Drapht

Like the archetypal Shakespearean fool, Drapht (aka Paul Ridge) injects much of his hip-hop wisdom directly into the funny bone: he's an Oz-side Slim Shady counterpart who tends to douse every syllable in a cocktail of grog and mischief — here's a rapper who cracked us up with "Jimmy Recard" in 2009, and retold the story of "Rapunzel" in 2010 by harnessing the metaphorical power of Russell Crowe, Britney, and Herbie the Love Bug. Schooled by producer Dazastah, and the Syllabolix crew, Drapht really nailed his voice and tone on his second album, Who Am I (2005) — highlighted by "Drink Drank Drunk" and "The Music" — and has progressed from strength to strength since then, assured in his conviction that a great, catchy pop hook is as potent a weapon in the hip-hop armory as any string of expertly crunched syllables. The Life of Riley arrived on April Fools' Day 2011, the first album released on his own label, the Ayems.