Playboy Tre

A hip-hop drifter and master rap raconteur (and paragon of patience), Playboy Tre (born Clarence Montgomery III) built his rep slowly within the fertile Atlanta scene. While his quick wit earned him immediate respect, Tre seemed content to bide his time and hone his craft, doing behind-the-scenes work and guest spots with Youngbloodz, Bohagon (with whom he formed the group Georgia Durt), and B.o.B. When he did finally assert himself as a hip-hop voice in the late-'00s, it was to critical raves as he called back to the early days of crunk, when the sound was more country and more about rich storytelling than about catch phrases.