Earlier today, I interviewed Donnie Klang, just a few short weeks before the release of his debut album, "Just a Rolling Stone".

Donnie Klang's story is a bit of a fairy tale, thus far. As a grade schooler in New York, Klang was a big Bad Boy and Diddy fan, even performing "Mo Money Mo Problems" in his school's sixth grade talent show. After beating out thousands and thousands of applicants, he came away with a solo deal on the very label he idolized. He went from performing Diddy's verse in said talent show, to having Diddy on his first single and by his side, in his first video. Can you write it any better? I spoke to Klang about his Bad Boy fandom, his upcoming album, and more.

Being a Bad Boy fan myself, and us being a Bad Boy fan site, I really wanted to ask you about being a Bad Boy fan yourself from the mid-90s, from everything I've read and heard, and I've seen the talent show clip, obviously, and knowing you're a big fan, I wanted to hit on that. What was the first Bad Boy music video you can remember watching?

I mean, just thinking back, it was like the "Hypnotize" video or the "Been Around the World" video. I just remember thinking back, especially being signed to Bad Boy now, going to the studio and Puff's house and everything. I see these old pictures of like Biggie or Puff, Mase, 112, Faith Evans - from back in the day. And it brings back these memories like that music - that whole Bad Boy movement - was like the hottest music. It reminds me of when I was in middle school and high school. It's crazy to think now, I'm signed to Bad Boy. It's surreal.

What was the first Bad Boy album that you purchased?

I got the Bad Boy and the family album. It's one of the first ones.

"No Way Out," right?

"No Way Out," yes. And that, to me, with "I'll Be Missing You," "Mo Money Mo Problems" - that just started it off for me. And then I started going back and getting some of the older Biggie ones - "Ready to Die" and all those. Once 112 came out, 112 was just sick. This is crazy. Just talking about this, this is crazy.

What are some of your favorite Bad Boy albums, pre-Making the Band?

It was the "No Way Out" album. I liked Diddy's "Forever" album because there was a song on there called "Best Friend" featuring Mario Winans which was like, me and my whole crew back in the day, that was our song. The Biggie "Ready to Die" album. 112, their first and second albums, both were just ridiculous. Basically, you could just go on and on. You could list every album that came out from them back in the day. Mase's album with "Feel So Good" on it. Like, this is nuts. I can't even have a breath that captures how many albums I liked from them back then.

On your iPod or your portable music player, whatever you use, are there any Bad Boy songs from the 90s still receiving regular play?

Oh, yeah. "Mo Money Mo Problems" definitely still gets big play. "I'll Be Missing You," that "Best Friend" one, "Feel So Good," all the old Biggie ones. "Been Around the World." And then all the remixes, too. They invented the remix, they really did. Like, all the remixes back then, it's just sick. The 112 "Only You" remix. Ridiculous.

I know exactly what you mean. Now, moving to the present time. Besides Diddy, will there be any other guest appearances on the album?

Well, I worked with The-Dream. He's not featured on the track, but the track is definitely crazy. Really, we just wanted to introduce me as an artist, since I am brand new. We didn't want to let any other artists really take the shine. We just wanted everybody to understand like, OK, this is Donnie Klang. Take it or leave it and not be skewed by a feature on the album. Diddy's the only one, on "Take You There," and then the rest is just all me. I got to write a lot and I got a lot out, emotionally, on the album, so it was good for me. It was awesome.

In an interview you did, you had mentioned that you were working on some sort of secret guest appearance. I'm guessing that didn't work out?

I did one song with Aubrey from Danity Kane. We might release those as bonus stuff, but really, for the album, since it's a Donnie Klang album and people know me from Making the Band, but they don't know me, yet. I'm brand new. So, we wanted to really keep it brand new and let people decide for themselves if they're feeling it or not.

the kid asked: What are your favorite songs from the album?

