How did Shawn Mims, all but unknown just six months ago, become the rap star du jour? The 25-year-old New Yorker addresses that very question in ''This Is Why I'm Hot,'' the chartcrushing lead single from his debut Music Is My Savior, explaining repeatedly that ''I'm hot 'cause I'm fly/You ain't 'cause you not.'' Okay, so he's no Shakespeare. But the rest of the disc contains more than a few moments where Mims' quick, confident style recalls Jay-Z's mid-'90s blinged-out phase not a bad starting point for a career. B
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