Young Money may be the hottest crew in hip hop and R&B, but J.R. Rotem's Beluga Heights could soon give Lil Wayne, Drake, Nicki Minaj and co. a run for their money.

Meet Auburn, aka "The Princess of Beluga Heights," who sings a little like Rihanna and raps a little like Minaj. A 21-year-old Minnesota native, Auburn is the only female act on a Beluga Heights roster that features seasoned hitmakers Sean Kingston, Jason DeRulo and Iyaz. She's holding her own. Auburn's debut single, the ATC-sampling "La La La," has reached over 2.5 million views on YouTube and recently cracked the iTunes top 100. A pounding track about a guy who can't give a girl some space, "La La La" sums up Auburn's approach: "Sure there are times when you need to dance and have fun, but, to me, the best songs are those that have a message."