THIS TEXT ORIGINALLY APPEARS IN THE STORY “WE HERE NOW” FROM APRIL 2011 ISSUE OF XXL. ON SALE NOW

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Travis Porter

Members: Donquez "Quez" Woods, Harold "Strap" Duncan and Lakeem "Ali" Mattox
Reppin': Atlanta
Notable Credits: Mixtapes: Who Is Travis Porter? released in 2008, Proud 2 Be a Problem, released in 2010, I Am Travis Porter, released in 2010, Singles: "Make It Rain," released in 2010
Currently Working On: Untitled debut
Label: Jive Records

"Make It Rain"

"Go Shorty Go"

"Bring It Back"

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Cali Swag District

Members: Montae “M-Bone” Talbert, 20; Chanti “Yung” Glee, 20; Corey “C-Smoove” Fowler, 20; Cahron “JayAre” Childs, 20
Reppin’: Inglewood, California
Notable Credits: Single: “Teach Me How to Dougie,” 2010
Currently Working On: Deeper Than the Dougie mixtape (release date TBD) and their debut album, The Kickback, due March 1
Label: Independent
Side Hustle: JayAre and C-Smoove do production work and have provided beats for the group’s upcoming projects.

"Teach Me How to Dougie"

"Kickback"

"Back It Up and Dump It"

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Chiddy Bang
Members: Chidera “Chiddy” Anamege, 20; Noah “Xaphoon Jones” Beresin, 20
Reppin’: Philadelphia
Notable Credits: Singles: “
Opposite of Adults” and “Truth,” both 2010; Mixtapes: The Swelly Express, 2009, and Air Swelly, 2010; EPs: Opposite of Adults and Chiddy Bang: The Preview, both 2010
Currently Working On:
Their debut album, tentatively titled The Swelly Life LP, scheduled for June 2011
Label:
EMI
Side Hustle:
Xaphoon does outside production for other up-and-coming acts, like Big Sean and Mac Miller, while Chiddy shopes to release a solo mixtape this summer.

"Opposite of Adults"

"Truth"

"Sooner or Later"

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L.E.P. Bogus Boys
Members: Frank “Moonie” Criddell, 23; Robert “Count” Wilburn, 28
Reppin’: Chicago
Notable Credits: Single: “Ginger,” 2010; Mixtapes: Don’t Feed the Killaz Vol. 1, 2007, Don’t Feed the Killaz Vol. 2, 2008, Don’t Feed the Killaz Vol. 2.5, 2009, and Don’t Feed the Killaz Vol. 3, 2010
Currently Working On: Now or Neva street album, to be released on their Infared Music Group in May 2011
Label: Independent

"Goin' In for the Kill"

"Chicago Niggaz"

"Street Money"

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Das Racist
Members: Himanshu “Heems” Suri, 25; Victor “Kool A.D” Vasquez, 27; Ashok “Dapwell” Kondabolu, 25
Reppin’: Brooklyn (by way of Queens and San Francisco)
Notable Credits: Mixtapes: Shut Up Dude and Sit Down Man, both 2010
Currently Working On: Their debut album, titled Relax, due June 2011
Label: Their independent label, GreedHead Records

"Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell"

"Who's That? Brooown"

"Hahahahajk?"

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