Jasmine V released her first Mixtape, S(he) Be(li)ve(d), in 2011. She worked alongside Microsoft to create an interactive music video for her single, “Just a Friend.” She has performed alongside Justin Bieber and Nick Jonas, and has worked with Damon Dash. Currently, Jasmine is working on a new album.

I was recently given the opportunity to interview Jasmine V for Teen Ink.

Rachel – Tell us a little about yourself.

Jasmine V – Well, my name is Jasmine. I am an 18 year old recording artist. I started singing professionally at the age of 11. Ever since [then], I have been pursuing the music industry and I've just been doing everything, basically, on my own; just me, my manager and my family.

RH – How did you first become interested in music?

JV – I've always loved to sing and I loved to sing for my family. When I was 11, that's when it came to my attention that I could do it professionally. I was walking down the street with my younger brother and some guy heard me singing. He ended up talking to my mom and we put some YouTube videos up of me singing. From there, it got to the intern of my manager now. At the time, she was working with Damon Dash.

RH – At the time, did you realize what an incredible opportunity it was to work with Damon Dash?

JV – Yeah, of course! I knew that he has done some with Kanye West and Jay-Z. Those were people I was listening to at the time even though I was so young. It was a good thing for me because I never knew I could [sing] professionally. I was really excited! And the fact that I was so young... It's not common to get signed that young.

From then on I was just recording my own songs and I was doing, you know, high school shows and charity stuff. I ended up getting out of the deal with Damon and I started singing national anthems for the Clippers, the Lakers, the Sacramento Kings, PGA Golf and boxing matches.

Then, since I half Filipino-half Mexican, I flew out to the Philippines for a couple of months. I did some shows out there. Then I came back and I just started recording. Then I got signed to Sony Epic when I was 16 years old.

RH – You were cast in a spin-off of the Suite Life of Zack and Cody; what would that series have been about if it had gotten picked up?

JV – Well, it was called House Broken. Basically, my dad in the show built this smart house. My dad was away. [He made my uncle], Arwen, who was played by Brian Stepanek, promise that he would always take care of the family. So he came over. I was the uptight, geeky, little smart girl and he just broke me out of my shell.

The show would have been about, you know, of course the house and us kids. Selena Gomez was the teenager. I was the smart kid and then you had the little brother. It was basically just a family show.

RH – Which do you prefer: Acting or singing?

JV – Well, I started off with acting and modeling first, then I got into singing. I love them both. I definitely find them both very interesting. For now, I'm focusing on singing more, but I do want to pursue both.

RH – I was reading through your bio and I have to ask: Why did you name your fish Mistake?

JV – {laughs} Oh, my gosh! Well, that's a good question. Wow, it was so long ago!

[I named it Mistake] because the fish wasn't really mine at first. It just kinda got thrown at me to take care of it as more of a babysitting thing. Then I ended up keeping it because the original owner never took it back. I was like, “Okay, well, I guess since it's mine, I'm just gonna name it.” I just named it Mistake. [It's a] really funny name!

RH – What has been your favorite experience in the music industry so far?

JV – [Seeing] all my fans who come to my shows, and the fact that I can go out there and probably wouldn't even have to sing one word of my songs, because they know all of them. It's a really good feeling to know that I have fans that really do take the time out to listen to my music, to download my music, to watch my music videos. They know my songs, even if I've just put them out. I think it's just a really great feeling! So the fact that they take the time out to do that for me, when I go to shows, I really take the time to meet all my fans as much as I can.

RH – What has been your favorite song to write and record?

JV – It would probably have to be one of my songs off of my Mixtape. It's called “Masquerade.” I think it's a really amazing song! Another one would have to be “If This Isn't Love?” It's off of my Mixtape. Me and my brother wrote that song together. It's a really deep song and I can really relate to it. So that's one of my favorite ones.

RH – Who has been your favorite person to tour with so far?

JV – I've really only been on one tour which [was the] Justin Bieber: My World tour. So, of course that would be my favorite! I had a lot of fun. Y'know, Sean Kingston was on there, Mindless Behavior, so I had a lot of fun! I couldn't ask for a [more] perfect first tour. It was amazing!

RH – Where did the idea for the “Just a Friend” interactive video come from?

JV – I have a really good relationship with Microsoft. They've been amazing! I first worked with them when I did the store opening. (I ended up opening for Nick Jonas.) We sat down and we really wanted to talk about ways to interact with my fans on a different level and keep it personal. So we came up with the idea to have an interactive video.

Once we shot it, I was just so excited! I thought it was going to be amazing! Of course I can't meet all of my fans. I really wish I could, but this way they can feel closer to me.

They log in with their personal Facebook and a lot of pictures are on my wall in my room on the video. They get a personal phone call from me at the end. They can share the video.

In the video, they play my best friend. They [can] feel really close to me. I thought it would be great and it turned out to be amazing!

RH – What can fans expect from your upcoming album?

JV – Well, it's gonna be like my Mixtape, but it's going to be edgier because I am 18 now. I'm still gonna be really relateable to my fans. I take it off of personal things that I go through, so I know that girls my age or older or younger are going through it, too.

It's gonna be amazing! It's gonna be a lot more dance music. My Mixtape was more of a heartbroken, soul type; but now it's gonna be more upbeat and danceable. It's gonna be really fun!

RH – What was your favorite song to record on the album?

JV – One of my favorite songs would have to be “You Didn't Mean It.” I think it's such a powerful song and I love it! I put it out and my fans have really taken a liking to it. So, it's really great!

RH – Other than your album, what other projects are you currently working on?

JV – I'm actually working on doing a tour at the end of the year. (I'll tell you more details about that later!) I did a deal with tokidoki for Beauty for 2012. So that's what's been going on this year.

RH – What advice do you have for aspiring singers and actors?

JV – Always be positive. Just know that, if a door shuts in your face, that's not the only option. Many other doors will open. Sometimes [you'll] get discouraged. People are gonna tell you things every day. Sometimes it may not be the truth, but it comes with learning.

Put yourself out there. I think the perfect thing to do is to do YouTube videos. That's how I started. Put YouTube videos out of you singing, dancing or acting. Just put your name out there. I think it's gonna be easy from there. But it only gets harder. So you've just got to have the hunger for it and you have to keep going no matter what happens.