Ray J is one of those stars who wears sunglasses indoors.

Theories why celebs do this? They may think it looks cool and adds mystique. Maybe they’ve got chronic eye infections. Maybe they partied too hard the night before and have massive bags under their red, bloodshot eyes. Perhaps their eyes are just really really sensitive to bright light. Or they’re vampires!

Anyway, I never asked Ray J why. I probably should have. I met him the morning after the Soul Train Awards last week at the Atlanta Hilton. He looked reasonably well rested (then again, I couldn’t see his eyes for sure). His goal: promote the second season of VH1’s “For the Love of Ray J,” which debuted last week.

For those of you who aren’t fully in the know (and I’m hardly an expert), he was a child actor, appearing as a regular on “The Sinbad Show,” “Moesha” and “One on One.” He’s the younger brother of R&B star Brandy and had a big hit of his own last year with “Sexy Can I”. He became modestly notorious in 2007 thanks to a sex tape with Kim Kardashian, something his manager and publicist said to not bring up since he’s tired of talking about it. Oh, and his real name is the much less catchy William Raymond Norwood Jr.

He was quick to note that “For the Love of Ray J” has been the network’s biggest show this year. Its first 11 episodes this spring averaged 2.9 million and finished with an excellent 4.4 million viewers. That guaranteed a second season. But maybe people didn’t hear about it. He opened last week at a much weaker 1.27 million. He blamed the World Series and expects the numbers to improve.

It was also convenient his relationship with the first-season winner didn’t last long. He said Cocktail (that’s her nickname) focused on her career over him. “Sure, career is important,” Ray J said. “It makes you stable financially. It knocks a lot of worries you have. She took her career in her own hands. People wanted her to model. I really want my girl to be with me. I take care of the rest.” He isn’t quite like T.I.; he doesn’t mind if a woman wants a career but he wants their first priority to be him.

He said at age 28, he is less wowed by a woman who just wants to have sex with him. “I’m less wowed, less outspoken,” he said. “I have my professional hat on. All that crazy intense stuff I used to do just in my regular life, I stopped doing that.”

He said he usually parties only when he gets paid to do so and he tries to restrict himself to one shot of Patron, not two. “If I have two, I’m all over the place,” he said. “I’ve toned down a lot of things.”

Ray J’s mentors include boxer Floyd Mayweather and R&B mogul P Diddy. They helped him learn about money management, something he said he didn’t pay much attention to in his younger days. He keeps his posse pretty tight. His mom runs the management side. His manager is family, too.

And like many a TV star enterpreneur, Ray J has his eye on other reality shows. (He can only date so many women on TV.) He is in talks with VH1 for two other concepts and one for BET. But he won’t say what they are since the final contracts have not been signed.

“Right now I’m in a position where I can call the head of a few networks and pitch them ideas. In the past, I had a hard time getting those meetings,” he said.

He admitted when a production company approached him to do “For the Love of Ray J,” he was skeptical. But he gave it some thought and said what the hey. “I might meet some nice girl. Plus, it can showcase my character and who I am as a person, who Ray J is.” (Yes, he did refer to himself in the third person.)

Ray J enjoyed the first season, said he was able to demonstrate his sense of humor and felt he was able to keep it “respectable” with the women. (Whatever that means.)

One gal from season one known appropriately as Danger supposedly claimed she got preggers with Ray J. The second season showcased her but in reality, it’s not his. (He wouldn’t say that to me last week but it eventually came out.)

He then talked about folks he’s worked with in Atlanta, including producer Jazze Pha (Ciara, Fantasia, Angie Stone, T.I., Usher) and later that day Chris Henderson (Jamie Foxx’s “Blame It”).

I asked if he’s met Tyler Perry. “I hung out with him at the Clive Davis party,” he said. “Went to Prince’s house. It was me, Tyler, Whitney, Prince, Taraji Henson.” He said Prince played until 4 in the morning. He was very cool but said barely a word, just sang.

A few years back, he got to meet the late Michael Jackson with his sister Brandy. “She fainted,” he said. “I picked her up. We talked for two hours about his life and struggles. He encouraged us to be positive and stay true to ourselves.” Brandy, he said, is working with Timbaland on a new album.