My favorite songs from the album are between - there's this one called "Pick It Up," which is bananas. It was actually brought to us by The Young Boys, who are up and coming, which is cool for me because I was an up and coming producer, songwriter, singer, just like them. So, it's cool for me to be able to work with producers like that at this level. That song is sick. I feel like that could be that big pop radio song. "Catch My Breath," "Hurt That Body, "Dr. Love." There's a lot of great songs on the album. I can't wait 'til people really hear the whole thing from front to back.

How about a favorite song that didn't make the album?

Whew. "Spank Me." (Laughs). And "Rolling Stone" also. "Rolling Stone" is the song I did with 7, but 7 is thinking about releasing it for his album. So, that might get released anyway, so people will get to hear that one. But, "Spank Me," it's hot, it's different, it's very risky. But, you never know, with like a rerelease on the next album or something.

So, the album's title is "Just a Rolling Stone" and that was inspired by the song with 7 - there's no other inspiration there, right?

Well, when we made that song, we also did an intro for the album. It's really crazy. We went in and the music is very different, very innovative and then we went in and just put a pair of headphones on me and let me speak my mind. I just talk on the intro and I do a couple of ad libs and it's just really - I get out what I was feeling. The track is sick and it really describes the whole what "Just a Rolling Stone" means.

We did a couple interludes [where] we did the same thing. We were like hey, it worked once. Just give me a pair of headphones, let me just sing or do something right off the top of the head. We did it and it's just really sick, As hot as the tracks are, some of those interludes and intros and stuff are just as hot.

I watched a video interview you did with DJPremium.com where you hinted that - or, at least, it was a pretty obvious hint - you were trying to get on the Usher tour. Is there anything to report there?

Well, we're still working on it. I definitely want to get on a major tour like that. Somebody that's huge, that's gonna sell out arenas. Somebody that I could really open for them and just get my music out there to fans that may not know who I am, that might not watch "Making the Band" and stuff. Even like the Pussycat Dolls, somebody like that. I want to open for a huge act. That's my goal.

So, regardless of how it shakes out, you are planning to go back on tour.

Yes. Either way, even if it's a small venue tour and it's just me. We're probably gonna do that, anyway. We're doing Seventeen magazine "Rock the Runway." We've got a bunch of dates at malls and stuff like that. We really want to just try to hit every city. We visited radio stations in a lot of small town cities in the Midwest and just the support there is sick because they don't get major celebrities to come to their town, so they show so much love and support.

So, I've been visiting all the small cities, from the small ones to the big ones and we're just trying to get everywhere we could possibly go.

I love the video for "Take You There," but MTV News' James Montgomery wasn't as complementary, let's say.

(Laughs).

I'm guessing that you've seen the clip, right after the video debuted on FNMTV, where Diddy got in his face and gave him a bunch of grief. What did you think about that?

I thought it was awesome that Diddy was behind me like that. Everytime I really look back and I see Diddy biging me up the way that he is, is sick for me because, like, I believe in myself and I believe in my music and I'm 100% behind myself. But, then to have somebody like Diddy, like Sean Combs, behind me the same way, it's crazy. It's unbelievable.

Did you know in advance that Diddy was going to do it or did you just see him running away and wonder where he was going?

No, I had no idea. The whole night was just very spur of the moment and I didn't even know that he critiqued that way until I saw the episode playback. It was tough because I met [Montgomery] and he seemed cool, but you know, every show has the guy in there that creates the drama or something.

Simon Cowell.

Yeah, they need to have that drama factor, so I think he was in there for that purpose.

The premiere of the new season of Making the Band 4 is right around the corner. What do you have planned for the night that it's airing?

We're doing TRL those couple of dates to promote for the season premiere. I'm hoping that I'll be able to be home with family and stuff, because actually for the season premiere of the very first season, I was able to spend it with friends and family back at home. So, a cool house party at home would be cool. But, we might be doing something in the city, in New York City, I'm not sure yet. We'll see what's going on.

For more on Donnie, check out the Donnie Klang category here at Bad Boy Blog as well as his official website and MySpace page. The album can be pre-ordered now with Bad Boy offering a fan pack, as well.