Last year, there was a surge of major record label signings within the rap scene in Chicago. The hip-hop action there directed everyone's attention towards the Windy City.

From the likes of Chief Keef and King L, both who have been sparking buzz, to veteran rappers including Common and Lupe Fiasco, TheDrop.fm highlights some of the Midwest's finest spitters. Here are 10 Rappers With Roots in Chicago.

Speaking of Chicago, the Midwest location is just one stop on Alicia Keys‘ Set the World On Fire tour. The songstress is currently on her worldwide trek and wants to get to know her fans in every city. She’s asking fans to send in photos of themselves in their cities, and with those photos, she will create a new music video for her song ‘Hallelujah’ in every city on her tour. To submit your photos to the ‘Your City, Your Video’ project, go here. The next deadline for photo submissions for the tour dates in Dublin, Manchester, Birmingham, Nottingham is Mon., May 13. The submission period for dates prior to that has closed.

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