A crafty producer and a unique vocalist -- his beats hit hard but leave plenty of room for mind-altering textures, while his voice carries a high-pitched, practically atmospheric, rough-hewn elegance (not too unlike Horace Andy in that respect) -- Blaqstarr gained a lot of recognition for his contribution to M.I.A.'s 2007 album Kala, but he had already been well-established in his base of Baltimore, with productions notched on Young Leek's "Jiggle It" and D.O.G.'s "Ryda Girl," along with his own "Tote It" and "Feel It in the Air" -- tracks that filled up Baltimore's airwaves. By the end of 2007, he had two EPs released on Diplo's Mad Decent label. ~ Andy Kellman