Along with fellow Cash Money Click labelmate Juvenile, Lil Wayne is one of the most important MCs in the unfairly overlooked early 21st-century New Orleans rap scene. As one might guess, blunt ghetto narratives about the hustler's life fill Wayne's …

Atlanta rap foursome Dem Franchize Boyz are purveyors of their own self-described style of "laid back crunk"--or "snap music" as it's often known--a woozier, less hyperactive version of the popular southern rap genre. Just how laid back the club get…

Outrageously raunchy Miami-based quartet Pretty Ricky -- Spectacular Diamond Slick and Pleasure -- make a bouncing hybrid of rap and RB coated in at least 30 layers of sleaze They debuted in 2005 with Bluestars released by Atlantic Lead single Grind …

Pop-oriented RB vocalist Chris Brown debuted with the Scott Storch-produced Run It and became the first male solo artist to release a single that went straight to the top of the Billboard singles chart Only 16 at the time Brown came from a small town…

A green-eyed beauty with a sultry voice, Rihanna was discovered as a teenager on her island home of Barbados, and quickly signed with the venerable Def Jam records. Powered by a Soft Cell sample, her infectious dancehall/Caribbean single "Pon de Repl…

Atlanta-based Young Jeezy originally planned on having a background role in the music industry -- as a businessman not as a rapper Years before making his first Def Jam album -- Lets Get It Thug Motivation 101 released in July 2005 -- he set up Corpo…

St Louis-based Jibbs began writing raps at an early age in an effort to impress his older brother DJ Beatz who was gaining a reputation locally producing tracks for Nelly and Chingy The results so impressed his brother that he invited Jibbs into the …

Flying under the mainstream radar for many years, Chamillionaire (aka the Mixtape Messiah) has been a fixture of the Houston hip-hop scene since he was a teenager, working with the now-legendary Swisha House clique and releasing dozens of mixtapes th…

In November 2005 Linkin Park co-founder Mike Shinoda debuted as a solo artist with Rising Tied an ambitious collection credited to his alter ego Fort Minor that blended hip-hop with electronics and rock elements The set was exec-produced by Jay-Z who…

Denver-based band the Fray was formed in 2002 by Isaac Slade vocals piano and Joe King guitar vocals when the two former school friends met up again in a local music store They soon began regular two-man jam sessions that led to writing songs and dev…

Atlanta rapper and TI protg Young Dro decided to pursue a career in rap music in order to break the cycle of tribulations from hustling and inner-city life Young Dro was born DJuan Hart in Bankhead a particularly rough neighborhood on Atlantas west s…

Rapper Lil Boosies hard Southern style comes from growing up in one of Baton Rouge LAs more notorious neighborhoods one that was known for drugs and gunplay Not having his father in his life was another challenge but things began moving in a positive…