With a quiet storm of seven mixtapes between 2009 and 2010, Georgia hip hop trio Travis Porter (featuring fresh 20-year-old rappers Ali, Quez and Strap) made a big impact, earning a “Most Dynamic Rap Group Duo” award at NYC’s 2010 Underground Music Awards and collabing with notable artists like Roscoe Dash and Waka Flocka Flame even before getting signed to Jive Records (now RCA) later that year. In May, they dropped their debut studio LP, From Day 1, which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Rap and features filthy club-bumpers like “Ayy Ladies” with Young Money rapper Tyga, and stripper vs. high rollin’ client call-and-response anthem, “Make It Rain” (“You wanna see some ass, I wanna see some cash / Keep them dollars comin’, and that’s gon’ make me dance … Make it rain, trick, make it make it rain, trick”).
— Leilani Polk