Kevin Rudolf

Cash Money Records, home to Lil Wayne, just dropped one of the biggest rock hits of the year: Let It Rock, a stadium-ready jock jam by Kevin Rudolf. With its whistling synths, pounding drums and catchy chorus, "Let It Rock" draws on adrenaline over aggression, leaning closer to rap and rock like Black Eyed Peas and Queen than Public Enemy and Anthrax. Not surprisingly, the song has become a staple on football and basketball broadcasts, also appearing on TV shows like "Dancing With The Stars" and "90210."

A 25-year-old New Yorker, Rudolf was already an established songwriter, producer and session guitarist (Nelly Furtado, Justin Timberlake, Timbaland) before he became Cash Money's first rock act. Label co-founder Roland "Slim" Williams says he was a fan first: "I've been listening to Kevin's music for a while. The record was good before we even put Wayne on it." His debut, In The City, was released last month and features production by The Neptunes' Chad Hugo and collaborations with Rick Ross, Nas and Birdman.

While some call it "gangsta emo," Rudolf prefers to describe it as a sincere attempt to mix the sounds of Sting and Phil Collins with hip hop: "What I'm most excited about is putting out a record that's authentic, true to myself and doesn't sound like it's come out of a factory."