U.S.D.A.

After releasing a couple solo platinum albums and plenty of Top Ten collaborations, Atlanta-based rapper Young Jeezy kept his street cred in check by hooking up with rappers Blood Raw and Slick Pulla and forming the crew U.S.D.A. (United Streets Dopeboys of America). Besides being longtime friends of Jeezy's -- the three had even lived together for a time -- the two up-and-comers of the group had previously been hits on the underground mixtape circuit; Blood with the DJ Drama-helmed Indictment Papers and Slick with 4th Ward Day. The two also appeared as guest stars on Jeezy's late-2006 effort The Inspiration: Thug Motivation 102. Six months later in the spring of 2007 their debut album, Cold Summer, appeared on Jeezy's usual home of Def Jam. Subtitled The Authorized Mixtape, the album had a definite street feel with plenty of hard beats supplied by producers like Drumma Boy and Midnight Black. Although it ended up being a joke, Jeezy's web page made news when it announced that applications were being accepted for an all-female, all-white street team to promote the album's kickoff single, "White Girl." ~ David Jeffries