Imagine Usher if he had nothing to lose. This South Jersey-reared singer has clearly studied every trill and croon of Mr. Raymond's albums, but his Rich Harrison-produced stuff is refreshingly bold on beats and personal in tone. As usual, the riskier R&B proves to be better.

Every so often, an individual comes along who exceeds your expectations. Someone who, upon that first listen, makes you feel privy to some well-kept secret?a name attached to a voice that unbeknownst to most, will come to be a constant. And the timing of it all, as it turns out, is now, not then (see Hunger). So as you go through each element that composes the story of R&B newcomer Young Steff, keep in mind the words of Rich Harrison, who put it ever so succinctly, "Talent isn't always a pre-requisite for a superstar." Steff, as you'll witness, is the exception.

The Voice
Born Stephen Goldsboro, just outside of Philly in Vineland, New Jersey, Young Steff inherited the ability to hit certain notes and win over crowds from his father, a dedicated gospel performer. By the tender age of 8, Steff had already begun to experience life in the spotlight and on the road, traveling with and crooning alongside his father's group, Spirit. "It was a blessing to be able to learn from him," says Steff of his mentor, who has guided his now 18-year-old son through the intricacies of the music industry. "I could do a thousand riffs and it wouldn't mean much, but if I can hit a note and touch your heart, or say one word and make you feel it, then that's when I know I'm doing my job." Whether it's a pitch-perfect falsetto, or a display of heartfelt melisma, Steff not only gets the job done, so to speak, but he also conjures both the understated elegance and innocence of an era long gone (think a young Michael Jackson) as well as the youthful sheen and swagger of his contemporaries like Usher Raymond. And yet, upon listening to Steff tell his own stories through music, you get the feeling he'll make a mark all his own.

Hunger
In an era of pre-packaged phenoms, hunger is a rarity, but as Young Steff will tell you, it's hunger that has gotten him this far, and what'll keep him here in the long run. For Steff, who was used to competing and winning talent shows left and right, including the McDonald's Apollo kid's competition in Philadelphia, the path to success would seem relatively straightforward, especially once Steff's demo landed in the hands of then Roc-A-Fella Records execs Jay-Z and Damon Dash. Although a 12-year-old Steff ended up signing with the Roc, and even scored a hit with "Can I Holla" featuring Bow Wow he'd soon be forced to make the most important decision of his short life once Dash and Jay-Z parted ways: either stay with Dash as he launched a new music venture, or venture off himself.

Steff, with the support of his father, took the road less traveled as a free agent, which, as fate would have it, led them to producer turned label founder Rich Harrison. Having heard of Harrison through hits like Beyonce's Grammy-award-winning "Crazy In Love," Amerie's "1 Thing," and Jennifer Lopez's "Get Right," Steff knew this could be an opportunity to bring something fresh to a genre that some would argue is reaching a stale point. The feeling was mutual, and upon meeting Steff for an impromptu audition, dancers in tow, Harrison offered to sign the dynamic young performer to his burgeoning Richcraft Inc. label through Atlantic Records. "I wanted someone I could be personal with," says Steff of Harrison. "Because the more personal the producer and the record company, the better the records. And I wanted it to be special this time around. I wanted it to be a sure thing."

Range
The beauty of Steff's debut lies in its dimensions. On the explosive first warm up single, "Put That On Everything," a Harrison masterpiece in its daring use of staccato drums and playful horn blips, Steff's vocals show incredible muscle, flexing and bending like the instruments themselves and driving the momentum of the delightfully frenzied track. "The song was just so different from everything that's going on right now," says Steff. "And I knew that in order to make an impression, it had to be something fresh."

Also fresh is the heavy-hitting "Feeling Myself," in which Steff's lithe voice slinks over an ominous Rich Harrison bass, giving way to a sexy groove. Steff also showcases his confidence and street influenced swagger with "Dat Gurl Right Der" another Rich Harrison concoction.

Interestingly, Steff sounds just as comfortable on the album's experimental and up-tempo tracks as he does on the classic ballads like "If You Let Me," produced by Bryan Michael Cox (Mariah Carey, Usher, Mary J. Blige). On the latter, Steff convincingly makes a case for why a certain older lady should give him a chance in love. As for the anthemic "Take It Or Leave It," Steff sounds like he's been singing in a cool, confident falsetto for years.

Imagination
Steff has been writing his own material since he was 11, so it's no surprise that he showcases some of his own colorful verses here. On "Hallway," for instance, he pours his heart out:

When I'm supposed to do my homework, I'm thinking about you
How you're so beautiful and brand new
And I know all the other guys want ya
But I wanna be the one who's gonna getcha
Don't even care about when I'm acting out
Steady trying to impress you
And when I'm with my boys just hanging out
You're all I can think about

Character
While most young performers today seem stiffly choreographed, Steff brings his own street dancing persona to the stage. In fact, for the club-ready track "Wu Krump," Steff actually created his own dance. "I took the Wu Tang dance from Philly and Krumping from Cali, and made up this new dance," says Steff, who continues to be his own choreographer.

The Whole Package
After one listen, it's clear what Young Steff has to offer. Which is why Harrison has reason to gush: "Young Steff is that rare combination of a shining stage presence and charismatic personality, together with a truly unique voice. This alone makes him competitive on a world-class level."