When you listen to Courtlin Jabrae, one thing is absolutely guaranteed: You will be hooked. No hype.

Well-versed music fans will recall that Jabrae’s initial foray as an artist—one-half of the duo Pop It Off Boyz—resulted in the 2007 viral hit “Crank Dat Batman.” Since then, thanks to a growing list of collaborations with Timbaland Production Team, Trey Songz and T-Pain, among others, Jabrae (pronounced Jah-bray) has been making a name for himself as a songwriter. Now with his solo work gaining online and social media buzz, the emerging eOne Music singer/rapper/songwriter/producer is popping up on many one-to-watch lists.

Building the foundation for that buzz: Jabrae’s hypnotic mash-up of contemporary R&B and hip-hop melodies and beats—inlaid with the authentic vibe of ‘70s-early ‘90s soul. Prescient listeners craving musical sustenance have quickly turned up the volume on such original tracks as the upbeat and biographical “Baby Boy,” living-life ballad “That Way” and romance primer “Deserve.” As the website Good Music All Day notes of Jabrae, “This is pure R&B goodness at its finest. He’s one of the most promising artists coming up right now.”

Assessing his unique vibe, Jabrae boils it down to a simple premise. “A lot of artists bring love and then don’t bring the soul,” he explains. “Or they bring the soul and not the mind. I’m bringing love, mind and soul; all in one.”