Roots of T-Pain

Ryan Daniel Montgomery, known professionally as Royce da 5'9", is an American rapper. Best known for his association with fellow Detroit rapper Eminem, the two met in 1997 and formed the hip hop duo Bad Meets Evil the following year. Their 2011 single, "Lighters", peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and preceded the release of their debut extended play (EP), Hell: The Sequel (2011). The song and EP—which debuted atop the Billboard 200—have both yielded Montgomery's furthest commercial success.

Raheem DeVaughn is an American singer-songwriter. He signed with Jive Records to release his debut album, The Love Experience (2005), which entered the Billboard 200, while his second album, Love Behind the Melody (2008), peaked at number five on the chart and yielded critical acclaim. The latter's first two singles, "Woman" and "Customer", both entered the Billboard Hot 100; the former was nominated for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards. His third album, The Love & War MasterPeace (2010), saw continued praise and peaked within the Billboard 200's top ten, serving as his final release with Jive.

Asia Nalani Vernimo-Kovacs, known professionally as Asia Cruise, is an American R&B singer. In 2008, she became the first artist of Asian descent to be signed to Hitz Committee/Jive Records and was discovered by the Vice President of A&R at Jive Records, Mickey "MeMpHiTz" Wright.

Saaheem Valdery, better known by his stage name SahBabii, is an American rapper. Born in Chicago and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is best known for his 2016 single "Pull Up wit ah Stick", which received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). SahBabii peaked at No. 8 on Billboard's Next Big Sound chart in July 2017.

Christian Robert Felner is an American indie artist, singer, songwriter, and record producer from Connecticut who is independently releasing music after a few major label releases with 300 Entertainment and Same Plate. He has released numerous EPs, mixtapes, and albums. His most recent release is Ambroxyde, a studio album released on June 27, 2025

Johntá Moore Austin is an American singer-songwriter. He is best known for his production and songwriting work on hometown native Jermaine Dupri's record label, So So Def Recordings during the mid-2000s.

YoungBloodZ is an American Southern hip-hop duo from Atlanta, Georgia composed of J-Bo and Sean Paul formed in 1997. The duo were discovered by Kawan Prather and signed with his company Ghet-O-Vision, an imprint of LaFace Records to release their debut studio album, Against Da Grain (1999). Their second album, Drankin' Patnaz (2003), peaked at number five on the Billboard 200 and spawned the single "Damn!", which peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100. The duo's third album, Ev'rybody Know Me (2005), was released by LaFace and Zomba. YoungBloodZ are one of many commercially successful Atlanta-based hip hop acts.

Samuel William Christopher Watson, better known by his stage name Krizz Kaliko, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and voice actor. He is a longtime collaborator with fellow hometown native Tech N9ne and was signed to Strange Music from its inception in 1999 up to forming his own label Ear House Inc. in 2021.

Gregg Michael Gillis, known professionally as Girl Talk, is an American disc jockey who specializes in mash-ups and digital sampling. He blends elements from a vast array of pop, hip-hop, and electronic music, creating dense, danceable tracks. His live performances are known for their immersive, party-like atmosphere, often featuring crowdsourced dancers and a celebratory vibe. Gillis has released five LPs on the record label Illegal Art and EPs on both 333 and 12 Apostles. He gained widespread recognition with albums like Night Ripper (2006) and All Day (2010), both of which were released for free online, contributing to his significant online following and influence on the mashup genre. His work has sparked discussions about copyright, sampling, and the nature of artistic creation in the digital age. He was trained as an engineer.

Wayne Hardnett Jr., known professionally as Bone Crusher, is an American rapper from Atlanta, Georgia. He was discovered by record producer Jermaine Dupri, and is best known for his 2003 crunk single, "Never Scared". The song peaked at number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100 — becoming his only entry on the chart — and preceded his debut studio album AttenCHUN! (2003). Additionally, the song served as theme music for that year's Atlanta Braves roster, and was featured in the Madden NFL 2004 video game, while the album peaked at number 11 on the Billboard 200.

"Upgrade U" is a song by American singer Beyoncé from her second studio album, B'Day (2006). It features additional vocals from rapper Jay-Z. It was composed by Swizz Beatz, Cameron Wallace, Beyoncé, MK, Makeba, Sean Garrett, Angela Beyincé, Jay-Z, Willie Clarke, Clarence Reid, and Beyoncé's sister, Solange. Columbia Records released "Upgrade U" as a promotional single on October 8, 2006, in the United States only. "Upgrade U" draws from the genres of hip hop and R&B. The concept of the song is that of a woman describing herself as the key to upgrading a man's lifestyle.