Dilated Peoples is maybe college radio's greatest hip-hop success. Having developed word of mouth and a fan base through underground means, they were signed to Capitol several years ago, and have developed into a solid, though not wildly successful, major label act. They've managed to maintain integrity of sound, unlike the Black Eyed Peas (call me a hater). Backed up by DJ Babu's solid beats and technical skills (he is a member of the Beat Junkies), Dilated is consistently a solid crew.

Little Brother is part of the relatively recent discovery of the Raleigh-Durham Research Triangle hip-hop movement. Their first album was released on ABB Records, but didn't make much of a splash sales-wise. However, it helped them attract more attention, and their latest album is co-released by ABB and Atlantic. Their sound is atypical, when thinking of "southern" hip-hop, but instead encapsulates a much warmer, jazzier, relaxed vibe while still maintaining some quality wordplay. One of my friends (FWMJ) has done a fair amount of artwork for them and their affiliates.

Defari is part of the Likwit Crew (whose more famous members include Xzibit and tha Alkaholiks). He released a number of singles starting back in the late 90's and one album on Tommy Boy, but proceeded instead to get his master's degree and start teaching. However, he has continued to release music, albeit at a slower pace, over the last few years.

The Legendary K.O. (formerly known as K-Otix) are one of Houston's top hip-hop acts. They exploded onto the national scene last year with their powerful "George Bush Doesn't Like Black People" which featured some biting lyrics on top of Kanye West's "Gold Digger" beat. I believe they have a new album in the pipeline that should be dropping very soon...