Twista

Rapping since the age of 12 out of Chicago's K-Town, the hyperfast, syllable-crushin' MC Twista (a shortened version of his apt debut moniker, Tung Twista) exploded from his hardcore, thug-tinged origins on 1997's Adrenaline Rush to become a superstar rap collaborator with the likes of Usher, Mariah, and Jay-Z.

Twista is a man of distinct parts: old-school Twista ("Get It Wet") confirms the talent in his machine-gun tongue; post-breakthrough Twista raises the ante (on cuts like "Lavish," where he discusses the joys of materialism with Pharrell); finally, there's mix 'n' match Twista, containing the best of both worlds ("Chocolate Fe's and Redbones").

All the benchmarks of classic 21st-century rap can be found in the meticulously assembled work of Chi Town's Twista: the hook-ups with legends, including the Sting remix "Stolen Car (Take Me Dancing)"; the perfectly judged sampling (check out his eloquent reworking of Bill Withers' "Sunshine"); the sterling guest-producer credit (look no further than Kanye West's pawprints on "Slow Jamz"); and a delivery that's so unique it's practically inimitable. It's all here — Twista's finest.