Sammy Adams

Mixing pop hooks and suburban party rap, Boston's Sammy Adams caused quite a stir in 2010 when his debut album topped the digital hip-hop charts the week of its release.

Born Samuel Adams Wisner, he was a soccer-playing senior at Trinity College in Hartford when he decided to inject some attitude into Asher Roth's hit "I Love College." With the results posted online under the name Sam Adams, his answer song, "I Hate College," made the rapper an Internet star in 2009. It was followed the next year by the underground mixtape Boston's Opening Day. His aboveground breakout, the Boston's Boy EP, debuted at the top of the digital hip-hop charts, driven in part by the success of the single "Driving Me Crazy."

He returned in 2013 with Homecoming and officially changed his performing name to Sammy Adams in order to avoid any confusion with the Boston-based brewing company. That year, he also released the radio-friendly standalone single "L.A. Story" that was penned by Ryan Tedder and featured Mike Posner. In 2015, Adams left RCA and returned to 1st Round for the release of his debut LP. Eight years after his debut, The Long Way was released in March 2016 and included "Helluva" (featuring American Idol contestant Kat Nestel), "Love Again" (with Madison Love), and "Electric Appeal," produced by Tiesto. The collection of youth anthems and party soundtracks bolstered Adams' feel-good persona, like a more college-friendly G-Eazy.