Meet Shea Rose, Eliot's Saturday Headliner

Tyga got you down? You're not alone. Eliot House is hosting an alternative to Yardfest, featuring a performance by the up-and-coming hip hop and soul artist Shea Rose. On Saturday, doors—or gates, rather—to the Eliot courtyard open at 6:30, and Rose goes on at 7:00.

Though new on the music scene, Rose has already made a name for herself among critics. She's won Boston Music Awards both in 2011 and in 2012 and earned accolades from reviewers and Queen Latifah alike. So far Rose's discography comprises an EP, "Rock 'n Rose," and a mixtape, "Little Warrior."

On tracks like "Free Love," Rose presents her traditionally soulful side with slinky vocals and a classic guitar-bass-drums backup band. Rose is not married to refinement, however. On some of her more confrontational tracks—take "Dumb Boys," for example—Rose lays down aggressive rhymes over an electronic track with a danceable beat. At times, Rose has even branched away from her usual areas of soul and hip hop. She was a featured artist on the Grammy-winning album "The Mosaic Project," a collaboration headed by jazz composer Terri Lyne Carrington.

Rose has also made a name for herself outside of music. She leads the social initiative My Angel Wears a Fro, which is primarily concerned with youth empowerment.

If you're thinking about swinging by the Eliot courtyard, as Rose says, "Here's a ticket boy. Go stand in line."