D.J. Magic Mike & M.C. Madness

DJ Magic Mike, the breakthrough bass producer after 2 Live Crew, was the music's most crucial recording artist. An underground label impresario on the order of Master P, Mike's productions were much rougher than the slick Miami bass sound and pursued a gritty old-school vibe -- more akin to Ultramagnetic MC's than Luther Campbell -- long after most hip-hop producers had gone pop in the late '90s. The former Michael Hampton began his mixing career before he was even a teenager, spinning at a roller rink and selling mixtapes. By the age of 14, he was hosting a drive-time radio ...