Mookie Jones has had quite an eventful beginning to his hip-hop career. Son of Oran “Juice” Jones, the first R&B artist ever signed to Def Jam Records and owner of the label’s first #1 album, Mookie grew up under the tutelage of hip-hop legends including his godfather Big Daddy Kane. Mookie won Roc-A-Fella’s “Roc The Mic” competition at age 15, and was crowned Houston’s freestyle champ after winning The Source Battle in 2004.

Last week, Mookie’s career took another leap when he was named winner of Scion’s “The Prospect” competition. As winner, he was handpicked to create an original track alongside super producer Hi-Tek, and a video produced by Scion. Luckily, we were able to catch up with Mookie just days before beginning work with Hi-Tek for this interview.

With all his success, I must admit that I was a little skeptical about interviewing Mookie. Recently declared the next great prospect in the world of hip-hop, I guess I assumed the kid would be a little full of himself. However, this was not at all the case. Mookie was a pleasure to interview, and came across as a very well grounded, personable and funny young man. He spoke humbly of his victory in the recent competition, and seemed to show more pride in talking about his college education and his family than his rap career.

I look forward to seeing how his career develops. Check out the interview below, and keep your eyes open for his upcoming video, song with Hi-Tek, mixtapes and debut album.

What is your personal definition of hip-hop?

My definition of hip-hop is just life, you know? We all live to different beats. A heart beat, you know what I’m saying?

If you had to pick your top 5 MCs of all time, who would they be? Why? And how have they influenced the direction you’ve taken with your music?

My top five would consist of – I have to say Rakim, because I feel that he changed the rhythm of hip-hop – totally. From a more staccato sound and made it more like water. As well as Jay-Z because I feel that he has done the same thing. He has changed the rhythm of the game. Kane, my godfather. I’m his number one fan. As well as Nas. And I’d have to say the last would be Big L. I feel as though he took lyricism to another plateau. Even to this day, there are MCs that are still saying stuff that he already said – and flipped it.

As far as my direction, I really haven’t cultivated it yet. I’m just living right now. I’m young, so my compass is still spinning all around. I really don’t know what direction I’m about to take the game. I just know I love doing it.

You were recently announced the winner of Scion’s Prospect Competition. How did you find out about this competition and what made you participate?

Well, I heard they were looking for the next best thing. I just had to show them it was right here (laughs). They were looking for the best thing, I just had to show them where he was.

Tell us a little about the process and what you went through to earn the prize.

We turned in a song – from the mixtape I put out called “Words and Music of the Prince” – titled Catch Me If You Can. It is one of my favorite songs because the lyricism is very flamboyant and I’m real energetic. The competition caught my attention when I heard about the prize, and I decided to see if they’d endorse me. So I put entered that song to speak for me.

When we first dropped the song off, we got a call back saying they liked it. We got a final ten spot. After that, they called me back one time and said, “You got it.”

Were you surprised when they told you that you won?

Of course. Of course. You know, we all show lack of faith from time to time, so while you’re waiting on those calls in between every day – you know, everything’s always on tip. And with me being a battle MC, I’m used to duking it out with others in my profession.

This was one of the longest – usually I only got to wait like 30 seconds until the judge puts that card up. And with the crowd yelling, we already know. So to sit there and wait by the phone – it was a test of my faith.

Why do you think the judges picked you out of 1,500 competitors? What makes you and your style stand out and demand attention?

Why they pick me? I guess they recognize a star (laughs). Holla at a star! But honestly, I think what makes my style stand out is that it’s not rehearsed. I put my time into it since fourteen, and I saw my art come out. I was blessed to be able to stand next to some of the greatest of all time – and hear their minds, and listen to their advice.

In my opinion, I think that hip-hop was carried in me. You know, we’re the third generation of this music. The first generation was the entrepreneurs. The second generation got to learn from that. Now the third generation has a high hand on everything else because we’ve gotten to see some things. Now we get to see exactly where the leaders of the new school are going.

The grand prize of the competition was getting to make a track with Hi-Tek and have a video produced by Scion. Have you met Hi-Tek yet? Have you started work on the project?

I got to meet Hi-Tek one time when I was younger. I got to really just bask in his intelligence, you know? So that was a great feeling right there. But I was young then – back when I was about fourteen. We haven’t started to work on the project yet. I leave Thursday to go work with Hi-Tek. I’m going out to Cincinnati.

Do you know what direction you plan to take with the song and the video?

Nah, not at all. But I’m definitely going to love sitting next to the director. And I think he’ll cultivate that art as well. You know, I’m an artist in the fullest effect, so I enjoy all parts of the art. I just plan on painting that picture and letting everything take its course with him once we get together.

Did you get a chance to connect with any of the other finalists? Which ones do you like the best from a musical standpoint? Would you ever consider doing any compilations with the other finalists?

Nah, I never got a chance to meet any of the other finalists. But I am a fan of a lot of the other finalists. Especially Cyssero – I’m a very big fan of Cyssero. I enjoyed his music, his style, his swagger. So to be able to stand in there with another Spartan like myself was a great thing. I love the fact that I got to stand in the right with another great MC. I’m open to work with any and everybody. I don’t discriminate. I’m not raparacist (laughs).

You became known as Houston’s freestyle champ after winning the Source Battle in ‘04. How was the Scion competition different from this? Do you find yourself more comfortable freestyling or having time to create your rhymes? What different approaches do you take to maintain success in both the written and freestyle arenas?

