Aaron LaCrate

Like many of his musical peers, Baltimore's Aaron LaCrate takes his inspiration from the seamier side of Charm City. (That would be why he insists upon calling it "Bodymore, Murdaland.") But LaCrate and his frequent collaborator Debonair Samir move beyond Baltimore club's core sound -- a mixture of breakbeats, pop-culture samples and X-rated chants -- with a sound they call "B-more Gutter," fleshing out the electro and ghetto-tech underpinnings with Death Star synths and nu-rave swagger. In addition to his B-more Gutter series, LaCrate runs the Milkcrate label, has collaborated with Spank Rock's Amanda Blank and even toured as Lily Allen's backup DJ. In 2008, his Delicious Gutter remixes revisited party classics from Young MC and Masta Ace Incorporated.