KYLE

HOMETOWN: Ventura, Calif.

INFLUENCES: Jadakiss, Weezer, Drake

ALBUM: Beautiful Loser, out now

WEBSITE: superduperkyle.com

Artist Kyle—born Kyle Harvey—began singing along to the sounds of classical music and crooner tunes that his mother played in the house when he was just 6. Four years later, the lure of Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s “Got Your Money” had the youngster hooked on hip-hop. In high school, Kyle performed at talent shows, school plays and sporting events to polish his craft. After graduation, he moved to downtown L.A. and began recording his debut album, Beautiful Loser. The video for the album’s first single, “Keep It Real,” has already surpassed 1 million views on YouTube. Kyle recently performed at Ultra, the annual Miami electronic music festival, where he encountered a diverse audience. “I’ve had the gift of growing up around every demographic,” he says. “Rich and poor, black and white. I’ve lived every one of those lives, so if I simply tell my story, it’s going to relate to everyone.