People cluster and whisper excitedly because they’ve heard the news—50 Cent is on his way. They scan the south end of the large Las Vegas Convention Center, waiting eagerly as others join the throng of curious onlookers on the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) convention floor. The crowd parts way for Curtis Jackson. The multi-platinum rapper, actor, entrepreneur and mogul moves with a cool swagger, relaxed and self-assured, despite the commotion.

Tap, snap or nap…future UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes often gives opponents one of these three choices. The thing about fighting Hughes is that you already know what’s coming: he wants to take you down and either ground and pound you or choke you out. The question is: Can you stop it? Very few have.

At 1 p.m., 29-year-old Floyd Mayweather Jr. is just waking up in his Las Vegas, Nevada mansion. Before dressing his two sons, Koraun, 8, and Shamaree, 6, for a trip to the gym, he jumps on an international conference call.

Not long ago, R&B singer Keyshia Cole was scrambling around New York City and other parts of the country with her manager, Manny Halley, performing at any available venue. Even with the November 2005 release of her debut album, The Way It Is (Geffen Records, 2005), Keyshia often found herself singing her heart out to crowds of less than a few dozen. Still, the Oakland, California native (who celebrated her 26th birthday on October 15) worked the microphone as if she was singing for a sold out crowd at Radio City Music Hall.

Straight out of a comic book, vintage sci-fi flick and an idealistic imagination, the electric car has long been anticipated as the next step in the evolution of the automobile. However, attempts to do so have yielded unconvincing results.

“At 4 o’clock I’m driving home,” Omarion sings into the phone, easily switching into performance mode as he hums notes and vibrato tones in his song voice. “Midnight,” a song from his second album, 21 (Sony, 2006), contains a verse about driving that pops into his head “It’s pretty bad; I’m at this woman’s house and I should have been home at 4 o’clock,” Omarion explains sheepishly. “It’s about a man doing wrong.”

While most young, up-and-coming artists go out and buy a house, buy their dream car or go on a shopping spree once they get their first big pay check, R&B sensation Lloyd bought a drum machine. “I wanted to invest in my craft,” the 21-year-old says. “I’m really excited about the idea of becoming better and more developed as the years progress. The cool thing about being young is I can improve my abilities.”

Indeed, many seek the prestige that accompanies unprecedented royalty. However, 34-year-old Beenie Man, who’s been lighting up stages for 28 consecutive years, has rightfully earned the title of “undisputed king of dance hall music.” Beenie (born Anthony Moses Davis) proudly interprets the genre as music that represents the authenticity and militancy of Jamaicans–beats, rhythms and lyrics that represent the culture of his people, and nothing else.

Similar to his Matrix counterpart, Ne-Yo believed all would happen in due time, and that he wouldn’t become “the chosen one” overnight. “I let everything happen when it was supposed to happen,” said the talented singer and songwriter.

On the set of her new music video “Ridin’” from her upcoming fourth album Liberation, Mýa gracefully sits in a salon-like chair while people continuously work on her hair and makeup. Instead of wanting the peace and quiet a woman usually wants when getting pampered and primped by others, she kindly accepts to be interrupted.

In the English language “Buck” means quite a few things. It refers to males of some animals (such as deer, rabbits and squirrel) or it’s used as a slang word for a human male or a sexually adventurous boy. But in the hip-hop world, Buck refers to only one thing: the Nashville, Tennessee hustler turned rapper Young Buck, who made it big after meeting 50 Cent and joining G-Unit. “I got the biggest break in my career meeting 50,” he recalls.

The sounds blare from the set in Miami, Florida. It’s the video shoot for “My Chopper,” Joe Hound’s song produced by Cool & Dre on their Epidemic imprint, featuring Dre.