Happy Birthday Twista!

Chicago bred rapper Twista turns 40-years-old today. Best known for his fast-rapping skills, Kanye West summoned him to pinch-hit on their No. 1 hit, “Slow Jamz.” Twista came onto the hip-hop scene in the early '90s, but did not receive critical acclaim until 2004 with the release of his album Kamikaze. It debuted at the top spot of the American Billboard 200 album chart. “Slow Jamz,” which featured West and Jamie Foxx became a number-one hit in the U.S. Twista had two other hit singles off the album, "Overnight Celebrity" and "So Sexy”, which featured R. Kelly. The success of the album, which sold two million copies, gave Twista a place in the mainstream hip-hop community like he had yet to enjoy. A documentary based on Twista's life titled Mr. Immorality: The Life and Times of Twista, was directed by Vlad Yudin and released through EMI Label Group in January 2011. —XXL Staff