Heir Jordin

Looks like a member of last year's RFT Music Awards winner for "Best Hip-Hop Group" has spawned a Mini-Me -- and damn if he isn't talented and adorable.
Heir Jordin is the five-year-old son of drummer and Doorway rapper RT-FaQ, and he's already following in Daddy's footsteps. Born Jordin Jackson-Prince, the tyke has taken a shine to rapping and recently released his debut song and video, "Proud History," which celebrates his African American culture and heritage.

"He's pretty excited," says RT-FaQ. "He keeps asking me, 'Has the world seen it yet?' I told him it's going to take some time, but it's coming."
A few weeks ago, the song began as an idea for a school project. A teacher at Jordin's school, the Vivian Adams Early Childhood Center in East St. Louis, Illinois, had asked if RT-FaQ would write a song that Jordin could perform during a Black History Month program. But once RT-FaQ laid down lyrics over music created by Alex Surmeier and Richard Ducksworth (of local beatmakers the Great Joint Commission) and had Jordin record it, he knew the song could be so much more.

"Once the song actually was done, I thought this really was kind of amazing," RT-FaQ says. "We needed to get this out so the world can see it. It's not your everyday five-year-old who can do the type of stuff that Jordin can."

Check out the video below:



In "Proud History," Jordin name-checks U.S. President Barack Obama, human-rights activist Malcolm X, civil-rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., Underground Railroad founder Harriet Tubman, gold-medal gymnast Gabby Douglas and many other significant figures in black history. It's not just lip service, either; RT-FaQ has made a point of teaching Jordin about the contributions black figures have made and the trials they've faced.

"Jordin's a sponge. He wants to learn everything, and he's always asking questions," RT-FaQ says. "I'm just trying to teach him about life."
One of the things Jordin had to learn about was filming a music video. Though he'd previously been inside the recording studio and on the stage, the five-year-old prodigy had to adjust to a shooting schedule and lookie-loos. Filmed in St. Louis and East St. Louis, the video visits a number of historically black landmarks, including the Old Courthouse, the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center, the Chuck Berry statue and stars on the St. Louis Walk of Fame. - By Allison Babka Wed., Feb. 26 2014 Saint louis Riverfront times