Southern hip hop, also known as Southern rap, South coast hip hop or Dirty South, is a blanket term for a subgenre of American hip hop music that emerged in the Southern United States, especially in New Orleans, Houston, Atlanta, Memphis and Miami.
The music was a reaction to the 1980s flow of hip hop culture from New York City and the Los Angeles area, and can be considered a third major American hip hop genre, after East Coast hip hop and West Coast hip hop. Many early Southern rap artists released their music independently or on mixtapes after encountering difficulty securing record-label contracts in the 1990s. By the early 2000s, many Southern artists had attained national success, and as the decade went on, both mainstream and underground varieties of Southern hip-hop became among the most popular and influential of the entire genre.
Atlanta
In the 1980s and early 1990s Atlanta's hip hop scene was characterized by a local variant of Miami's electro-driven bass music, with stars like Kilo Ali, MC Shy-D, Raheem the Dream and DJ Smurf (later Mr. Collipark).[13] MC Shy-D is credited with bringing authentic Bronx-style hip-hop to Atlanta (and Miami), such as 1988's Shake it produced by DJ Toomp. Atlanta is also the home of So So Def Records, a label founded by Jermaine Dupri in the mid-1990s. Atlanta natives Kris Kross was best known for their hit 1992 song "Jump", which was No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for eight weeks and certified double platinum as a single. By the mid-1990s, the rise of OutKast, Goodie Mob and the production collective Organized Noize, let to the development of the Dirty South style of hip-hop and of Atlanta gaining a reputation for "soul-minded hip-hop eccentrics", contrasting with other regional styles. From the late 1990s to early 2000s, producer Lil Jon was a driving force behind the party-oriented style known as crunk. Local Southern rappers, such as T.I., Gucci Mane and Young Jeezy helped expand the popularity of Atlanta hip-hop through the sub genre trap music. Producer Fatboi called the Roland TR-808 ("808") synthesizer "central" to Atlanta music's versatility, used for snap, crunk, trap, and pop rap styles. Atlanta moved "from the margins to becoming hip-hop's center of gravity, part of a larger shift in hip-hop innovation to the South. Notable artists: Outkast, Ludacris, T.I., Kriss Kross.
Houston
Houston hip-hop was first noticed in the late 80's with the emergence of the controversial group The Geto Boys. Their single, "Mind Playing Tricks on Me", which became a big hit in the hip-hop community and charted at No. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100. Their label Rap-a-Lot Records is a Houston hip hop record label that was created in 1986. Since then, it has maintained its success and focus on gangsta and southern rap. In Houston, a different approach of slowing music down, rather than speeding it up, developed. It is unknown when DJ Screw definitively created "screwed and chopped" music: although people around Screw have indicated any time between 1984 to 1991. A song that originally appeared on the compilation album The Day Hell Broke Loose 2, Mike Jones' "Still Tippin'", achieved mainstream success in 2004, leading to local Houston rap label Swishahouse signing a national distribution deal with Asylum Records. Jones released his major label debut, Who Is Mike Jones?, on Swishahouse/Warner Bros. in April 2005; the album was certified platinum that June. Paul Wall's major label debut, The Peoples Champ, on Swishahouse/Atlantic, was released in September 2005, eventually topping the Billboard 200. Before embarking on his rap career and while still at school, Wall had worked in the Swishahouse office. Notable artists: Geto Boys, Scarface, UGK, Slim Thug.
