LIL MAMA

Who She Is This sparkly-eyed rapper can't even vote yet (she's only 17!), but thanks to her breakout single ''Lip Gloss,'' she's our nominee for Best New Female Rapper. Born in Harlem, the sweet and sassy Mama (née Niatia Kirkland) will release her appropriately titled debut, Voice of the Young People, in November.

Why She's Exciting She can spit rhymes as confidently as Lil' Kim, all the while making sure to keep her lyrics clean for her tween fan base. ''I never curse in my rhymes,'' she says, innocently sipping orange juice, ''because I [have] pride.'' Even Mama admits that's an awfully mature attitude for a kid who could've spent the summer hanging at the pool instead of promoting her CD. ''I'm growing up faster than I thought I would,'' she concedes. ''I gotta be more professional than some of my peers. They might feel like it's playtime, but it's really showtime.'' — TS

EW.com Exclusive ''Brooklyn'' (to hear it, use the player below)