Twista

Twisters are erratic, often violent storms that can move up to sixty miles per hour and bring with them winds up to three times that speed. So we have a right to expect fast, if not necessarily predictable, things from a man of the same name. Happily, when Twista (who lives up to his namesake via a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records for World's Fastest Rapper) dropped his first solo joint in seven years this past January, it was to the acclaim of critics and fans alike. The fast-paced rap adopted by so many others on their way up sounds at home flowing from the mouth of its Chicagoland pioneer. Having spent his interim time racking up guest appearances on hip-hop hits easier to digest than his own 1997 classic Adrenaline Rush, Twista has made friends in high places on the Billboard chart, from Ludacris to Lil' Kim. He has proven that his storm is far from blowing over.

With production from R. Kelly and help from Eightball, Too Short and Archbishop Don "Magic" Juan, Twista's Kamikaze doesn't quite evoke a reckless, risk-taking feel. But his character-driven delivery is enough to shake up the safety assured by his hustling, if not innovative, beats. Twista headlines with Jadakiss to open the Charter Communications/MTV2 Music Fest at this year's Missouri Black Expo presented by Bank of America. And we bet even he can't say that one three times fast.