Akin to other teenaged artists like Bow Wow, Lil' Romeo, and B2K, Mario seemed to come out of nowhere, scoring a huge hit with his debut single, "Just A Friend 2002" (Biz Markie recorded the original "Just A Friend" back in 1989 -- when Mario was 3). Signed to powerhouse label J Records (Alicia Keys) at the age of 15, his self-titled LP was a must-have for thousands of adoring female fans. In late 2004, he released his second LP, Turning Point, flaunting a noticeable maturity in both his voice and lyricism, and scoring another hit with the single "Let Me Love You.
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