Twista News

At SPIN's South by Southwest party at Stubb's in Austin this past March, London's DJ Oneman spun a set that moved deftly between chilly dubstep beats and real-head pop and rap picks by artists like Twista, Chief Keef, and Jeremih.

The very young Chicago rap phenom Chance The Rapper has lately been building feverish anticipation for his Acid Rap mixtape by releasing videos full of sproingy, polysyllabic ADD raps: " Juice ," " Good Ass Intro ," " NaNa ," " Smoke Again ." And now, after months of waiting, the tape is out there and ready to be downloaded.

Up-and-coming California emcee Sayknowledge makes a strong showing with his first full-length album, "Vibe Called Quest," with jazzy hip-hop hooks supporting incredibly tight rap vocals.

The Midwest is the bastard child of the American rap scene at large -- unsung and independent, with a massive chip on its shoulder.