20 people to watch in 2007 (1-5)

1. Vi, 25hip-hop hopeful

“I went down to college, y’know, played a little ball, got in trouble, got in some more trouble,” says South Side rapper Vi (a.k.a. Levaié Brewer). Vi’s high jinks got him booted off the Jackson State hoops squad, but that might have been a blessing: Instead of playing point guard, Vi (rhymes with “why”) honed his game telling truthful tales about the Chicago gangsta life—and his escape from it. Though Vi—who graces this week’s TOC cover—has huge respect for our homegrown hip-hop stars, he looks to the rap nation for inspiration. “Guys like Dr. Dre had stories,” he says. “When the CD stopped, you knew these cats.” Vi—also known as Beautiful, a moniker that Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes gave him in his teens—has recorded more than 40 tracks with a half-dozen producers (including Kanye West associate NO I.D., Supreme, L.A. beatsmith Jelly Roll, XL) for his debut album, Regime Change, due in the first quarter of 2007. His single “Hurta” is making inroads on local radio stations, he’s moved about 9,000 copies of his Insurgence mix-tape, and his unreleased single “Yea Yo” was heard on HBO’s Entourage. Things are looking up with this new hustle: “I’m really proud of where we are going with this,” he says. “It’s getting fun now; it wasn’t fun then.”—John Dugan

2. Quinn Kelsey, 28 bad-ass baritone

Burly and imposing, Quinn Kelsey has emerged as a major presence in the Chicago opera scene. But it’s not just his size that has garnered attention: The Hawaiian native began turning heads with his wall-shaking voice while studying at the Ryan Opera Center, the Lyric’s training program, from 2003 through last spring. The talented baritone grew up singing in the insular arena of Hawaiian opera. “I probably know them all,” he says when asked if he knows of any other Hawaiian opera singers. But his whole family is in the business, and it was his music-teacher mother who pushed him to be a vocalist. Kelsey has landed an agent at Columbia Artists Management, a powerful player in the classical music industry, and he has high hopes of singing “at the world’s big companies—La Scala, the Met, the Berlin Staatskapelle.” This year, he reprises his comic role as Ping, a Chinese courtier, in Puccini’s Turandot, beginning Saturday 13 at Lyric Opera.—Marc Geelhoed

3. Staci Boris, 40 museum maven

The Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies has been closed and awaiting a new building since June 2006, but new senior curator Staci Boris promises to bring unusual programming to the new facility. In fact, she already has: In “Language Barrier,” her first Spertus project, a series of conceptual text artworks, each about the size of a billboard, was installed on the museum’s construction barricade along South Michigan Avenue. “It’s a space Spertus could be using for advertising,” Boris notes, but she’s intent on engaging the public with site-specific artworks sans obvious labels. When Spertus’ stunning new glass building opens, it will reveal an entirely revamped vision. “We’re moving away from the historical, chronological fixed narrative to questioning a whole bunch of different ideas and topics that will intrigue and prompt further discussion,” she says.—Madeline Nusser

4. Michael Altenberg, 43 green giant

At his much-loved Bistro Campagne in Lincoln Square, chef-owner Michael Altenberg committed to go organic long ago. But it’s his latest project, Crust (2056 W Division St), that sparks our interest most. When it opens this February, it will be the country’s first certified-organic pizzeria. Using a “living starter” as opposed to yeast (which is a GMO and therefore doesn’t fly with the organic police), Altenberg will concoct a ciabatta-like pizza crust, which will become “bubbly, crunchy and yummy,” as he puts it, in the wood-burning oven. Altenberg also plans to procure all of his ingredients from within a 150-mile radius (with the exception of wine and olive oil, though the wine list will feature pours made from organically grown grapes). He’s also bringing his green thumb indoors, creating a “living salad bar” where organic greens will be cut to order from a hydroponic gardening station. And after your meal, don’t be surprised when your check arrives on (what else?) recycled paper.—Heather Shouse

5. Rich Hill, 27 ball buster

Over the winter, the Cubs spent money like a poet on payday: Alfonso Soriano snagged the fifth-largest contract in baseball’s history ($136 million over eight years) and Aramis Ramirez pulled in a $75 million extension. But while the Cubs’ offensive firepower might leave opposing hurlers nervous, it’s pitching that wins championships (exhibit A: the ’05 White Sox warhorses). That’s why we’re going to watch the ups and downs of towering Cubs lefty Rich Hill. A highly touted stud in the minors, Hill didn’t do much to justify the hype in the first half of last year. But after the All-Star break, he posted a 6-3 record with a stellar 2.93 ERA and 79 strikeouts over 80 innings. Alongside moundmates Carlos Zambrano and newbies Jason Marquis and Ted Lilly, the staff could finally put an end to years of misery on the North Side.—Tim McCormick