CREATIVE STYLE.. BY JAY STRADA

Early years

Ludacris began his music career as a radio DJ personality, Chris Lova Lova, on the V103 urban radio station in Atlanta, Georgia. He made his recorded debut on "Phat Rabbit", a track from Timbaland's 1998 album Tim's Bio: Life from the Bassment. Although both Timbaland and Jermaine Dupri showed interest in signing Ludacris, he decided to take matters into his own hands, and released the album Incognegro independently in 1999. The album sold over 50,000 copies, most of them sold out of the trunk of Ludacris' car. Def Jam Records signed Ludacris in 2000, and created a new imprint, Def Jam South, around him.

Chicago-bred, soul sampling, producer wunderkind, Kanye West's music is inarguably the most exciting thing going on in hip-hop right now. He is the man that helped make Jay-Z's The Blueprint the soul-drenched nostalgic masterpiece that it was. He has produced a consistent array of chart-topping inspirational beats for artists as diverse as Ludacris ("Stand Up"), Scarface ("In Cold Blood"), and Talib Kweli ("Get By"); and, did I mention that the man raps like there's no tomorrow? Given the fact that he has a resume this dazzling, and is seemingly overflowing with potential, when word came that he had decided to put out a solo record, The College Dropout, it evoked little surprise, and a whole lot of anticipation

Singer, songwriter, actor. Born on May 5, 1989, in Tappahannock, Virginia. Although he is still in his teens, Chris Brown is already on his way to music superstardom with his smooth voice, amazing dance moves, and boy-next-door charm. Growing up in a small town of roughly 2,000 people, he was a born entertainer. Brown enjoyed singing in his church choir and was inspired by such musical artists as Sam Cooke, Stevie Wonder, and Michael Jackson. He also showed off his dance prowess by imitating the dance moves of another one of his idols, Usher.

R&B singer Omarion attends After-School All-Stars (ASAS) Hoops Heroes Salute VIP after party at Katsuya, LA Live on February 18, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Getty Images) more pics » B2K has some of the coolest videos from early 2000s R&B. Singles like "What a Girl Wants" and "Gots Ta Be" are awesome party jams even if they aren't as well known as some more memorable groups from the era. B2K from the video for 'Girlfriend' The hip-hop boy band was created by producer

In an era of an ever-changing music industry that's defined by diminishing expectation, where a "successful" career means having one, maybe two hit records; The Black Eyed Peas are a glorious exception. They have become one of the best selling, most popular and most innovative groups for over a decade. They have transformed themselves from a beloved backpack rap troop from the West Coast Underground into fully-fledged, massive global superstars whose music can be heard in any country around the world.