Fabolous

Balancing suave looks with the dead-eyed stare of a G-funk-era gangsta rapper, Fabolous was one of the first New York City MCs to storm the charts at the turn of the century. More than a simple grab-the-mic introduction, "Can't Deny It" established his radio-ready but streetwise sound through a purée-smooth hook (sung by Snoop Dogg's in-demand cousin Nate Dogg), chest-puffing rhymes, and a sly Rick Ross production (featuring an ingenious, memory-jarring sample of 2Pac's "Ambitionz Az a Ridah").

In other words, if you're picking up what Fabolous is putting down, he's got more on the (turn)table where that came from in our Next Steps.

If mainstream hip-hop ever held an election, Fabolous would make it to the final polls by being "the people's MC." Why? Because this Brooklyn native's never met a beat he couldn't steamroll and, more importantly, because his chimney-hot tracks offer something for everyone, from wannabe thugs and suburban playas to people who like their rap washed down with lightly sweetened R&B melodies. Case in point, via a few surefire cuts: the bleacher-stomping breaks and organ grinding of "Brooklyn," the slamming synths and toasty dance-hall hook of "It's All Right," and the dirty snake-charmer dance of the flamenco-flavored "Faboloso."

When Def Jam dealt Musiq to Atlantic for Fabolous — just in time for his career-high debut with From Nothin' to Somethin' — they did more than switch out an R&B star for a rap one. They pulled off a Steinbrenner-caliber trade that left the label with the perfect middle-ground MC, one who appeals to pop audiences and picky, street-smart fans who quote Scarface the movie as much as Scarface the rapper. No wonder why everyone from Jay-Z to Young Jeezy has jumped onto his crossover jams, a stack of crowd-pleasing singles that bump and bang the box one second ("Take You Home," "Young'n," "Diamonds") and caress ear canals the next (the bedroom-bound "Can't Let You Go," "Into You," and "Trade It All").