Hot 97 Summer Jam 2008

Public Enemy
Public Enemy rewrote the rules of hip-hop, becoming the most influential and controversial rap group of the late '80s and, for many, the definitive rap group of all time. Building from Run-D.

Ray J
Arriving on the heels of big sister/R&B star Brandy, rapper Ray J parlayed his success on television into a music career at the age of 14. Born in McComb, MS, Ray J moved with his family to Carson, CA, when he was still a toddler, landing him in the center of the entertainment industry.

Kanye West
In the span of a few years, from 2001 to 2004, Kanye West went from hip-hop beatmaker to worldwide hitmaker, as his stellar production work for Jay-Z earned him a major-label recording contract as a solo artist.

Lil Wayne
Charismatic Southern rapper Lil Wayne began his industry ascendance as one of the Hot Boys, a short-lived Cash Money Records all-star group, and after establishing himself as a successful solo artist, he grew to become a critical favorite, known especially for his entertainting underground mixtapes.

Sheek Louch
Sheek Louch united with childhood friends Jadakiss and Styles to form the LOX, and the trio in turn signed with Bad Boy in the late '90s. The LOX appeared on numerous Bad Boy-affiliated songs as guests and even released an album of their own, Money, Power & Respect (1998), which...

Gym Class Heroes
Melding elements of rap, rock, R&B, and funk into one cohesive and melodic sound, upstate New York's Gym Class Heroes had diverse appeal based on their impressive musical dexterity.

Styles P
Strongly associated with his group, the LOX (aka D-Block), Styles managed a sporadic solo career on the side. Born David Styles on November 28, 1974, in Queens and raised in Yonkers, he united with childhood friends Jadakiss and Sheek to form the LOX in 1994.

D-Block
The members of Yonkers, NY, rap crew the LOX (Jadakiss, Sheek Louch, and Styles P) founded D-Block Records, which officially launched with Sheek's solo album Walk Witt Me in 2003. The label's roster -- which also includes J-Hood (aka Jae Hood), Team Arliss, and the president of D-Block...

Rihanna
Rihanna established herself big-time in summer 2005 with her debut smash hit, "Pon de Replay," and continued to demonstrate her smash hit potential in subsequent years (e.g., "S.

T-Pain
Tallahassee-based MC and vocalist T-Pain (born Faheem Najm) came up in a rap group called Nappy Headz but went pro as a solo R&B artist after he recorded "I'm F**ked Up," a personal take on Akon's Top Ten hit "Locked Up.

Yung Berg
Chicago native Yung Berg sat in the music industry background for the first half of the 2000s before his "Sexy Lady" jam blew up in 2007. At 15 years of age, he already had a record deal, signed to DMX's fledgling Bloodline Records, but his parents hastily pulled him out...

The-Dream
R&B singer/songwriter Terius Youngdell Nash, better known as the-Dream, was born in Rockingham, NC, but moved down to Atlanta, GA, with his mother at the age of three. He first learned to play trumpet in elementary school, later picking up the drums and guitar.