J. Cole

After a run of acclaimed mixtapes and a red-carpet rollout from mentor Jay-Z on the Blueprint 3 track “A Star is Born,” New York rapper J. Cole released his debut album Cole World: The Sideline Story late last month to surprisingly strong sales. If the record doesn't quite make good on the lyrical promise of Cole's mixtapes, it does prove him a respectable addition to the modern Kanye West/Drake school of everyman rappers, and it features savvy guest turns from Trey Songz on the single “Can't Get Enough” and Missy Elliott on the single-in-waiting “Nobody's Perfect.”