Fresh-faced suburban white kid loves hip-hop, goes off to higher ed and makes mixtapes on the side, lands major-label record deal before graduation. The Asher Roth Story? Au contraire!
Well, actually, it is the “I Love College” rapper’s tale, in a nutshell, but it’s Mike Posner’s, too. The 21-year-old Southfield, Michigan, native is about to start his senior at Duke University, where he majors in business and sociology and possibly beer pong (yep, he’s a frat boy); he’s also got a newly-minted contract with J Records, collaborations with Kid Cudi, Kanye protege Big Sean, and Wale under his Abercrombie belt, and an official debut due in 2010– as well as another mixtape to follow his first, this spring’s A Matter of Time.
Vocally, he also sounds a little bit like Macy Gray and Jason Mraz had a baby. But that is neither here nor there! Judge Posner’s lyrical skills for yourself below:
What’s your call, Music Mixers — Great White Hope, or gone in a minute? He’s up to nearly three million plays on his MySpace and touring through nationally through late October, so clearly, somebody’s listening…
More from EW’s Music Mix:
‘Glee’ soundtrack announced: See it here!
Chris Brown: ‘I still love Rihanna.’ But do you want to hear it?
Jay-Z, Beyonce attend Grizzly Bear concert
“I’m on a Boat” redux: The Lonely Island, U.S. Navy style
Buju Banton’s U.S. tour canceled by promoters
Today,
Denmark’s deliciously dark rock duo 
Although it’s easy to assume Seattle’s music history started with grunge, the truth is — like most things — far deeper. In the late ’60s and early ’70s, in fact, Seattle was home to one of the country’s most vibrant funk and soul scenes, an extension of the community that birthed Jimi Hendrix and Quincy Jones, and gave Ray Charles an early home.