It’s all really about the rush, you know what I’m saying? Music isn’t – like what I said before it’s the experience. Sometimes you laugh, sometime you fail/ Sometimes you cry, sometimes you yell. So it’s all a floetry to me. Sometimes when I’m in the booth and I’m surrounded by other MCs and we’re ciphering – the appropriate thing would be to freestyle. Whereas if I’m in the studio with another professional that’s there and getting paid for his time, I have to go cultivate and put that together inside of my little art pad.

As the word says, freestyle is much more a freer style, so it’s not really as constricted as when I write. With me being musically inclined, I understand the timing of notes and 4/4 and cut time and all that. So with different beats, I’m able to fluctuate and become an instrument. Whereas when I’m freestyling it’s more as though I’m just speaking from how I feel.

I understand that Big Daddy Kane inspired you to start rapping as a child. Can you tell us about that experience and how you came in contact with him?

Yeah, Kane is my godfather. He always shows me support. He tells me sometimes when I’m writing that I gotta just sit down and write it again and I’ll get it better. So there’s a lot of his style inside my blueprint as well.

At 15, you won Roc-A-Fella’s “Roc The Mic” competition and performed between 50 Cent and Jay Z. What was that like?

That was actually a funny experience. Because I was going backstage and, you know, me being younger than everybody and a little dude, everybody was commenting on how little I was. They were ripping on me and all the other little MCs that were out at the time (laughs), and just putting on a show. On my walk out there it was like, “Yeah, look at the little kid” and what not.

We had a freestyle battle between the 50 Cent and Jay-Z sets. Right there in front of 30,000 people – and I won it right there. And that was one of the most powerful Oooohs I’ve ever heard in my life. You know, you just go with your freestyle and you say that one line – everybody is like “Awww!” And coming from 30,000 people, that Ooooh is a lot more powerful. The energy coming from that was one of the most incredible experiences I’ve ever experienced.

So after I rocked the show then they saw that I was just a creative and just as old as the next. When I walked back to the stage, it was more so as if I was looked at with respect then as just another kid MC, you know?

Aside from rapping, you have been in a couple movies. Tell us about these movies and what roles you played.

I was in a movie about Katrina called “Water Rising.” And I’m also in the Mike Jones “American Dream” movie.

Do you plan on continuing to act in the future? How are acting and rapping alike? How are they different?

Yeah, I plan on continuing to act. Ain’t nothing like that acting money (laughs). Nah, but with acting it sort of brings what the rapper is to real life. It brings your music to life. Because as every MC knows, when you write down especially from life experiences – the greatest MCs tell stories. So when you’re telling a story and you’re putting those characters in their different positions and trying to describe their exact feelings, with acting you have to do the same thing. But it’s in a physical form instead of a lyrical form.

You go by the alias “The Prince.” Where did this name come from and what significance does it hold?

When I first started calling myself “The Prince,” I was fourteen years old. And I heard everybody and their mama wanted to be the king. And I always thought as though it wasn’t fair to go straight to the king. Nobody can just – you can’t just wake up and call yourself the king. It’s not fair. You have to go up to that. So me not being old enough to be the king yet, I decided I was crowned the prince. My father’s the king of R&B – I was the prince of the game, you know? I was embedded a shot at hip-hop. And I still go by the prince – until I become the king (laughs).

Are you working on anything new? Where do you see your music headed next?

I got the “I’m Sick” mixtape that’s coming out. I got the “Feel Me And Kill Me” mixtape that’s coming out. I got “The Prospect” mixtape coming out. I been working on about 3,000 songs over the summer. So tell these rappers to get their notebooks ready, you know what I’m saying (laughs)? Where is it headed? Out of this world – I’m going straight to Pluto! It’s not a planet anymore because we left it and moved here. (The name of Mookie’s crew is PLUTO – Pimps Like Us Taking Over.)

Aside from being an MC, what are your interests? Do you have a family? Hobbies?

I’m a full time college student studying psychology. I’m in the college situation because I feel as though I always want to learn – everyday I want to learn something.

I have six brothers and sisters, you know, from the ages of two all the way up to twenty-four. I get to see life from all different aspects. Just by pulling from them – all different perspectives. My little brother Sky, he looks at the world from a seven-year-old and my little sister Perry she’s a ten-year-old. And then I have my older sister Chenelle who’s going through totally different problems. And my older sister Jaz who has totally other stress on her. My little brother Coltrane who’s thirteen-years-old and he’s just seeing his stress now just entering high school. Then the baby, Harlem, he’s two years old and just coming into life – so I get to look at him. And I’m just happy to be blessed to be able to see life from all those different sides.

Now your father is Oran “Juice” Jones who was the first R&B artist ever signed to a hip-hop label. Tell us about your father.

He was a very good friend of Russell Simmons prior to Russell becoming successful. And after he became successful, he asked Juice to become the first R&B artist on his recording label – Def Jam. Then Juice put out his first album – and of course, everybody knows the song Walking In The Rain – the album went platinum and was nominated for a Grammy. So he kinda began the whole hip-hop/ R&B thing. And he’s the first record Def Jam ever had that went number one.

If hip-hop was a person, and you could ask him or her one question, what would it be?

If hip-hop was a person, it would probably be a woman, so I’d ask, “Why you letting all these ugly men get with you?” (laughs.)