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Posted by Robert
Rap News Network
12/6/2004 10:55:43 AM
Ja rules, but we're not talking about hip-hop rapper Jeffrey Atkins. We're speaking of Juelz Santana's 5-year-old nephew Ja'quaye, who is nicknamed Young Ja. Ja appears, singing, "Y'all got a problem, his name is Santana/ You don't wanna play around, we'll squeeze them hammers" on Juelz's new theme song, "S.A.N.T.A.N.A." Ja also stole the show last Tuesday in Harlem, getting onstage at the Apollo Theater and performing with the Diplomats for the first time ever.
Santana says he's not at all surprised by how his relative has been able to handle himself.
"That's my dude; he's a young me," 19-year-old Santana beamed. "He's a young star. He's got that swagger. He'll come up to you and be like, 'What's good? What's poppin?' It's like hanging out with a cool-ass 15-year-old. He's only 5! I see something in him. Everybody that's ever ran into him says he's a star."
Santana says the light bulb went off in his head to musically connect with his nephew after seeing the tyke vibe to his records.
"He be boppin' to some of my hard songs," Juelz described. "He showed me kids listen to hard music. I said if I had him on my hard song, the kids will love it, and my fans will love it. Sometimes I just go to that dude for inspiration, just like some older rappers I know watch me. For you to stay fresh, you gotta get with what's young, what's coming into style."
Young Ja will be appearing a couple of times on Santana's upcoming solo LP, and Juelz says his young homie is being groomed right now to rap, should he want a career on the mic.
"He's seeing things," Juelz laughs. "It's happening, but it's not going too fast. I don't want him to get overwhelmed by this sh--."
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