Karmin with Chris Rene

KAR•MIN [car-men] – noun, in Latin meaning ‘song,’ with altered spelling to hint ‘karma’.
In April of 2011, Karmin’s Amy Heidemann and Nick Noonan ignited the blogosphere when they posted a cover of Chris Brown’s "Look At Me Now" on YouTube. The clip instantly went viral, racking up millions of views after being Tweeted by such hip-hop heavy hitters as The Roots’ Questlove, producers Diplo and Jermaine Dupree, and rapper The Game, each of whom marveled at the astonishing spectacle of Amy spitting Brown’s, Lil Wayne’s, and Busta Rhymes’ raps at warp speed. Her verbal dexterity alone would be jaw-dropping coming from anyone, never mind a young girl from Nebraska styled like a ’40s film star in a black corset and ruby-red lipstick. One critic, writing on MTV.com, raved: "Homegirl is a master emcee. Seriously. Don’t let the Charlotte-from-Sex-And-The-City-façade fool you — this girl can THROW. IT. DOWN. No offense, Busta Rhymes, but I think this girl just schooled you."

CHRIS RENE: Four months after nailing his X Factor audition with a show-stopping performance of the self-penned "Young Homie," Chris Rene is releasing his fiercely personal anthem as a single. Newly signed to Epic Records, the Santa Cruz-based rapper/singer/songwriter/musician came in third place on The X Factor and enamored audiences with his breadth of talent and then-recent triumph in overcoming addiction. Masterfully capturing Rene’s struggles with substance abuse and journey to recovery, the revamped "Young Homie" now boasts a fatter beat and smoother groove perfectly suited to Rene’s inspired fusion of hip-hop and soul-pop.