Despite his relatively young age, Philadelphia rapper Dice Raw is steeped in hip-hop history. A longtime protégé of Philadelphia group the Roots, he hooked up with the band while still in high school after Kelo, a member of the group's production team, spotted him in a local talent show. The group quickly took the young rapper under their collective wings and decided to bring his talent along slowly. He made his debut in "The Lesson, Pt. 1." Soon after, he made a name for himself with distinct cameos on "Adrenaline" and "Lockdown," where his hard-hitting style worked perfectly alongside the heady rhymes of Roots leader Black Thought. In 2000, Dice Raw released his first solo album, Reclaiming the Dead, for MCA. ~ Jon Azpiri