Nikki Flores

Rising R&B talent Nikki Flores broke into the music scene at an age when many girls are busy picking their chambelanes. At age 12, Flores taught herself to play the piano and began writing songs. By the time she was 14, she signed to Epic Records, the label that launched the career of Michael Jackson, and the current home of Kat DeLuna and Sean Kingston. Now 18, she's on a tear.

Introduced to the world on Yung Berg's Painkiller, the Fontana, California native is preparing to release her debut, This Girl, early next year. Tracks leaked to the internets give a glimpse into what this girl is all about: from Mariah Carey-esque bubblegum R&B to soulful, piano-driven love songs ala Alicia Keys.

On her carefully maintained MySpace page, Flores makes it clear she's ready for all the buzz her debut will doubtless generate: "Everything in my life happens with no promise of a future… Music in my passion. I could never see myself doing anything else."