Yungstar, Den Den

Yungstar grew up on the west side of Houston and began rapping at age ten. In the early '90s, he began working with DenDen, CEO of Straight Profit Records. He first gained attention freestyling over tapes made by DJ Screw and emerged nationally with a guest appearance on Lil' Troy's "Wanna Be a Baller." Straight Profit released his debut album, Throwed Yung Playa, and it sold 40,000 copies before being picked up and re-released in a revised form by Epic Records in 2000, though he was back to Straight Profit for Ballin' Underground, which came out in 2002. ~ William Ruhlmann