Donnie of Making the Band 4

LI rapper faces ultimate hip-hop judgement on MTV

by Dwayne Steward
Entertainment reporter
Newsday
August 23, 2007

Donnie Klang of Levittown has been given a chance at fame. The 22-year-old hip-hopper will face the music Sunday night as Sean "P. Diddy" Combs decides the fate of Klang and the other nine contestants on the season finale of "Making the Band 4."

The P. Diddy-produced reality MTV show has created four platinum-recording bands, such as Danity Kane, whose self-titled album debuted at number one last year. The show also ranked number one in it's Tuesday night time slot and roped in 57.5 millions viewers this year. The show's gimmick is to produce a chart topping male R&B foursome.

Though the pressure is on, Klang is no stranger to defeat. The young singer spent his high school days as part of the hip-hop boy band I.N.T.(I'm Not Telling) which never seemed to get where he wanted it to go, he said."

We were together for eight years and even got into the studio, but were never able to break in," Klang said. The group released one album, "Hip Pop" in 2005. "We got let down over and over. It takes a lot out of you."

Klang said he was ready to give up on the music scene and head back to college (he had attended Hofstra) before he auditioned for the show last year. But after some nudging from family and friends, he said. he eventually tried out.

"Now it's been like a dream," he said. "I keep thinking I'm going to wake up to life before all this happened."

P. Diddy enlists the help of MTV fans on-line before revealing the winners (to vote,go to www.makingtheband.mtv.com). On-line voting will continue until the show airs live at 10 p.m. from Times Square.

Klang's hoping Sunday night will not bring an I.N.T. repeat, but is unsure of his chances against the others.

"Overall everybody brings something to the table, which is why Diddy's having trouble choosing," he said. "He could choose any combination of the 10 and make a hit."