DETROIT, MI  [Wednesday Feb.25.2004]  /Mix103FM.com/ -- The latest trend in urban gear and accoutrements is the hip-hop hit on your cell phone. Wireless owners are rushing to download the small music files that will produce a mini version or your favorite hip-hip song when anyone calls. The ring tones have been popular downloads for some time, but these days, hip-hop's where it's at. So far, the 2004 winner of The Most Popular Download Award goes to Outkast, and last year's winner was 50 Cent. Cingular Wireless reports that 7 of the 10 most-downloaded ring tones in 2003 on their network were hip-hop songs.

Why hip-hop? Well, it's popular right now, and it's fun to personalize the way one's phone rings. The rhythm-heavy beats also translate well into the high-pitched tones of cell phones. Another reason personalized ring tones are so popular today is the development of polyphonic ring tones, which produce several tones at once, creating a more complex musical sound, versus the monophonic midi-esque tones of yesteryear.

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