New Boyz

No mere glossy gimmick, despite their youthfulness and their novelty hit, the New Boyz were labeled "the Young Teens of Hip-Hop" by the New York Times before they even had an official single out. Earl "Ben J" Benjamin and Dominic "Legacy" Thomas met in the L.A. suburb of Victorville during their freshman year of high school. While initially nemeses, the pair built a friendship over a shared love of rhyme, and constructed a MySpace site to promote their first single, "Colorz." The duo's big break came in the summer of 2009, when "You're a Jerk," a tough but slightly goofy crunk jam built upon a popular local dance called "jerkin'," became a crossover pop hit. The duo followed up quickly in September with their debut album Skinny Jeanz & a Mic. Their sophomore release, 2011’s Too Cool to Care, was a more polished affair, influenced by the likes of Flo Rida and Far East Movement. ~ Jason Thurston, Rovi