Last Emperor

Taking his moniker from the Bernardo Bertolucci film epic of the same name, this West Philadelphia native has been an underground hip-hop mover and shaker since the mid-'90s. Having attended Overbrook High, Philadelphia's own hip-hop high, which saw the likes of Cool C, Steady B, and the Fresh Prince pass through its hallowed halls, Last Emp became a B-Boy by osmosis in addition to being a wizard in the classroom. After graduating from the nation's first historically black college (Lincoln University), Emp took his act to New York, where he caught on with storied Lyricist Loun...