ZANE

The transformation from teen star to respected adult performer isn’t an easy one. But for Zane (formerly known as Lil’ Zane), the transition has been seamless. As someone who has already scored a number of hit singles ("Money Stretch," "Callin’ Me") and appeared on screen with Sean Connery ("Finding Forrester") and Eddie Murphy ("Dr. Dolittle 2"), Zane has made it clear that he’s a natural performer.

The most obvious example of Zane’s creative reach comes with his second album, "The Big Zane Theory." The follow-up to 2000’s critically acclaimed debut collection, "Young World: The Future," Zane’s new album showcases Zane’s improved songwriting skills and gives his loyal fans an intimate look into the life of one of today’s most promising talents.

"My music has gotten a lot more mature, so I just wanted to show some growth and maturity," explains Zane, now 21. "It’s like, ‘Damn, why does he think he’s Big Zane now?’ I’m just trying to show them that I’m trying to do big things in my life. I’m doing everything, movies, rap, whatever I can do. It’s just about me growing up."

Zane’s newfound maturity shines throughout new album. It’s no wonder why he dropped the Lil’ from his moniker. "The Big Zane Theory" is a portrait of an artist as a young man, a stunning one at that.

"Baby I’m Yours," for example, features Zane flowing over a smooth, guitar-driven track about the dedication he will give to his special lady. Guest vocalist Tank adds tender singing in the chorus, providing the perfect bridge between Zane’s compassionate, respectful raps.

"Anyone can relate if they’ve got a special one, the one you want to hang with but you can’t really give her all the time you want to give her because you’re doing so much stuff," he says. "You might be in the streets or on TV. She’s upset, like she’s fed up. So you’re like, ‘I’m going to put this all aside and tonight I’m yours.’ It’s showing them that I’m wrapped in my work, but not so much to show her that I know that she’s there for me."

Zane continues his emotional outpouring on the moving "I.O.U." An introspective track where Zane acknowledges the numerous blessings bestowed upon him, "I.O.U." shows respect to those Zane admires.

"It’s a song that’s dedicated to all the teachers that helped me throughout my life, from my mom and dad to my school teachers to God," Zane explains. "That’s who I owe me being able to be level-headed and blessed. I also wanted to thank everybody who bought the album."

Zane shows his lighter side on "Bounce" and "So Hot," two club cuts that will be mainstays on radio and in clubs across the country. Even though he’s made a point to deliver a strong album with a number of important themes, Zane also felt it important to include celebratory songs on the collection.

"An album has got to make you feel good," he says. "It’s got to tell you something about me. It’s got to make you laugh, cry and make you happy. I just wanted to touch every emotion and party joints are definitely the singles. Right now, it’s all about the streets, the clubs. With all the stuff going on in the world, you want to make people party."

But as Zane has navigated his way through the entertainment industry, he’s been quick to take life lessons to heart. On "All $ Ain’t Good $," Zane shows how money is worthwhile only if it is obtained legitimately and used wisely.

"I got that song idea when I was on the set of ‘The Fighting Temptations,’" Zane says of the new film in which he appears alongside Cuba Gooding Jr., Beyonce and others, which opens August 8. "I was talking to Lou Myers [of "A Different World" fame] and was telling him where I’ve been in different situations and have turned down money, like the Tommy Hilfiger deal because SAG was on strike and I didn’t want to have people picketing outside my house. God blessed me to do something positive and make money the good way, so I don’t want to destroy my blessing."

Despite his blessings, Zane has experienced his share of tragedy. Even though he wrote the touching "Come Runnin" to the mother of his infant child, Zane found out a year after the child’s birth that it was not his. Around the same time, Zane also discovered that the man he knew to be his father was not his biological father. Almost overnight, Zane’s life was turned upside down.

"In the same week, I found out my pops wasn’t my pops and that my baby wasn’t my baby," Zane says. "You can only imagine what I was going through."

Thankfully, Zane’s ascent to show business stardom was less tragic. At age 10, Zane was smitten by the burgeoning hip-hop and R&B industry that boasted Jermaine Dupri, Kriss Kross and Illegal, Too $hort, TLC and Erick Sermon, among others. He decided he wanted to be on TV, too.

Soon thereafter, Zane helped form teen rap group Kronic, but he would have to wait about six years to catch a break. On a chance meeting with Kevin Wales, who worked with Zane on Kronic, Zane earned a slot guest rhyming on 112’s "Only You."

Zane’s memorable appearance on the smash single helped him score a recording contract with Priority Records, who quickly put him on Ice Cube’s "Next Friday" soundtrack, which was released in 1999. Zane’s hit "Money Stretch" single set the stage for his acclaimed debut album, 2000’s "Young World: The Future." Named "About 2 Blow" by The Hollywood Reporter in August 2000, Zane landed roles in "Finding Forrester" and "Dr. Dolittle 2."

Always one to learn from experience, Zane applied what he absorbed as an actor and applied the lessons he learned into the making of "The Big Zane Theory."

"Doing film taught me how to put more character into my lyrics," he says. "In film, you can just say something, talk a script out. You’ve got to actually act it out and get the feeling. Movies affected my rapping because it taught me how to get my point across in a more clever way. It brought more feeling to my music. It taught me that every song, you’ve got to go into that character, whatever feeling you’re trying to get across. Every song is a mental thing."

Zane’s newfound reach and perspective is evident throughout "The Big Zane Theory," an album that will increase his visibility and solidify his status as a multi-media star.

"People know who Zane is," he says. "Now, I’ve just got to keep putting out that stuff that makes them like me."

Add "The Big Zane Theory" to the list.