy coming out right now. There was Chris Brown, but now he’s in a different lane and he’s doing a different style of music and he’s talking about different subject matter than me. He’s a grown man now and I’m still 15, so I have my own lane and it’s wide open.”

With R&B King Usher Releasing Two Albums In One Year, If That Changes Pace: “Really, seeing something like that just makes me want to go hard. Usher is at the top, and he’s been at the top for a very long time and he’s still going strong. I’ve been watching him and the moves he makes and I know I have to really push myself within my own career to accomplish my goals.” 

Working with Diggy Simmons: “It’s great because Diggy [Simmons] and I working together naturally have a lot of charisma. We first did the song ‘Be My Baby,’ and the he sent me ‘We Have A Problem,’ which I recorded down here in North Carolina. When we hit the studio it was like, ‘Yo, let’s just do a remix off the top of the dome.'”

Knowing Which Song Is Right For Khalil To Record: “I have no idea really. Sometimes when I first hear a record there will be something about the song that I love. I might not recognize what it is at first whether it’s the hook or melody, but once I record it I just instantly know that it was made for me.”

Choosing “Girlfriend Ringtone” as First Single: “I don’t know really, when I first recorded it, L.A. was just hyping it up in the Def Jam offices like, ‘Yo this is the first single.’ I felt so excited so I was like yeah, let’s do it. Everybody just loved it so we decided to push it. As far as the public reaction goes, everybody seems to be liking it pretty well. We just shot the video and that came out great. The video should be on BET’s 106 & Park [soon].”

Recent Fun On The Road: “When I was on the Teen Idol Tour, the last show was in Nashville, and it was great. Because it was the last show everybody came out with a lot of energy and did something new that they didn’t do on previous shows. It was a lot of fun for everyone.”

A Teenager Being A Teenager: “I do have time to just kick back and enjoy life. I like to play basketball. Even before the deal, I was really into basketball pretty heavy, so I still do that. Even though I can’t do it professionally, I try to still keep it in my life.”A

A 15 Year-Old’s Dream Car: “My dream car is the Lamborghini. I’ve wanted that car since I was a little kid. If I could get that I’d really feel like wow that’s crazy”

 

What Should Fans Expect From The Album: “[Expect] plenty of fun upbeat type of music. A lot of the records are fun with a summer feel. I’ve been working really hard on it and I think a lot of people are going to be able to relate to it. Hopefully, it all works out.”

Recording In ATL: “I’m from Sacramento California but I’m working on my album here. Atlanta is awesome there’s a lot of great artists here and studios to put in plenty of work. Being in Atlanta makes it easier for you to stay at work and keep going. There’s a lot of connections that can be made out there and I’m having fun.”

Encouraging Others To Pursue Their Dreams As Well: “It’s all about never stopping. I never would have thought I’d be standing where I am today, but look at me. You have to chase your dream because you might actually catch them then who knows that the world will have in store for you. You never can stop just keep going, no matter what.”