Born and raised in Washington, DC, the singer/songwriter Tamika Jones has finally come into her own. Growing up in poverty, Tamika turned to music as an escape from the harsh realities of drugs and violence that those around her so easily succumbed to. A young and timid Tamika, at the age of 11, was discovered when a classmate heard her singing a song so beautifully and ahead of her age and outed her to her teacher and classmates, who let her know that she could no longer keep her voice hidden.

Nycole Valentina, a MySpace success story and passionate singer/songwriter, falls into the latter category. Before she could tie her shoelaces, she was born a singer. She’s convinced she had her breakthrough moment at four years of age. Laughing, she retells the tale: “I went to Disney World with my parents, and the first thing I did was walk right up to Mickey Mouse to sing.