Nick Cannon Says It's 'Crazy' That Twins with Ex Mariah Carey Will Be Teenagers This Year (Exclusive)

Nick Cannon cannot believe that "Dem babies" will soon be "Dem teenagers."

In an exclusive conversation with PEOPLE tied to his new commercial for Buffalo Wild Wings to promote the restaurant chain's "Buy One, Get One Wing" deal, the multi-hyphenate star, 43, also opens up about his twins with ex-wife Mariah Carey turning 13 later this year.

"It’s crazy, man. I was just talking to them about that," Cannon says, referring to son Moroccan and daughter Monroe.

"13! That's a big age, too. I remember that age like it was yesterday," he continues. "Then you think in five more years they'll be college students and adults, and it's like, 'Whoa. Wow.' Time flies like crazy."

"You scroll through your iPhone and they send you those photos like, 'This was three years ago today,' and you are like, 'Yo, I thought that was last week,' " adds Cannon, who is also a father to 10 other children. "You just see the growth just right before your eyes."

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Cannon and Carey, 54, welcomed their twins in 2011 on what marked the former couple's third wedding anniversary.

This year, the duo will officially become teenagers when they celebrate their 13th birthdays on April 30.

Last year, Carey reacted to her two kids growing up, telling PEOPLE in an exclusive interview, "Don't rush all of our lives. They're still 12."

"They're good, nice kids," the "Always Be My Baby" crooner continued. "They're kind-hearted people, and I really enjoy being around them and watching them grow up into the people that they're ultimately going to become."

For Cannon, getting to watch his twins grow has been a blessing, and he tells PEOPLE that Moroccan and Monroe are "wise beyond their years."

"We've been having regular conversations for quite some time, but even now it's like, they're so introspective and compassionate and caring," he says. "You couldn't ask for more from your kids, so I just try to have as many conversations with them as possible."

As for their current interests, Cannon says that Moroccan is "definitely a gamer" and Monroe is "into acting and performing — that's her forte."

"She wants to go to Yale's drama school, so we'll see how that goes," The Masked Singer host continues of his oldest daughter. "I think that'd be amazing."

"I mean, even the fact that that's the approach she wants to take, as opposed to, 'Oh, I want to go do a movie now,' [is great]," Cannon adds. "She's like, 'No, I want to go to college first and major in the arts.' It's like, 'All right, that's dope.' "