SEAN KINGSTON - KINGSTON REJECTED BY MUSIC PRODUCERS

Singer SEAN KINGSTON almost quit the music industry after his idols TIMBALAND and PHARRELL rejected his early recordings. The 17-year-old - whose debut single Beautiful Girls was certified platinum in July 2007 - was finally given a break when Britney Spears' reported ex-boyfriend J.R. Rotem agreed to sign him to his label Beluga Heights. Kingston, real name Kisean Anderson, says, "I was basically just a young kid going to high school, trying to get my music out there and I felt like singing in demos wasn't the best way to do it. I was on MySpace networking, trying to get my music out there. I was hitting up anybody who was anybody like Timbaland, Swizz Beats, Pharrell, all these big producers, just hitting them up like, 'Yo! Listen to my music! Just give me a chance!' "Those guys never replied, but then I ran across J.R. Rotem's page who I'm now signed to and who produced my album."