Jazmine Sullivan

Call her Amy Winehouse without the drugs or Duffy without the drama. Rising soul and R&B star Jazmine Sullivan calls herself fearless.

Sullivan's first two singles, the smoldering reggae joint Need U Bad and the '60 throwback Bust Your Windows have already earned the 21-year-old comparisons to Lauryn Hill, Mary J. Blige and Winehouse. Although her debut album, Fearless, features production from Salaam Remi (Amy Winehouse, Nas), Stargate (Ne-Yo, Rihanna) and Missy Elliott, Sullivan's name doesn't just grace the cover. She wrote or co-wrote all the songs on the album and is listed as its executive producer.

Raised on the music of Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway and Aretha Franklin, Sullivan began performing at age five. She made her TV debut on "Showtime at The Apollo" when she was only 11 years old. While attending Philadelphia's High School for the Creative and Performing Arts -- the same school that produced acts like Boyz II Men and The Roots - Sullivan signed to Jive Records. She was eventually dropped. After years of trying to secure a major label deal, Sullivan met Missy Elliott, who had been a fan of Sullivan since her days at Jive Records. Determined to get her signed, Elliott teamed up with Timbaland to help Sullivan record the songs that would lead to her current deal at J Records.

When asked what she hopes listeners will take away from Fearless, Sullivan replies: "It’s about empowering young women... if you push me around, I’m gonna push you right back!"