It didn’t take the rapper MIMS long to come up with the title for his debut album. Both of his parents died by the time he was 13, and it was his love for music that kept him focused on success and out of trouble. That’s why the Washington Heights, New York, rapper named his first album Music Is My Savior — a title that doubles as a clever nod to his last name, Mims.

That same cleverness carried into his smash single “This Is Why I’m Hot,” a skeletal, braggadocio club track that nods to New York, the Midwest, the South, and the hyphy movement all at once. Produced by The Blackout Movement and broken first by DJs, the song went on to sell over 5 million singles and earn an estimated $16 million. Part of its appeal, MIMS says, comes from his willingness to embrace rap outside of New York: “We have every right to be proud… but we do have to pay homage that some of these areas are making great music, like Chi-town, the Dirty South, the West Coast.”

He kept the momentum going with “Like This,” a dance-floor-ready follow-up built on heavy bass and a catchy, easy-to-recite chorus. MIMS got his start as a DJ at 13, following in his father’s footsteps, before his interests shifted to production and eventually MCing by the end of high school. Today, his buzz keeps growing — driven by the same hustle and positive outlook that carried him through the hardest parts of his story.