Lex owned hip hop in 2011. His raucous, horror-movie-on-crunk-juice productions provided the perfect backdrop for hits by Jay-Z and Kanye ("H.A.M."), Ace Hood (“Hustle Hard”) and Rick Ross and Lil Wayne (“9 Piece”). We named him Producer of the Year at the BET Hip Hop Awards, and there's no doubt he lived up to the honor.

Jahlil Beats was responsible for the synth-heavy, rabbit-punch swagger of Meek Mill and Rick Ross' inescapable "I'm a Boss," one of 2011's best songs. No wonder Jay-Z signed the 23-year-old Pennsylvania native—who also produced cuts for Red Cafe, Diggy Simmons, Tyga and others—to his Roc Nation imprint.