Best Hip-Hop Artist

Honors English are less defectors of the Soul Tyde crew than they are visionaries. Kash and Teflahn Poetix formed Honors English last year, and with the addition of Young Thunder this past spring, they've staked their claim to St. Louis' underground hip-hop scene. Hear them flow and it's hard not to see why they've come so far so fast. And they're not just good at slamming other rappers in MC battles -- although their rhymes can cut down competitors faster than they can get back up. They're also socially conscious. At a time when St. Louis is known best for the pop rap of Nelly, Chingy and J-Kwon, Honors English is quietly building a following by rapping about the reality of life as young black men in St. Louis. The group's latest independent release, Volume 2: A New Day (available at Vintage Vinyl), is a testament to the quality that Honors English strives for -- and so often achieves.