Posting songs on YouTube has become a reliable way to get noticed in the music industry, but sometimes the stakes are even higher than that. When singer August Alsina started posting covers of popular songs on YouTube in 2007, he was living in rough circumstances in New Orleans, and reaching out with his music online eventually helped him rise above those difficulties. His take on Lyfe Jennings’ “Hypothetically” when he was 14 years old brought him his first shot at online fame, eventually helping him land a record deal.

Since then, Alsina has become a rising R&B/hip-hop star, with “I Luv This” hitting the top 50 on the Billboard singles chart in 2013. He’s released two full-length studio albums and over time, dealt with the 2011 shooting death of his brother and a diagnosis of liver disease. But as he did when he was 14, he’s used music as an outlet.

House of Blues at Mandalay Bay, 8 p.m. Aug. 24, starting at $29.50 plus tax and fee, 18+. 800.745.3000 Ticketmaster