Just when we were starting to look for his recording career on the side of a milk carton, longtime Philly MC Last Emperor is back with a mix tape.

While his peers are hoping to book a gig opening for Lil Wayne, Thee Phantom's got his eye on Carnegie Hall.

Now those are the good old days. It's a new decade and Freeway has moved on. Partnering up with De La Soul and producer Jake One (50 Cent), he's releasing Stimulus Package on Rhymesayers. "This is my first album with no major backing," he says. "I went in to recording it with that mind state and believe it is my best album to date."

Dubliner Laura Izibor is being called the soul of Ireland.

The Hustle houses a dash of soul, heap of rock and a large dose of hip-hop.

If nothing else, Fabolous will always be remembered for teaching a whole generation of kids how to misspell "fabulous."

There was that drug-dealing conviction in 2000, and subsequent jail time. But since he got out last year, he's been making up for lost time.

Unfortunately for Avant, the R&B singer emerged at a time when the market was flooded with male voices.

A survivor of the local neo-soul movement, the fierce Jaguar Wright has been flicking ears ever since she showed up on an MTV stage with the Roots and Jay-Z.

Internationally, Legend is one of the most recognizable voices in music, and he's just getting started.