A confessed reprobate whose teen and pre-teen exploits included a full cycle of addiction (alcoholism at 12, crack addiction at 15, rehab at 17), rapper Brooks Buford first gained notice as half of the appropriately named Southern rap duo Rehab. The group's 2000 debut, Southern Discomfort, spawned a Top 20 single, "It Don't Matter," and preceded a year of high-profile touring. Brooks then signed a solo deal with Jermaine Dupri's So So Def label, and his first album, Straight Outta Rehab, was released in August of 2003. ~ Wade Kergan