Shawn Chrystopher 21,969

Intelligent Inglewood-raised Shawn Chrystopher (born Shawn Christopher Garrett II) skipped ahead a few grades and was granted a scholarship to University of Southern California, where he majored in Political Science before he changed his course and became a rapper. While his mom didn’t initially agree with the decision, it proved fruitful once his single “Catch Me if You Can” started receiving air play. The follow-up “The Hangover” was equally catchy, and A City with No Seasons, which was entirely constructed by Chrystopher in bedrooms and home studios, popularized him as an MC upon its release in 2009. After making a few videos, his second full-length, You and Only You, was released online as a free download as a Christmas present to his fans in December of 2010.