Ace Hood

Like so many rap careers started in the Sunshine State, Ace Hood’s position skyrocketed thanks to a cosign from the Miami kingmaker, DJ Khaled. The MC—born Antoine Franklin McColister in Port St. Lucie, Florida, in 1988—first met the superstar producer at the WEDR 99 Jamz radio station and gave him a demo tape. Khaled, clearly impressed, invited Ace to rap on his 2007 hit, “I’m So Hood,” and his performance led Khaled to sign him to his label, We the Best Music Group. Hood produced a number of hits for the label, all of which showcased his blend of visceral street tales and sex-laden jams. On the Chris Brown-assisted “Body 2 Body” from Ace’s 2011 LP, Blood Sweat & Tears, Hood taps into his sensual side, rapping, “Change up the sheets, no time to sleep/Asked her what she thinking, she reply that I'm a beast.” While Khaled’s label provided a launchpad for the rapper, Hood spent the latter half of the 2010s proving his mettle as an independent star, the fruits of which were most widely showcased on his 2018 album, Trust the Process II: Undefeated. Throughout Ace Hood’s career, he’s leveraged the support of his peers into a bet on himself. The winnings keep coming in.