B.O.B

Of all the rap artists who emerged from Atlanta during the late 2000s, B.o.B -- who was only 17 when he signed his first major-label record deal -- was one of the most unique. His borderline eccentricity and artistic mind, belied by his music's conventional Dirty South sound, raised his stock above his Southern comparisons and welcomed comparisons to OutKast (specifically that group's offbeat half, Andr 3000). B.o.B also chose his partners wisely, scoring a handful of Top 40 singles during 2010 by collaborating with vocalists like Rivers Cuomo, Hayley Williams, and Bruno Mars.