Mario

1	Just a Friend 3:34
2	C'mon 3:24
3	Braid My Hair 4:07
4	2 Train 4:03
5	What Your Name Is 5:57
6	Holla Back 3:38
7	Could U Be 4:07
8	Put Me On 3:39
9	Chick Wit da Braids 3:50
10	Never 3:59
11	Girl in the Picture 4:35

Barnes & Noble

With his confident debut album, charismatic cutie Mario is poised to become the next Usher or Tevin Campbell. Like his role models -- who both rose to stardom in their teens and benefited from the mentorship of a music biz veteran (L.A. Reid and Quincy Jones, respectively) -- the 15-year-old Baltimore native has been taken under wing by yet another respected hit maker, J Records' Clive Davis. Prior to his disc's release, the mature-sounding youngster made waves with his summer 2002 hit "Just a Friend 2002," an update of Biz Markie's comical 1989 rap song "Just a Friend." Mario offers more of the delightful same: breezy, lighthearted songs, several of which also borrow their catchy hooks from '80s hip-hop and R&B classics. "C'Mon," produced by Warryn Campbell (Brandy, Mary Mary), samples the "Whoo, Yeah" chorus from Rob Base's "It Takes Two," and "Put Me On," produced by Mario's label mate and self-proclaimed "big sister" Alicia Keys, borrows its synth and bubbling bass line bridge from Kleeer's funk jam "Intimate Connection." Keys also wrote and produced the jazzy, piano-driven "2 Train," which showcases Mario's vocal versatility. As not-easily-impressed American Idol judge Simon would say, Mario has "the X factor with a capital X" -- and with a winning combination of heartthrob appeal, strong vocals, ace production, and the support of a music maven, this kid from "Charm City" is well on his way to becoming a household name. Tracy E. Hopkins

All Music Guide

When considering the abilities and potential of teen pop stars from any genre, a certain amount of cynicism is not only healthy, but practically essential. Yet if you indulge too deeply, you overlook performers like Mario, the Baltimore-born singer whose Top Ten debut still flew under a lot of people's radars in a year dominated by B2K, Bow Wow, and other pubescent urban artists. Mario's self-titled first album, however, offers doses of the real thing; its combination of Nickelodeon-style charm and authentic substance are reminiscent of nothing so much as a young Michael Jackson, with none of the creepy subtext. While it misses out on the humor of the original, the cover of Biz Markie's "Just a Friend" proves a shrewd update of the unwillingly platonic classic, and serves as a gateway to better originals, including a few slow numbers most teens have neither the chutzpah to try or the chops to handle. "Chick Wit' da Braids" and the swirling, organ-laced "Never" lead that pack, and the second song about cornrows, "Braid My Hair," manages to evoke the downside of being a child star without sounding like an ungrateful punk. Naturally, you have to excuse a certain amount of filler to believe fully in Mario's potential, but most of these 11 tracks offer generous hints of it. ~ Dan LeRoy, All Music Guide

The Source

Mario, Clive Davis' latest protege, is at the top of today's teenage male R&B chain. His streetwise demeanor and natural flair for performing put a fresh spin on present-day young singers. Janique Burke