Keeping up with AJ Gil

AJ Gil was one of the first Idol finalists to lose their dreams of becoming the country's next big singing sensation when he placed eighth on the show's first season back in 2002. Although this placing did not automatically set him up with a record deal, AJ was able to pursue another sector in the music industry - producing.

Per his official music MySpace page, AJ, who was born in San Diego, Calif., and hails from Mexico, is working with Hollywood, Calif.-based production team The Order, which has worked with talents like Ruben Studdard, Toni Braxton and JoJo.

Even though the majority of AJ's involvement in music is on the producer's side of the recording studio glass, he has three R&B/Hip Hop-tinged tracks up on his MySpace: the club banger"Lollypop," the Usher-like "Overtime" and the even more Usher-like "What Do You Like." A few of the tracks are available to purchase via the digital music retailer SnoCap.

AJ will next appear at King King in Los Angeles, Calif., on Thurs., Sept. 11.