Music can be a higher calling. Just ask Amanda Perez, the infinitely talented 22-year-old writer-producer-singer-rapper. The Ft. Wayne, Indiana artist's debut Virgin Records album, Angel, stands as a landmark musical journey from one of music's most promising artists. Perez's signature lady-thug style is only the tip of her creative iceberg. An artist with limitless range, she's the rarest of modern-day musicians: a true sonic chameleon. Some of her music contains a hip-hop flavor, while other selections feature smooth, sexy R&B harmonies. It is on the latter that Perez has established herself as a musical force. The title track was written in memory of her cousin Mike, a major influence on Perez who died of heart failure when he was 31. "Angel" serves as a dedication to his memory and as a comforting song for anyone hurting. "It was hard," Perez explains of losing her cousin. "He always pushed me and when I needed anything musically he was there for me." Perez's late cousin always encouraged her to succeed. She hopes to do the same for her fans. "I believe that my life is to show people that I go through what they go through, and there's someone out there just like them," Perez says. Perez's pain has turned into an anthem that millions of people yearn to hear, as the beautiful, heavenly title track is already a radio smash. Early exposure on urban, pop, and crossover radio has made "Angel" a certified hit across the country. A nod to her far-reaching talent, which will appeal to music fans of any genre, Perez showcases her diversity throughout Angel. On the playful, flirtatious "I Like It," she highlights her sensuous side, while on the funky "Whoa" Perez raps and sings about catching her man two-timing. Then, on "Never," Perez delivers a touching ballad about her unyielding love for her man. If it seems as though music comes naturally to Perez, it's because she's been fascinated with it since she was an infant. "My mom told me that I would play my Smurf's drum set and put my dad's accordion on the ground and push it open trying to play it, just to hear the music come out," Perez recalls. Perez didn't have to look far for inspiration. Her uncles and cousins were in a popular local group called The Sombra Chicana USA, which had a large following in the Latin/Tejano music scene. By age four, Perez started singing and soon thereafter she was playing keyboard by ear. She started writing songs and formed a band, the Sombra Chicana Chiquitos, when she was just 11. Her group earned a loyal following with fans of The Sombra Chicana USA by performing during the intermissions of her uncle's band's shows. "It felt so good up there," Perez says. "The audience would rush the stage amazed to hear and see such young kids playing together so well." Excited by her developing musical talents, Perez joined the junior high and high school choirs and became enraptured by the pop and R&B albums her older sister would play in their house. Visits to her uncle's recording studio would serve as lessons where Perez taught herself the equipment and recorded a five-song demo. She then started performing at local talent shows and expos, winning over audiences with her undeniable singing skills and her endless energy on stage. After building a name for herself in the Ft. Wayne area, Amanda took a major step when, in 1999, she won the "Junior Vocalist of the Year Female" division of the Black Expo in Indianapolis. "It was an honor just to be invited," she says. "I was the only Latin performer in the whole thing. My whole family cried. The audience was taking pictures and coming down the aisles to get to the stage. When I saw the crowd's reaction, I thought 'It's only gonna get better from here.'" But it didn't immediately get better. Her drive to succeed in the music industry led her to do anything--even sell drugs--in order to support her musical aspirations. As she looks back on her drug dealing days, Perez says it wasn't worth it. "Don't give up on your dreams and don't turn to somethin' that's only gonna get you in trouble," she explains. "If you're caught, you're gonna be gone for a long time and then you're really not gonna accomplish your dreams." But eventually all of Perez's legitimate hard work paid off. Mike Q. of Los Angeles-based Powerhowse Entertainment came to Ft. Wayne to sign a rock band. But the deal didn't materialize. On a whim, he asked his hotel's desk associate for the name of the town's hot talent. The clerk slipped Mike Q. a copy of her sister-in-law's demo. While on his flight back to Los Angeles, Mike Q. popped in Perez's demo and was blown away. He immediately booked a ticket to return to Ft. Wayne to find Perez. In March 2001, Mike Q. offered Perez her first recording contract. Perez agreed and in 2002 released her Powerhowse Records debut, Where You At?