You’ve all probably heard of Karina Pasian by now, right? The just-turned 17-year-old dominicana who’s got Quincy Jones for a godfather and had Diddy and Jay-Z fighting to sign her? Well if you haven’t, it’s time to give her a good listen. Raised in Washington Heights and co-managed by her father and hermano, Karina has the pipes–and an undeniable Future Star aura–that other aspiring R&B songstresses would kill for. She’s frequently compared to Alicia Keys because of piano-playing, R&B soloista skills (and let’s face it, her striking looks), but we’d rather let her songs, like the spright, mid-tempo single “Can’t Find the Words,” speak for themselves.

Karina is curently touring as the opening act for nerd-rapper extraordinaire Lupe Fiasco, and her debut album, First Love, drops everywhere August 19. Here’s your first look at the album cover…how cute is it? Very Brandy-meets-Ella Fitzgerald, who happen to be two of Karina’s biggest idols, and yet it totally reflects her teen spirit. We had a great conversation over lunch with Karina and her siblings yesterday, and we’ll be sharing that with you closer to the album. For now, suffice to say that this is one chica who deserves all the hype.

-M.H.

MeetKarina.net

Karina Pasian [MySpace]

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