Ask Jonny Rice to describe his music and he’ll say, “Down South I just say I'm a musical gumbo and that seems to be the best metaphor.” And it’s true. Raised in Ohio in a musical family, Rice consumed hip-hop, R&B and death metal and enjoyed them all equally. So he started writing his own songs, Rice crossed the genres of folk, pop and blues and turned it into his debut EP, The Eclectic. “Staying eclectic keeps you on your toes,” he says. And really, who needs labels anyway? “I just want to make something people can vibe to,” Rice says.

On "Love Is a Gamble," premiereing today on Myspace (listen below!), Rice gives out the grooves in full force. “My whole thing is to make an experience for someone. I want you to be able to pop in my album and go for a roller coaster ride.”

Rice also talks to Myspace about his roots, why Whoopi Goldberg matters to him and his really nice fans.

Hometown: I was born in The Colony, Texas, but I don't remember it because I was only there a half a year or so before I moved north with my mom and siblings to Michigan, and then settled in Ohio a few years later.

Homebase: North Canton, OH

I read that you came from a musical family and that was how you got your start.

Most definitely — everyone in my family is musical. My mother and all my siblings at least play one instrument and sing as well. And I was around them and learned a lot from them of course. But I also got my first guitar at 13 , and as a poor kid with little to no friends that I saw outside of school or church, I played the crap out of that thing until I made it sound like it wasn't a slow car crash and it was kind of a rediscovery of music. If that makes any sense at all.

Do you remember the first song you ever wrote?

The first song I ever wrote and recorded was called "Mommy, Daddy (Don't Cry for Me). Some friends of our family had just lost their 16-year-old son, and I felt so bad for what they had to go through. So I sat down and wrote a song from his perspective, as far like "Don't worry about me, I can't get any safer than being in heaven and I'll see you soon." It made them smile and helped a bit, and I hadn't ever felt better about something I did. So I guess it stuck.

Did growing up in Ohio influence your creative process?

It influenced me to expand my horizons and made me become more eclectic.

When did you know you wanted to sing and perform for others?

I've been entertaining people since I was diapers! (Laughs.) But I can tell you I made my decision to take music seriously — as far as trying to make a living at it — at 17 and have been happy about that decision since.

Who are your musical heroes and your biggest songwriting influences?

That's an extremely hard question to answer because there are quite a few. But just to name a couple, Beck and anyone associated with Brushfire Records. As far as writing goes, Ben Harper, Mason Jennings and Eminem, along with some others, have had a HUGE influence on my lyrics and how much thought I try and put into each line.

Why is your album called The Eclectic?

I've always had a love for music, but not just one genre. I loved all of it — even loved polka as a kid, for some reason. The word eclectic means that you kind of draw from various diverse sources, and there's never been a better word for me to use to describe myself or my music, so that's why the theme stuck for this project.

P.S. Shout out to Whoopi Goldberg because I learned the word from her at a young age watching Sister Act II.

How do you describe your music to people who haven't heard it before?

I ask them if they remember the old Verizon wireless commercial with the guy saying Christmahannaquanzika and then tell them it's a lot like that! (Laughs.) A little bit of everything.

What's the craziest thing a fan has ever done for you?

I'm a HUGE G. Love fan, and unfortunately have never been able to get to a show. So an amazing fan of mine, Stephan Booswah, was at a G. Love show and knew that I've never been able to go. So he sends me this nice-ass autographed poster of G. Love from his Fixin' to Die tour. Blew me away, never met Stephan and the guy cares enough to do that. So pretty crazy indeed, crazy awesome!

If you were a hashtag, what would you be?

#WCW maybe I really am someone's Woman crush Wednesday. You don't know.