ESTABLISHED ACTS

TLC: Though the Dixie Chicks recently knocked this trio out of its place in the history books as the best-selling female group ever, Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, the late Lisa "Left-Eye" Lopes, and Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas still stand out as individual personalities who've made incredibly mainstream-friendly R&B and hip-hop.

Travis Tritt: Perhaps living so far away from Nashville has helped this Marietta native maintain some of the grit many of the country maverick's peers seem to be brushing off for pop attention.

Indigo Girls: Not content to simply make well-written pop-folk, Amy Ray (left) and Emily Saliers have added to the number of great restaurants (Watershed) and pioneering record labels (Daemon) in the metro area.

Usher: His appeal on stage (his recent "8701" tour), screen ("Light It Up") and R&B records ("U Got It Bad") make him one of this city's rare mass-media stars.

OutKast: Even though Andre "Dre" Benjamin and Antwan "Big Boi" Patton started out talking about local haunts like Campbellton Road and their Dungeon studio, they've set the standard for hip-hop worldwide on how to be original and accessible.

NEWCOMERS

John Mayer: For those who saw this singer-songwriter-guitarist toil away at Eddie's Attic, he may not qualify as new. But the country sure treated him that way when he released his major label debut, "Room for Squares."

Killer Mike: What an incredible introduction! His debut "Monster" hadn't even hit the stores yet when this hip-hop gruff had a Grammy for his contribution to OutKast's "The Whole World."

Donnie: In one sentence, this vocalist is soul like we heard it decades ago when Marvin Gaye and Donny Hathaway dominated the charts.

Nivea: Her R&B singles "Laundromat" and "Don't Mess With My Man" bubble with sass.

Bone Crusher: Like the name implies, he is a giant -- literally-- on the hip-hop scene, with a boom of a voice to back up his kinetic boast: "I ain't never scared.'"