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Mila J fancied her musical styling in the same light as her singing and rapping idols TLC and Missy Elliott. Add to her singing and rapping combo her passion for dancing and ability to write song lyrics, and it seemed apparent that this Los Angeles native aimed to achieve the same level of acclaim and prosperity as those same pop icons of hers. Born of black, Japanese, and Native American descent, Mila J (real name Jamila Chilumbo) started rapping, according to the singer, at the age of four, inspired by a deep admiration for the Fat Boys and the '80s cult hip-hop movie Krush Groove. Because her father was a studio musician, the music bug was in the rest of her family as well, namely her sisters Jhené and Miyoko. Her break into the music industry occurred at the age of nine when she met the owner and CEO of The Ultimate Group, Chris Stokes, at a video shoot for his group Immature; in addition, she also caught Stokes' attention with her appearance in Prince's "Diamond and Pearls" video in 1991. Mila J went on to dance professionally for Stokes and Immature between the ages of 12 and 15. Along with Miyoko, she was a member of the Stokes-driven Gyrl, who released singles for Silas/MCA. Several years later, she was part of the shorter-lived Dame Four, yet another Stokes venture. She then went solo. Her petite vocals could be heard on the 2006 singles "Complete" and the charting "Good Lookin' Out," which built up anticipation for her debut album, Split Personality, which was scheduled for release on Universal Motown but was ultimately shelved. After going by the name Japollonia, she reappeared on Motown as Mila J with the 2014 single "Smoke, Drink, Break-Up." ~ Cyril Cordor Follow @MilaJ on twitter! smarturl.it/MilaJ213

A rapper who built an indie empire with his Cocaine City imprint, French Montana was born in Morocco but emigrated to the U.S. while in his teens. He set up shop in the Bronx and began releasing his Cocaine City series of DVDs in 2002, mixing interviews with established hip-hop artists and unsigned talent. Around 2009 he began releasing his own mixtape CDs with DJs like DJ Drama, Evil Empire, and Big Mike as his hosts. That same year he would be signed to Akon's Konvict Musik label, but in late 2011, it was announced that the two parties had parted ways and that French was signing to both P. Diddy's Bad Boy and Rick Ross' Maybach Music imprints in a unique joint venture. His 2012 single, "Pop That," would be the first release for the united labels, while 2013 saw the release of his debut album, Excuse My French. A series of mixtapes, each with an increasing R&B influence, brought Montana to 2016, when he dropped Casino Life 2: Brown Bag Legend. The mixtape included the hit single "Moses" featuring Chris Brown and Migos. ~ David Jeffries Follow @FrencHMonTanA on twitter! Follow @KodakBIack1k on twitter! cokewaves.com

MorValue Press green light on B.morgan new single One of the most recognized contributors to the NYC R&B scene, Bronx native B Morgan has produced stellar performances at virtually every renowned venue in NYC from Greenhouse, SOBS, Santos Party House, Paperbox, and Mockingbird. The success of his last single Poke It Out took his brand to new heights and his current campaign with MorValue aims at making him a star. B Morgan’s new single, SC Follow @IamBMORGAN on twitter! www.IamBMORGAN.com www.facebook.com/IamBMORGAN www.instagram.com/IamBMORGAN www.Snapchat.com/IamBMORGAN

