Introduction
Jacob O'Neal Latimore, Jr. (born August 10, 1996) is an American singer, actor, and dancer. In 2016, Latimore released his debut album Connection.
Life and career
Latimore was born in Milwaukee, the son of Latitia Taylor and Jacob Latimore, Sr. When he was five years old he watched the movie The Temptations – an ode to the popular Motown group – and fell in love with music. He spent weeks watching the movie over and over, trying to memorize the songs and learn all the dance moves. Jacob’s father and uncles were also musically talented and encouraged his interest. When he was nine years old he decided to take music more seriously and produced his first song, “Best Friend.” DJs across Milwaukee took to the song, and “Best Friend” received airtime. At the same time, Latimore was performing at events and festivals across the state, trying to make a name for himself.
Someone at Disney heard Latimore's song and decided to add it to Radio Disney’s Incubator program, which features upcoming young musicians. This led to exposure with other talented artists and an appearance on the Maury Povich Show. Jacob released a new single, “Superstar,” which landed a spot on the Billboard R&B and Hip Hop charts. In early 2010, Jacob signed a record deal with Jive Records. He also scored a lead role in the film Vanishing on 7th Street and a part in the upcoming movie The Untitled Pele Movie about the Brazilian soccer player. Jacob partnered with fellow Jive artists Issa and Justin Martin for the song “Camera Phone,” and in October 2010 the three artists filmed the music video. Latimore has said, “I give all credit to God, he gave me this gift, and I am so excited to see what other doors he is going to open for me!”
Latimore has co-starred in several major films, including Black Nativity (2013), as Langston, and Ride Along (2014), as Ramon. He also appeared in the movie The Maze Runner, which was released in theaters September 19, 2014. He then starred in the drama film Collateral Beauty, which was released on December 16, 2016, and science fiction drama film Sleight, which is scheduled for release on April 7, 2017.
Music
Latimore's first single "Best Friend" was released in 2005. In 2006, "Superstar" was released. In June, 2014, he released his hit song "Heartbreak Heard Around The World" ft. T-Pain. In November 2016, he announced that his first debut album, "Connection", would be released December 9th. The album features singles such as "The Real" featuring Milwaukee Rapper IshDARR.
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Ind. | US R&B | ||
| Connection |
| 42 | 36 |
Mixtapes
- I Am The Future (2009)
- This Is Me (2012)
- This Is Me 2 (2013)
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| US R&B | |||
| "Superstar" | 2007 | 84 | |
| "Like 'Em All" (featuring Diggy Simmons) | 2010 | 76 | |
| "Nothing on Me" | 2011 | 105 | |
| "You Come First" | 2012 | 72 | |
| "Heartbreak Heard Around the World" (featuring T-Pain) | 2014 | — | |
| "Climb" | 2015 | — | Connection |
| "Remember Me" | 2016 | — | |
| "The Real" (featuring IshDARR) | — |
Filmography
Film
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Vanishing on 7th Street | James Leary | |
| 2013 | Black Nativity | Langston | |
| 2014 | Ride Along | Ramon | |
| 2014 | The Maze Runner | Jeff | |
| 2016 | Bilal: A New Breed of Hero | Bilal (teen) | |
| 2016 | Sleight | Bo Wolfe | |
| 2016 | Collateral Beauty | Raffi | |
| 2017 | Untitled Detroit project | Filming | |
| 2017 | Krystal | Bobby | Post-production |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | One Tree Hill | Kid #1 | 1 episode: "Now You Lift Your Eyes to the Sun" |
| 2011 | So Random! | Himself | |
| 2011 | Reed Between the Lines | Jacob | 1 episode: "Let's Talk About College Boys" |
| 2012 | The Finder | Young Trey | 1 episode: "Life After Death" |
| 2014 | Survivor's Remorse | Johnny Miller | 1 episode: "How to Build a Brand" |