Rapper Baby DC was born Derek Coleman in Oakland, CA, on January 7, 1986; weaned on the music of N.W.A., Too $hort, and Kool Moe Dee, he began rapping as a toddler, and entered a professional career at age five. After Too $hort invited Baby DC to perform at a San Jose barbecue attended by a crowd of 3,000 people, the youngster began making live appearances across the country; the first artist to appear on Too $hort's Bay Leaf imprint, the 12-year-old issued his debut album, School Dayz, in 1998. ~ Jason Ankeny