No overnight success, Khaled Mohamed Khaled toiled as a DJ for years prior to becoming an immensely successful, larger-than-life figure in rap music. During the latter half of the 2000s and throughout the following decade, surrounded by an ever-shifting cast of high-profile associates, Khaled factored into several of the rowdiest and most triumphant crossover rap hits. His first eight albums, released from 2006 through 2015, peaked within the Top Five of Billboard's rap chart, supported by singles that often seemed like events. Many of the genre's biggest names, including Rick Ross, Drake, and Jay-Z, eagerly took part. Cynics noted that Khaled rarely produced or wrote material and wondered if he did more than yell, self-promote, and flaunt. Meanwhile, others were having too good a time to care, charmed by Khaled's fun-loving spirit and/or the well-placed talent that flanked him. The son of Palestinian immigrants, Khaled spent the first years of his life in New Orleans, Louisiana. His family moved to Orlando, Florida, where, at the age of 13, he started to learn how to DJ in his supportive parents' garage. Due to financial hardship, Khaled's family returned to New Orleans. While still a teenager, Khaled briefly worked at the city's Odyssey record store, networking with rising rap artists like Birdman and Lil Wayne and, to the dismay of his boss, running up the phone bill by placing long-distance calls to record labels. Khaled went back Orlando, then headed south to Miami and struggled to establish himself as a DJ in the reggae soundclash circuit. At Miami pirate radio station Mixx 93, Khaled approached the on-air DJs and asked for a portion of their time slot. Marcello Valenzano and Andre Lyon, who were on the brink of leaving town and becoming known as production duo Cool & Dre, obliged. Khaled made the studio his home and became an exuberant force on the city's airwaves. His reach extended with mixtapes and club gigs. He received a boost from Luther Campbell, who brought him on as a regular DJ for WEDR's The Luke Show, and was eventually granted a station slot of his own, shortly after he received his first production credits. Emboldened by his increasing popularity and number of connections, as well as his status as the DJ for Terror Squad, Khaled put together his first official mixtape, which led to a long streak of commercially successful proper albums. Debut full-length Listennn: The Album (2006), released through Koch, was a modest success due to the Afrika Bambaataa-sampling Cool & Dre production "Holla at Me." It hit the Top 20 of Billboard's rap chart and, like all Khaled hits that followed, involved several rappers. Khaled remained with Koch/E1 for three additional albums that placed a total of four singles in the pop Top 40: "We Takin' Over," "I'm So Hood," "Out Here Grindin'," and "All I Do Is Win." Made with a combined total of 14 rappers and seven producers, these anthems earned Khaled several gold and platinum certifications. Birdman, who was among the crew heard on the first of the big hits, added Khaled to the Cash Money roster for a period that entailed three additional albums: We the Best Forever (2011), Kiss the Ring (2012), and Suffering from Success (2013). Only "I'm on One" and "No New Friends" were added to Khaled's stack of Top 40 hits, but the parent albums either reached or nearly missed the top of the Billboard rap chart. After a one-album stint with Sony's RED division, which yielded I Changed a Lot (2015) and its "Hold You Down," Khaled moved to major-label Epic for Major Key (2016), prefaced with "For Free" and "I Got the Keys," his seventh and eighth Top 40 singles. ~ Andy Kellman Follow @djkhaled on twitter! Follow @NICKIMINAJ on twitter! Follow @chrisbrown on twitter! Follow @AugustAlsina on twitter! Follow @Jeremih on twitter! Follow @1Future on twitter! Follow @rickyrozay on twitter! smarturl.it/Major.Key wethebeststore.com

Coming on the scene with vibrant rhymes and jazzy, retro beats, Chicago's Chance the Rapper broke through with the 2013 mixtape Acid Rap. Having considered a career in music throughout his high-school years, Chancelor Bennett aka Chance the Rapper used a ten-day suspension during his senior year to record his debut mixtape, 10 Day. Uploaded immediately to the Internet in 2012, the mixtape would grab the attention of Forbes magazine, which featured it in the publication's Cheap Tunes column, and Childish Gambino, who would ask Chance to join his 2012 tour of America as opening act. Gambino would land on the Acid Rap mixtape along with Ab-Soul and Action Bronson. With nothing but mixtapes in his discography, Chance was still popular enough to be a featured artist at Lollapalooza 2013. In 2016 he dropped the surprise mixtape Coloring Book, which debuted at number eight on the Billboard 200 album chart. The mixtape featured guest appearances from Kanye West, Justin Bieber, and Future. ~ David Jeffries Follow @chancetherapper on twitter! Follow @LilTunechi on twitter! Follow @2chainz on twitter! bit.ly/Chance3Tweet ChanceRaps.com