Why He’s Hot
He can dominate the show on a posse cut with some of his most mic-savvy peers, then successfully facilitate requests from mainstream mainstays like Mariah Carey and Usher, who call him to sanctify their #1 albums and songs with his seamless street swagger. Young Jeezy is at his pinnacle. Don’t misconstrue the ranking: He’s #8 with a bullet. We fully expect the Atlanta hustler to rank higher next time. After the release of USDA’s LP Cold Summer in mid-2007, Mr. 17.5 shut down publicly to work on his top-secret third album and “count all that money.”Even with a break, the ‘hood’s loyalty toward him has remained, and when he re-emerged on records like Shawty Lo’s “Dey Know” remix and Rick Ross’ “Luxury Tax,” it was evident he was setting himself up for a run at the crown. His placements of late — the actual songs he’s chosen to get on — have been flawless, ranging from chart hits to club anthems. The Snowman’s rhyme-dispensing on these records has also been stellar. He’s improving as a lyricist, and he has so much swag that you can tell he’s inspired a whole brood of new southern MCs to bite his style.
[read more via MTV]