Kevin Lyttle

Soca music hasn't had a lot of luck finding its way to the rarefied realm of MTV's Total Request Live, but Jamaican-born singer Kevin Lyttle's jam "Turn Me On" just cracked the top ten, beating out Jessica Simpson's stomach-churning single "Angels." The dance-ready single from his self-titled debut album features Spragga Benz and Assassin and is just one of many Caribbean-flavored songs busting out of speakers and into the mainstream this summer.

"I'm trying to be an ambassador for a music that's been underestimated," Lyttle says on his website. "My main focus is to take soca music where it's never been before, so people can hear our music, our deep culture." And he's definitely on his way there, combining dancehall beats with a nice dose of hip-hop. Hopefully, next week he'll beat out Hillary Duff and all will be right with the world. -- Audra Schroeder

Catch Kevin Lyttle at 11 p.m. Saturday, July 31, at Baja, 300 SW First Ave., Fort Lauderdale. Call 954-462-5604.