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PEOPLE Tune in – this musician should be on your radar Miller Time Words by Martin Haro There is a new kid in the Miami music scene, and his name is Jake Miller. Now, you remember that, you hear? That's because this 19-year-old homeboy – well, alright, he's technically from Weston, not from the Magic City…but we'll claim him – is slowly but surely taking the industry by storm. He certainly has the savvy and the chops to go the distance. Miller's story began kinda sorta like that of a teen idol of millions. Does the name Justin Bieber sound familiar? Duh, of course it does. Just like the Canadian sensation before him, Miller can trace his origin story to YouTube, which he began using to get his brand of "hip- pop" music out there at the beginning of 2011. Wait, hip-pop? "Yeah," he told Miami Living when we got him on the phone in March, "that's the best way to describe it. My music's upbeat and positive, but it's got edge." grassroots level, 21st century-style. Already a fan of social media (he tweets as @jakemillermusic), the up-and-comer was smart to recognize the value of social media. Putting his music online allowed him to build a following at the Alright, he did have a leg up on the competition because of his talent, which earned him top honors at the 2009 Samsung and T-Mobile Sidekick 4G's Kick It with the Band competition, which highlighted him as one of the best talents on the verge of stardom in the country. The bragging rights came with a cool $35,000 toward his career, but still…. "Social media's such a big part of being artist right now. I like being connected. It's inspiring," he said. "I get people telling me they like what I'm doing, they like my music. That was me not that long ago, so it's cool." YouTube got his music out there, and it caught the attention of Frank Harris, the CEO of 23 Management (Jason Derülo is a client and mentee). He is managing Miller as well now. "I saw an artist that had international star potential," Harris said via email. "It starts with the music, because music's the foundation, but Jake had all the intangibles and the personality that I thought could translate well globally." 66 MIAMI LIVING That's why Harris jumped on the Miller bandwagon and why he's been steering the hip-popper's career for the past year. Already, success has been creeping in: Just a couple of months ago, MTV.com had the exclusive premiere of Miller's video for his latest single, a catchy tune titled "I'm Alright" about gratitude and seizing the day produced by The Fliptones. It's such a far cry from spitting about rolling with his homies in a Cadillac, one cannot help but wonder just where does he get his inspiration. "I started writing music in 9th grade," said Miller, who also plays drums and guitar. "I just turned poems that I'd written for class into hip- hop to impress my friends." Plus, he's a fanboy himself – asked to, he lists Biggie Smalls, Justin Timberlake, and John Mayer as his most direct influences – so it's easy to believe him when he says seeing his videos on M-freakin'-TV (clip for "What I Wouldn't Give" made the rotation as well) was "awesome." Not bad for a kid who still lives at home, huh? Miller's definitely on the right path. To start, he seems to have a good head on his shoulders (we met him at a South Beach restaurant opening and observed him handling himself remarkably well, rubbing elbows with stars like Timbaland at a party on Star Island). He may sing about what he wouldn't give for the glory, but, really, he's singing about what he wouldn't give to live out his dream. So far, he seems to be doing well, and made peace with a packed schedule. After we spoke with him, he embarked on a radio tour of Florida's west coast to promote his singles. In March, he performed like a seasoned pro at Calle Ocho in front of, oh just about an estimated 200,000 people. And last New Year's Eve, he shared the stage at the Orange Drive Miami Beach Music Festival with Derülo, Cee Lo Green, Ne-Yo, Cobra Starship, and Gym Class Heroes. It was to be expected – after all, his very first live show ever was opening for none other than Snoop Dogg. "Jake reminds me of a cross between Justin Bieber and Travie McCoy. He needs to stay humble and continue to work hard." Somehow, we're confident he'll manage just fine. ML