Snoop D-O-double-G has been around for so long that it’s hard to imagine him being the protégé of anyone. He is, though. Way back in the early nineties, Cordazar Calvin Broadus was fresh out of high school and a couple of convictions of cocaine trafficking. His freestyle over an old En Vogue song somehow made its way to The Dr. Dre’s ears, and after an audition, Snoop Doggy Dogg found a home at Death Row Records. He certainly has a thing for doctors, as he not only caught the attention of Dr. Dre, but also The D.O.C. (from gangsta rap pioneers N.W.A.), who gave him pointers on how to craft some good rap. Random fact: Snoop is a spokesperson for “Chronic Candy,” made in Switzerland and tastes like… you guessed it: marijuana. On second thought, maybe that’s not so random.

Eminem

Probably the most famous protégé in the history of hip-hop, Eminem made a huge name for not only himself when his Slim Shady and Marshall Mathers LPs came out, but also Dr. Dre, the man who seems to be some kind of talent magnet. That or he just knows how to pick those rappers; thanks to Em, his label, Aftermath Records, found its biggest star, and with Dr. Dre producing the bulk of his albums, Eminem became the rapper that you and your mom knew about. In any case, Eminem’s undying obsession with controversy ensured that music listeners will always be likewise obsessed with Slim Shady – and how could we not? It’s not everyday that a non-African-American rapper has the power to shock you like no gangsta rap has ever done.

50 Cent

From one rapper with an eye for talent to another, Eminem must’ve been taught well by Dr. Dre because when he picked up 50 Cent, he got Aftermath Records another multi-platinum superstar rapper. A little know fact about 50 is that he had some help before Eminem and Dre came along; Jam Master Jay was technically his first mentor in the art of writing songs. After 50 Cent got shot in the infamous nine-bullet-wound incident, one of his CDs found its way into Eminem’s hands, he got flown out for an audition… and everyone knows what happened after that. The lesson here? If you want to make it big you’ve got to go straight to the top – that’s where the people with the jets are.

Drake

You might know him as that guy in the wheelchair from that Degrassi show, but apparently, Aubrey “Drake” Graham raps even better than he acts. Actually, it might have something to do with the producers of his show getting rid of the entire cast, but that’s a different story. After working on a bunch of mixtapes in his early career, Drake finally ended up on Lil Wayne’s Young Money label, and was (still is, probably) one of the most hyped Canadian rappers in a long, long time. It remains to be seen if Lil Wayne, his mentor who’s pretty young himself, can pull a Dr. Dre, but given how Drake is doing on the charts, the chances look pretty good.

Danja

Rappers aside, one of the biggest protégés in hip-hop music has to be “Danjahandz,” or simply Danja, who’s been the perfect student for Timbaland. This record producer has worked with Nelly Furtado, Justin Timberlake, Madonna, Lloyd Banks, T.I., and of course, Timbaland himself, picking up a couple of Grammys along the way. Stepping out of his mentor’s shadow though, Danja’s experience with piano and drums sets him apart from other beat-makers who go completely digital and forgo their instruments, and this strategy earns him at least 50k per track at the last count. Not too shabby.

We all know Dr. Dre has an ear for beats, but the West Coast superproducer also has a keen sense of recognizing upcoming lyrical talent. Dre’s The Chronic launched Snoop Dogg’s career, and his second solo album, 2001, helped solidify Eminem as a serious talent to pay attention to in the game. With his third opus on the way, the good doctor has tapped South Central rookie Slim Da Mobster to contribute to Detox, alongside heavyweights like Lil Wayne and T.I.

“I’m not even focused on my album right now,” Slim told MTV. “I’m all about his album. ‘Cause the better I do on that, the better it is for the situation with my album.”

Slim Da Mobster might be new on the scene, but the Los Angeles rhyme-spitter impressed Eminem so much that he pushed to have him ink a deal.

After getting the co-signs from the big homies Dre and Eminem, 50 Cent was the next to jump onboard behind the young rapper. Now, Slim Da Mobster has his music featured on the G-Unit boss’ website, ThisIs50.com.

Full Albums Stream for Free Days Before Hitting Stores

MySpace Music, the world’s premier music community, is excited to announce six exclusive album debuts within days of each other. MySpace users can find the highly anticipated albums from Eminem, Tori Amos, Lionel Richie, Busta Rhymes, Method Man & Redman, Kate Voegele and Phoenix available only on MySpace Music. Fans are able to stream the albums in their entirety days before they hit store shelves.

Eminem
The highly anticipated new album, Relapse¸ from hip hop artist Eminem makes its official debut on MySpace Music beginning today, Friday, May 15. Additionally, tune into FOX’s Family Guy on Sunday, May 17 for more MySpace news pertaining to the hip hop star. Visit the official MySpace Music profile of Eminem to stream his entire album for free: http://www.myspace.com/eminem.

Tori Amos
Multiplatinum and Grammy nominated recording artist Tori Amos will premiere her brand new album titled Abnormally Attracted to Sin exclusively on MySpace Music in the U.S. beginning on Saturday, May 16. Visit the official MySpace Music profile of Tori Amos to stream her entire album for free: http://www.myspace.com/toriamos.

Lionel Richie
The new album from legendary artist Lionel Richie is currently available for free streaming exclusively on MySpace Music. Just Go marks the singer’s ninth studio album. Check back to MySpace Music for more exciting news about the singer in the coming weeks. Visit the official MySpace Music profile of Lionel Richie to stream his entire album: http://www.myspace.com/lionelrichie.

Busta Rhymes
Grammy nominated rapper Busta Rhymes is set to debut his eighth studio album Back on My B.S. exclusively on MySpace Music beginning today, Friday, May 15. To celebrate the release of his new album, Busta will also perform for his MySpace fans at a special MySpace Music The Release show on Monday, May 18 in New York City. Visit the official MySpace Music profile of Busta Rhymes to stream his entire album for free: http://www.myspace.com/bustarhymes.

Method Man and Redman
Hip Hop and rap duo Method Man and Redman are set to debut Blackout 2, the highly anticipated follow up to their platinum selling 1999 release Blackout, exclusively on MySpace Music beginning on Saturday, May 16. The duo will perform in a special MySpace Music The Release concert on Thursday, May 28 in Los Angeles. Visit the official MySpace Music profile of Method Man to stream their entire album for free: http://www.myspace.com/methodman.

Kate Voegele
Singer/songwriter Kate Voegele premiered her second full length studio album A Fine Mess exclusively on MySpace Music this week. The singer is currently on tour and providing her MySpace fans with exclusive content. Visit the official MySpace Music profile of Kate Voegele, sponsored by University of Phoenix, to stream her entire album for free and to access exciting videos and blogs especially for her MySpace friends: http://www.myspace.com/katevoegele.

Phoenix
French alternative rock band Phoenix will debut their new album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix exclusively on MySpace Music beginning on Monday, May 18. The band consists of Thomas Mars, Deck D’Arcy, Christian Mazzalai, and Laurent Brancowitz. Visit the official MySpace Music profile of Phoenix to stream their entire album for free: http://www.myspace.com/wearephoenix.