South Philly Review

Josh Colon worked at Pat’s King of Steaks prior to departing for D.C. last summer to appear on MTV’s “Real World."

Photo by Greg Bezanis

Josh Colon has always had a passion for music. He wrote his first rap at age 8.

“It was about candy bars and girls,” he said.

The resident of Fourth and Wharton streets, who sings and plays the piano, performed with various local musicians growing up. In 2007, he joined the local band Whiskey Livin,’ but the group disbanded the following summer.

This left Colon’s options wide open. When a casting call was held last February at the Raven Lounge, 1718 Sansom St., for the MTV reality show “Real World,” he decided to try out.

“I went on a limb,” he said. “I saw [the audition] on cragslist and I guess the rest is history.”

His confidence snagged him a spot on the show’s 23rd season, which was filmed last summer in Washington D.C.

“Honestly, I was just looking for this experience,” Colon, who now travels back and forth between Philly and D.C., said. “I just thought my lifestyle should be documented — the way I dress, the way I look.”

Even though the line stretched for blocks, Colon believes his poise and style left MTV’s crew guessing. They were even unsure if he was gay or straight at one point, he said.

“I present myself in a way where I make a mystery and a question,” he said. “They just wanted to know more about me.”

Being one of two musicians in the house, Colon wanted to be the first to break out and establish himself. During the show, which debuted Dec. 30 and airs 10 p.m. each Wednesday on MTV, he met Will Whitney, who is now the drummer in the band Wicked Liquid that Colon fronts,

The group, which has its first LP on iTunes and is in the midst of planning an East Coast tour and making a music video, was rounded out with guitarist Fasil Girmay and bassist Ben Martinez. The band has a gig at D.C.’s Club Heaven and Hell tomorrow night.

“The whole band came together on the show,” he said. “It’s really going to play out exactly how it was, so I’m happy about that.”

Those shows have not aired thus far and Colon has not been too present in an episode until last night, but he couldn’t recall any regrets he had during filming in D.C.

“I still don’t know what they’re going to use,” he said. “I guess I’ll find that out later.”

Colon, 23, has been catching episodes via DVR, but may host viewing parties when he becomes more of a focal character. Either way, it has been surreal being on national television, he said.

“It’s definitely crazy seeing yourself on the tube,” he said. “It really feels good. It makes you feel like you accomplished something.”

Colon was raised by his mother near Eight Street and Oregon Avenue until he started acting up and was shipped to his father and grandmother’s home at Fifth and Sigel streets.

His uncle got him a job at Pat’s King of Steaks where he swept floors when he was 14. He moved up the ranks from cashier to head cashier and managing the grill, a position that he held until the summer when he left for D.C.