Joe Budden Born in Spanish Harlem, Joe Budden lived in Queens until he moved to Jersey City at the age of 11. By the age of 16, he started making industry connections and soon garnered popularity on the mix tape circuit. Def Jam caught the buzz and signed him. With the June 2003 release of his self-titled album, Budden seemed poised for big things, thanks in part to the flashy video for the single "Pump It Up." The single was also featured on the 2 Fast 2 Furious soundtrack.
David Banner David Banner born Lavell Crump in Jackson, Mississippi made his initial impact as a producer and as one half of the Mississippi-based Crooked Lettaz. Shortly after the release of the duo's acclaimed 1999 debut Grey Skies, Banner decided to launch a solo career. His debut, Them Firewater Boyz, featured Kamikaze, Ras Kass, Scooby and Jay Da Groova, and was initially released through Crooked Lettaz' record company, Penalty Records. Dissatisfied with the label, Banner took over distribution through his B.I.G.F.A.C.E. (Believe In God For All Comes Eventually) set up. He was eventually rewarded for his enterprise when he landed a major deal with Universal Records. His debut for the label, Mississippi: The Album, repeated the formula of Them Firewater Boyz, juxtaposing hard-hitting gangsta tunes with introspective reminiscences about growing up in the south.
Chingy By the time he was 8, Chingy was a mainstay in St. Louis recording studios. Influenced by LL Cool J, Run DMC, DJ Quik, Snoop Dogg, Nelly, Ludacris and others, Chingy quickly built a solid reputation in St. Louis and earned himself a slot opening for Nelly in 2002. Going on the road with Nelly in 2002 paid tremendous dividends for Chingy, the newest member of Ludacris' Disturbing Tha Peace family. The St. Louis rapper studied Nelly's every move and learned the ins and outs of artist promotion. Chingy has put his experience to work with his explosive debut album Jackpot. His single "Right Thurr" features Chingy rapping over a thick, percolating beat about the type of woman that will always catch a man's eye, even if he isn't looking. If Chingy sounds like a natural rhyming on these types of club cuts, it's because he enjoys being out and about, having fun.
Bone Crusher Bone Crusher, born Wayne Hardnett, has been accustomed to the spotlight. It was somewhere around 1985 when Bone Crusher knew that he wanted to be a rapper. A few years later Bone Crusher would get a chance to really put his skills to the test, and started freestyle battling other MCs, all of which ended with Bone Crusher as the victor. In fact, it was during one such challenge that Bone Crusher and his partners in rhyme, Bizar and Baby B caught the eyes and ears of Atlanta entertainment attorney Vince Phillips. Phillips pursued and nailed down a couple of opportunities for Bone Crusher, Bizar, and Baby B --known then as the Lyrical Giants -- at labels like Death Squad, Tommy Boy and J-Cor. When the J-Cor deal fell apart, Bone Crusher decided to put his record out on his own. Bone Crusher released his album, Bone Crusher and His Industry Friends on Atlanta indie Break 'Em Off Records and before long, the supercharged "Never Scared," featuring fellow Atlantans Killer Mike and T.I., was blazing a path from the airwaves to the clubs and picking up scores of believers along the way. In fact, the ink was barely dry on Jermaine Dupri's deal with Arista Records when the renowned producer and So So Def Records owner signed Bone Crusher as the first artist for his new venture. ATTENCHUN!, Bone Crusher's debut album for Break 'Em Off/So So Def/Arista, is a kaleidoscopic journey through a variety of subjects, all profound and, as Bone Crusher asserts, all "dope."
Freeway In 1997, Freeway, who began his career as an MC by battling at the lunch tables in his high school cafeteria, met fellow Philly native Beanie Sigel while rapping onstage at a hometown nightclub. The two struggling MCs also made a pact that whoever got signed first would help get the other a record deal. True to his word, not long after Beanie Sigel was recruited into the ranks of Roc-a-Fella, Freeway says "he came back and got me." But in 2000, shortly after Freeway made his recording debut on "1-900-Hustler" from Jay-Z's multi-platinum The Dynasty: Roc La Famillia CD, he paid the price for his bad behavior when he was arrested for dealing drugs while his Roc-A-Fella brethren filmed the gritty urban drama State Property, which was released by Lion's Gate Films in early 2002. Thankfully, he chose rapping over hustling and with the release of Philadelphia Freeway, his future has never looked brighter.
Nominations for VIBE AWARDS were determined by the Vibe editorial staff, headed by editorial director Emil Wilbekin. Winners in each category will be decided by votes from music journalists and entertainment executives. The Next Award winners were decided by visitors to Vibe.com.
To be eligible for nomination, recorded material must have been released between October 2002 and September 2003.
To view the full nominees list, click here.
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