BEST MUSIC POLL
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BOSTON
Best Hip-hop Act in Boston
M-Dot
It's no surprise that M-Dot pocketed this category — as we wrote in a recent profile, the North Shore native works 25/8 to ensure that his rhymes wind up in your ears. Although he's been cracking for a few years, in 2009, M-Dot halved his 200-show-a-year schedule to slay dozens of collaborations (including a street album with French DJ Jean Maron), his upcoming official debut, and a mixtape to hold fans over. For a one-man rap and marketing squad, he's become remarkably visible in a relatively short time; we dare you to find a rap show on college radio that doesn't spin him regularly. If M-Dot continues hustling and dropping professional-grade videos like his latest, for "No Money Down," his combination of skills and ambition could land him a permanent spot in Boston hip-hop's internationally esteemed upper echelon.
Runners-up
2. Wispers
3. Esoteric
4. Amadeus the Stampede
by CHRIS FARAONE
