Hot Stylz

Taking the Chicago "roasting session" tradition and turning it into a hit song, the Windy City trio Hot Stylz broke through in 2008 with the single "Lookin Boy." The track featured members Krazee, Meatball, and Raydio G along with special guest Yung Joc "heating" or "roasting" their anonymous target with a rapid series of insults that ran from mild ("Dirty white sock on your toe lookin' boy") to completely wild ("Midnight train Gladys Knight lookin' boy"). The group members, who prefer to be considered entertainers rather than rappers, met in 1997 and decided immediately to "break all the barriers and expand their ignorance to the world." It took 11 years to get there, but when "Lookin Boy" began making the rounds as a demo, the Jive/Zomba group signed the group and brought roasting to the masses. After announcing they were working on their debut album, Hot Stylz unleashed their second "oh no you didn't!" single, "Yo Mama Gotta Mustache." ~ David Jeffries