Chali 2na, The Funk Hunters

Chali 2na has done it all. From his days growing up on the hardscrabble streets of Chicago's south side, to his subsequent explosion onto Los Angeles' burgeoning hip-hop scene, to his tenure as MC for seminal hip-hop group Jurassic 5, Chali epitomizes the portrait of a 21st century artist.

To be sure, with his unmistakable, beloved baritone, Chali has firmly established himself as one of the most distinctive, charismatic personalities not just in hip-hop, but music in general.