Masters At Work may lack the hits that would make them a household name, but their influence as Latin house DJs goes way beyond the Brooklyn neighborhood where they grew up.

Nuyoricans Kenny “Dope” González and “Little” Louie Vega formed Masters in 1990 after years of playing house and block parties in the Bronx. Vega, the nephew of El Cantante Hector Lavoe, started spinning records at age thirteen. The two were already famous on the Manhattan circuit having DJ'ed at such legendary clubs like Studio 54 and The Palladium.

As a duo, Masters literally synthesized the jazz sounds of '70s New York Latin soul with disco and house, a combination that came to define Latin house with tracks like I Can't Get No Sleep (featuring salsa singer and hottie La India), Pienso En Ti (with Luis Salinas) and the epic Work. As producers, they created material for house diva Barbara Tucker, Jody Watley, Freedom Williams and an up-and-coming actor/rapper by the name of Will Smith. As remixers, they've "Latinized" tracks for Madonna, British funk outfit Jamiroquai and Janet Jackson – and more.

Taking their electronic Latin jazz back to basics, Masters González and Vega formed Nuyorican Soul, a live band with such legendary musicians as Tito Puente and members of the Salsoul Orchestra. Though the pair have also dabbled in solo releases, its their influential output as Masters At Work that has kept them in the mix, both via mix CDs on prestigious labels like Ministry Of Sound and in numerous festival and club appearances throughout Europe and Asia.

(image via chrisbrownworld.com)

Listening to Chris Brown talk about b-ball, girls and his hometown, the up-and-coming R&B star is like any other 18-year-old. But watch him sing and dance and it's clear why Time magazine has already likened him to Michael Jackson.

Brown, a native of smalltown Tappahannock, Virginia, took up singing shortly before high school. A few years later, the lanky teen – a point guard on the Essex County High School basketball team – was in talks with Def Jam Records. At only 15, Brown signed with another label, Jive Records, home of Justin Timberlake and Usher, among others. His debut single, Run It!, a "crunk & b" track featuring Juelz Santana, became a runaway smash. The fresh-faced double threat followed with two more hits, the puppy love anthem Yo (Excuse Me Miss) and another club single Gimme That, helping his self-titled debut go double platinum.

A charismatic, approachable celebrity, Brown has also ventured into acting, with appearances on shows like "The O.C.," "One on One," and the movie Stomp The Yard. He's also one of the faces of Rocawear's I Will Not Lose campaign, along with Ciara, Rich Boy and Three 6 Mafia.

This year, the Grammy-nominated Brown will release his sophomore album, Exclusive. An apparent good guy who is unlikely to finish last, Brown's most recent singles, Wall to Wall and Kiss Kiss, have already attracted a combined seven million plus views on YouTube. Of course the girls love him.