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. Born Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr., on September 27, 1982, in New Orleans, LA, Lil Wayne grew up in the Hollygrove neighborhood of New Orleans' 17th Ward. There he became acquainted with the Cash Money Records collective, which he eventually joined as a teenager. Get It How U Live! (1997), a Hot Boys album also featuring Juvenile, B.G., and Turk, marked Lil Wayne's album debut; at age 18, he was the youngest group member.

A second Hot Boys album, Guerrilla Warfare (1999), preceded Lil Wayne's solo debut, Tha Block Is Hot (1999). The solo album went double platinum, peaking at number three on Billboard's album chart and spawning a Top Ten hit with the title track. Lil Wayne's second album, Lights Out (2000), failed to match the success of its predecessor, nor did 500 Degreez (2002), his third album. By this point in time, Lil Wayne was the only remaining Hot Boy on Cash Money -- all other members had defected -- and the future didn't seem promising for him or the label. Consequently, he purportedly scrapped work on his fourth album and instead released the recordings as an underground mixtape, Da Drought (2003), his first of many to follow.

Tha Carter (2004) signaled a change in direction for Lil Wayne. The album itself wasn't a huge departure from Lil Wayne's past three -- it's filled to the brim with tracks produced by Cash Money in-house producer Mannie Fresh, some of which could well have been left on the cutting room floor -- yet it showcased a more measured and mature performance by the rapper, who seemed newly emboldened and sported a new look on the album cover (i.e., dreadlocks). The change in direction was commercial as well as musical, as Tha Carter featured Lil Wayne's biggest hit in years, "Go DJ"; moreover, the album itself was a Top Five hit. Also in 2004, Lil Wayne began to be guest-featured regularly, starting with Destiny's Child's "Soldier," a Top Three hit.

A pair of popular 2005 mixtapes, Dedication (with DJ Drama) and Suffix (DJ Khaled), further established Lil Wayne as a dexterous freestyle rapper. Plus, they helped garner additional interest in his music among listeners who weren't part of the usual Cash Money constituency. By the end of the year, Lil Wayne's reputation was such that Tha Carter, Vol. 2, his next Cash Money album, debuted at number two on Billboard's album chart upon its December release, and did so without the benefit of a smash hit ("Fireman" stalled at number 32) or the productions of workhorse Mannie Fresh, who had left Cash Money.

In the wake of Tha Carter, Vol. 2, which was a critical favorite as well as a strong seller, Lil Wayne continued to bolster his reputation and increase his fan base via the mixtape circuit. Of the myriad mixtapes bearing his name from 2006 onward, Dedication, Vol. 2 (DJ Drama, 2006) is a standout; like Tha Carter, Vol. 2, it was a critical favorite, making many end-of-year lists. The Carter, Vol. 2, Pt. 2: Like Father, Like Son (DJ Khaled, 2006) was notable, too, as some of its material was revived for Like Father, Like Son (2006), a major-label collaboration with Baby, aka Birdman, that spawned the hit "Stuntin' Like My Daddy." Lil Wayne also collaborated regularly with Dipset member Juelz Santana during this period.

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. Often touring with indie rock and pop-punk bands, they didn't fit comfortably into one specific genre; the quartet's music was rooted in traditional hip-hop, but featured live instruments instead of looped samples or beats. Lyrics were often socially conscious, but also incorporated humor and wry perceptiveness. The band's roots date to 1997 in Geneva, NY, when MC Travis "Schleprok" McCoy and drummer Matt McGinley became friends during high-school gym class.

Wanting to create a new palette for hip-hop, the duo worked with other musicians before Gym Class Heroes was officially born in 2001 with the addition of guitarist Milo Bonacci and bassist Ryan Giese. The guys self-released For the Kids that same year. Touring nonstop, they recorded The Papercut Chronicles in 2003, which caught the attention of Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz before it was even finished. The Heroes were officially signed to his Fueled by Ramen imprint, Decaydance, by September 2004 at which point Bonacci was replaced by guitarist Disashi Lumumba-Kasongo. The four-song teaser The Papercut EP preceded the eventual February 2005 release of The Papercut Chronicles with Eric Roberts replacing Giese on bass. The quartet hit the road hard, spending spring on dates with Midtown, Fall Out Boy, and the Academy Is..., along with hitting the year's SXSW, Bamboozle, and Warped Tour festivals. They also spent part of the summer opening for ska-punks Streetlight Manifesto. A Red Hot Chili Peppers cover song was donated to Fearless' Punk Goes '90s compilation before their follow-up was issued in July 2006. As Cruel as School Children was produced by S*A*M (Method Man, the Sounds) and Sluggo (aka session bassist Dave Katz), and co-produced by Fall Out Boy vocalist Patrick Stump. The album included various guest appearances, including The Academy Is...'s William Beckett and Arrested Development's Speech. They spent that summer supporting the record on the Warped Tour. Gym Class Heroes' profile notably increased at the year's end with the release of the single "Cupid's Chokehold/Breakfast in America," which hit number four on Billboard's Hot 100 and remained in constant rotation on radio and MTV during the spring of 2007.