Wale

Wale says he's a normal dude. "I think lot of rappers take themselves too serious and then it becomes a situation in which they have to live up to an image… [and] it's hard to maintain," explains the 24-year-old rapper from Washington D.C.

Although Wale's "act" is not having an act, the sneaker-loving MC has created a big enough buzz with his Kanye-meets-Black Thought flow to turn the heads of Jay-Z, Mark Ronson and Mr. West himself. Born Olubowale Victor Akintimehin to Nigerian immigrants, Wale (pronounced wah-lay) became a local celebrity in 2006 after dropping Dig Dug (Shake It), a percussion-heavy track powered by go-go music, a style of funk popularized in Washington D.C. Wale went national with the 100 Miles and Running mix-tape, which spawned three breakout singles: the go-go influenced Good Girls and Ice Cream Girl as well as the Justice mash-up W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E. By the end of 2007, Nike Boots, a thumping song inspired by the rugged D.C. fashion staple, became the iTunes "Download of the Week."

Last year, Wale followed with The Mixtape About Nothing, a Seinfeld-inspired mix-tape featuring the requisite freestyle over Jay-Z's "Roc Boys" as well as The Kramer, a meditation on the N-word. After getting write-ups in magazines like XXL and Entertainment Weekly, Wale signed with Ronson's Allido Records. His debut album is scheduled for release this fall and will feature collaborations with Pharrell, Just Blaze, 9th Wonder, DJ Premier and Justice.

After giving away his first two mix-tapes away for free on the Internet, Wale is more concerned with staying relevant than making a buck on his debut: "Music is so disposable right now, I just hope that mine isn't something that ends up in the trashcan or in the dumpster."