Drake

Along with Kid CuDi and B.o.B, Drake is also one of my favorite new rappers. Much of his production is reminiscent of Kanye's recent, pop-infused style that combines interestingly moody background samples with distinctive drums that drive his flow. Even better, though, is his lyrics with their complex rhyme scheme and wordplay that remind me of Lil Wayne, who is featured a couple times on his recent mixtape, "So Far Gone." So Far Gone can be downloaded free on his blog. If you're like me, you'll probably ignore some of the slower, R&B tracks and enjoy some of the better hip tracks like, "Ignant Freestyle" and "Successful." Unfortunately, Drake is attempting to make the legitimate crossover from rapper to rapper/singer; a transition that almost never goes over smoothly in hip hop.