Young Dro

Young Dro's debut 2006 release, Best Thang Smokin’, is an autobiographical journey of the ups and downs of this Atlanta talent. He was inspired by the successes of his peers like Kriss Kross, Goodie Mob and T.I., and started rapping about everything from his poverty-stricken life as the second oldest of five boys to falling prey to dead-end recording deals to realizing his dreams of becoming an accomplished emcee. Though he had known T.I. when he was younger, the two had lost touch over the years. This, however, didn’t stop Dro from reconnecting with the self-proclaimed King of the South. While T.I. was doing a radio interview, Dro called up the station and asked to speak with him. "I was like, ‘That sounds like my homeboy,’" Dro recalls. "He was like, ‘You the one who sings ‘Yes Sir?’ Man, meet me at the Bounce.’ We went up there and performed." After the reunion, T.I. signed Young Dro to his label. His tracks hit a chord with listeners with his first hit single, "Shoulder Lean," which received heavy rotation and attention from BET and MTV2 this past summer. The song’s ringtone has also already sold over 500,000 units.