T-Pain

Never mind the Crazy Frog, T-Pain is the new reigning "King of Ringtones."

Over the last two years, the dreadlocked R&B and rap star has sold over seven million ringtones, nearly five times as many as sales of his previous two albums, combined. In 2005, the Tallahassee, Florida native released Rapper Ternt Sanga, a collection of club anthems about clubbin', including the unforgettable hit single I'm N Luv (With A Stripper). (The ringtone for that perfectly timely ode to forbidden love was purchased four million times in five months, making it Sony BMG's fastest-selling to date.)

His follow-up, Epiphany, proved this 22-year-old producer-performer is, like Nate Dogg or Michael Jackson, the rare artist capable of churning out one earworm after another: Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin') ft. Yung Joc and Bartender ft. Akon. Not only does Teddy Pain know how to write them, he also knows how to pick them. His collaborations with the cream of the crop read like a list of this year's top 10 – because, in large part, they are: Good Life by Kanye West, I'm a Flirt (Remix) by R. Kelly, Shawty by Plies, Cyclone by Baby Bash, I'm So Hood by DJ Khaled and Kiss Kiss by Chris Brown.

The happily married father of two – his children are named Lyriq and Muzyq – is enjoying his best year ever, having become as ubiquitous as The Neptunes were a few years back or Rodgers and Hammerstein, in their own day. Discovered by fellow R&B star Akon, T-Pain is now the head of Nappy Boy Entertainment – a label devoted exclusively to digital releases – e.g., ringtones. If you're awaiting his next release, keep your phone off "vibrate."