12 Area Standouts to Watch for in ’92

T he top 1991 freshmen of Southern California come from all over the musical map--from rap to country to Beatle-pop to grunge-rock. Here’s a look at the 12 new area acts who’ve made the biggest splash this year.

Yo-Yo: The best of the new crop of female rappers made a splashy debut, sparring with Ice Cube on “It’s a Man’s World,” on his debut album. On her album, “Stompin’ to the ‘90s,” she moved to the head of the class of rap feminists, expounding with humor and insight on relationships, sexual politics and the state of hip-hop.