Karina

Karina Pasian's career was launched after Quincy Jones heard a demo and invited the young singer and her family to his home. In 2003, the down-to-earth Pasian competed on Star Search, which eventually gave way to a major-label bidding war won by Def Jam. "16 @ War," her first single, prefaced her 2008 debut album, First Love, and entered the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart that April. The album, released in August, featured collaborations with Carlos McKinney, John Legend, Ne-Yo, Tricky Stewart, and the-Dream. She provided an alternative to the brainless escapism that was dominating the charts — a positive model for young women.