One dude in the game you have to respect is R&B singer Marques Houston.

We all know this dude has been around for years as he began with the group “Immature,”who had teen girls all over the nation screaming their lungs out. I wonder what it’s like to have such a strong female fan base at such a young age.

As expected though, these cats in the boy band do get older and everybody eventually wants to be on their solo project.

Back after a two-year break of releasing his last album “Naked,” the underrated vet is back with the new album “Veteran.”

Crazy to be a vet and still only twenty-fi ve.With all the years “Batman” has been in the game, I bet a lot went on with his life.

Rising as a star at such a young age can break a lot of people, but for Houston, there’s plenty of things that he can credit that his longevity to.

Imagine all the groupie love these dudes were getting as “Immature” and Houston doestell of a crazy encounter when they were only fourteen.

As from what Houston said, “Veteran” will be a relationship driven album and he also speaks on the male macho ego, but at the end of the day, the ladies love a sensitive man.

Q: When you came out youwere so young. What does ittake to be around so long?

A: Actually, I give all creditto God. I feel like I was trulyblessed to be in this industry forso long starting at a young age.Since 8 years old, still beinghere at 25 putting out anotheralbum and still able to be successful.My career, as a whole,I’ve been very blessed and Godis defi nitely showing me a lot oflove.

Q: What it’s like being a starat such a young age?

A: It was different, you know,getting a lot of attention, butyou know I grew up loving attentionso you know that wasn’ta thing for me.I loved attention with girlsand all that stuff so I would saythat the main thing was attentionand working hard. Beingso young and working hard, butI’m a go-getter so I feel like Iwouldn’t take anything back orchange anything I love aboutmy life which was great.

Q: I know the girls were crazybeing so young!

A: Oh Yeah [laughs].

Q: I always wanted to ask youwhere did the name “Batman”come from?

A: It’s a long story behind thatone, but when I was youngerwhen I fi rst started in the group”Immature” I used to wear Batmandrawers on my head. That’swhere the name comes from, it’sa little nickname that I got whenI was eight [laughs].

Q: Is it possible fans will getanother album from IMX as agroup?

A: Aw man, stay tuned, younever know what’s going tohappen.

Q: How you feel about yourboy Omarion holding it downwith “Ice Box” right now?

A: Omarion is doing his thing.He got the remix out right nowwith Usher, and I’m reallyproud of him. He come a longway from back in the B2K days,and he’s doing it right now.

Q: Why you didn’t get on theremix?

A: We stay off each others records.Too many people expectme and “O” to do a record togetherthat’s why we don’t.

Q: I thought ya’ll might doa duo album one day or something?

A: Nah, well you never knowwhat’s gonna happen. This industryis crazy and it’s changingeveryday you never know whatyou going to do next.

Q: So what’s the groupie lovelike and everything?

A: [Laughs], You know I don’tmess with the groupies.

Q: But I know you had tohave a crazy groupie encounterbefore you hooked up with her?A: Oh yeah, I had a couple ofcrazy groupie encounters, especiallywith Immature back in theday in them days with me andthe boys, it was crazy.

Q: Can you give me a briefstory?

A: One story that really sticksout to me is when I was 14 whenwe were in Detroit. This girlwas in the hallway, and she wasstripping for us showing us hergoods. We were 14, so that wasamazing to us. An older womanshowing us all that was crazy,but you know [laughs].

Q: [Laughs], ya’ll boys werewild back then I see.

A: Yeah, [Laughs].

Q: What’s good with the newalbum “Veteran?”

A: “Veteran” is in stores nowand it’s real different from thelast time. The last time was realsexually explicit, very grownand sexy. This one is more relationshipdriven and everything is a personal experience that actually happened to me.I wrote the majority of the album, about nine out of 11 songs and their all about personal relationships.Sometimes, artists gothrough that state where we regular people too you know. We go through break-ups, makeups, getting your heart broke and all that.From a guy standpoint, havingyour heart broke is diffi cult, it’smore diffi cult for a man than itis for women. A lot of the time,women are sensitive and guysdon’t really show their emotionsa lot.It’s diffi cult when a guy getshis heart broken because you areforced to show your emotions.That’s what this album is about;being in love, getting your heartbroken, break-ups, make-ups allthat stuff.

Q: Is it titled “Veteran” forhow long you been in thegame?

A: Yeah, defi nitely, it’s “Veteran”because of how long I beenin the game and what I contributedto the game and to still behere and successful.

Q: What’s good with the fi rstsingle from the album?

A: Well “Circle” is out rightnow, shout-out to B-Cox whoproduced a couple of songs onthe record. Everybody loves”Circle,” and I’m just rollingwith the punches, going withthe fl ow. I try to put out musicI think everybody is going toenjoy so you never know what’sgoing to happen.

Q: You said the album wasgoing to be about guys gettingtheir heart broke and everything,so why you think dudeshave a big ego when it comes totalking about that stuff?

A: You know what it is becausewe’re guys and we have to be tough all the time. We have to be soldiers, and you can’t really show your emotional side.But I think that what guys don’tunderstand is that women likethat.We can show a little emotionand maybe put a little tear inyour eye too, showing it’s okayfor you to be sensitive. I thinkwe focus too much on being thetough ones, but girls really likewhen you can show that sensitiveside.

Q: I see with this album yourtrying to school some of us.

A: You know I got to do thatlittle bit.

Q: Remember the song “FirstTime” you did with IMX a fewyears ago, was that a true storywith you running out the houseand everything?

A: It was a true story. A littlebit of it was kind of an enhancedstory, but for the most part, itwas a true story.

Q: What’s good with the featuresfor the album?

A: I got features from my boyYung Joc, my girl Mya, Shawnnaand it’s pretty star-studded.

Q: I look forward to the album,but will we get anothersong like “Naked” on there?

A: I think the closest song to”Naked” on this album is called”Always and Forever” and thevibe of the song is kind of thesame. It’s not talking about thesame thing, it’s still relationshipdriven.

Q: Besides the music andeverything, what else do youhave going on as far as movies,clothes, what’s good?

A: Movies, Television, clothes,everything, I’m trying to get myhands in man. I just became theCEO of TUG Entertainment andmy responsibilities just wentfrom 10 to 1,000. I’m trying tonow run a company and focuseverything on my business rightnow.

• Quinton Hatfield