"We have to cultivate the genius in children to get the benefit of their gifts as adults."

• Born Jan. 12, 1988, in Phoenix

• After two independently released albums, Mali Music signed to a major label and released "Beautiful" in 2013. The song and its follow-up album, 2014's Mali Is …, achieved critical acclaim, with the latter peaking at No. 16 on the Billboard 200.

• Mali Is … earned the singer his first GRAMMY nominations, for Best Urban Contemporary Album and Best Gospel Performance/Song, for 2014.

• The singer is a true digerati, picking up music after receiving a computer and ProTools software for his 15th birthday. He later built a loyal following on MySpace.

• Mali Music answered questions and gave a live performance for Washington, D.C., GRAMMY U students during a GRAMMY SoundChecks event in 2014. 

• Mali Music performed at the Unite4:Humanity gala in 2014. The annual ceremony honors humanitarians and philanthropists worldwide.