New Orleans
Building on a decade of local activity, rappers and DJs in New Orleans during the early 1990s created a new local style of hip-hop that was eventually christened “bounce.” While the style remained regionally limited, the bounce scene helped support the growth of a local industry. However, the city’s distance from hip-hop’s initial centers of activity (New York and later Los Angeles) meant that it would take a significant amount of time for New Orleans-based rappers, producers, and record labels to penetrate the commercial mainstream. Building on the early foundation, several independent record labels, including No Limit and Cash Money, captured national audiences in the late 1990s, and helped establish New Orleans as one of the centers of the “Dirty South” style. Locally established record labels and producers were responsible for some of the earliest rap recordings to come out of New Orleans. These included singles by Parlez (on Senator Jones’s Superdome label) and Jones and Taylor Experience (on Soulin’ Records), among others. New York Incorporated, a group of several DJs and rappers led by transplanted New Yorker Denny Dee, was one of the first devoted exclusively to hip-hop. It included Byron Thomas and Mia Young, who would go on to later fame as Mannie Fresh and Mia X, respectively. The isolation of New Orleans hip-hop from the national mainstream ended in 1995, when Michael “Mystikal” Tyler signed with Jive Records. His debut album for Big Boy Records was re-released with the new title Mind of Mystikal, the first of several successful releases for the energetic rapper. Despite many local references in his lyrics, Mystikal’s music was not linked to New Orleans bounce. Meanwhile, New Orleans native Percy “Master P” Miller was in the process of building an underground gangsta rap empire that would see him become one of the richest entertainers in the world. Miller founded the No Limit label while he was living in Richmond, California, but the enterprise took off after he returned to New Orleans and enlisted several prominent local artists, including Mia X and producer Craig “KLC” Lawson. Along with several other producers, KLC formed part of a group known as Beats by the Pound (later the Medicine Men) who produced music for the label in its heyday. While No Limit’s success was groundbreaking for New Orleans, it was followed in 1998 by a similar deal between Cash Money and Universal. The agreement helped Juvenile’s second album for the label, 400 Degreez, sell more than three million copies, with bounce-flavored songs like “HA” and “Follow Me Now” winning over critics and audiences nationwide. Juvenile’s success was soon followed by other hits, including B.G.’s iconic song “Bling Bling,” on his album Chopper City in the Ghetto. The rap group The Hot Boys, whiched included Cash Money artists B.G., Lil Wayne, Juvenile, and Turk rose to regional prominence in 1997 with the release of Get It How U Live! and later found nationwide success with later releases in 1998. Notable artists: Master P, Lil Wayne, Mystikal, The Hot Boys.
Miami
Miami hip-hop is known for bass music a sub-genre of hip hop music that became popular in the 1980s and 1990s. Its roots are directly linked to the electro-funk sound of the early 1980s.The use of the Roland TR-808 sustained kick drum, raised dance tempos, and occasional sexually explicit lyrical content differentiate it from other hip hop subgenres. Music author Richie Unterberger has characterized Miami Bass as using rhythms with a "stop start flavor" and "hissy" cymbals with lyrics that "reflected the language of the streets, particularly Miami's black neighborhoods such as Liberty City and Overtown". During the 1980s, the focus of Miami bass tended to be on DJs and record producers, rather than individual performers. Record labels such as Pandisc, HOT Records, 4-Sight Records, and Skyywalker Records, released much material of the genre. Luther 'Luke Skyywalker' Campbell along with David "Treach DJ Mr. Mixx" Hobbs of 2 Live Crew played a key role in popularizing Miami bass in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The group's 1986 release, The 2 Live Crew Is What We Are, became controversial for its sexually explicit lyrics. 1989's As Nasty As They Wanna Be, along with its hit single "Me So Horny", proved more controversial still, leading to legal troubles for both 2 Live Crew and retailers selling the album (all charges were eventually overturned on appeal). Miami based Slip-n-Slide Records signed local rapper Trick Daddy Dollars in its early years; he debuted in 1997 with the locally popular album Based on a True Story and broke into mainstream success the next year with www.thug.com having dropped "Dollars" from his stage name. Trick Daddy's second album included hit single "Nann Nigga", featuring the new rapper Trina. Other rappers signed to Slip-n-Slide include Trina, Rick Ross, and Plies. Notable artists: 2 Live Crew, Trick Daddy, Rick Ross, Trina.
Memphis
One of the first rap artists from the city to make the move from an indie label to a major label when signing to Atlantic records was Gangster Pat. He established himself in the Memphis underground during the late 1980s and is the son of Stax Records drummer, Willie Hall.
8Ball & MJG is an American hip hop duo from Memphis, Tennessee. They first appeared on the rap scene with their 1992 underground album Listen to the Lyrics.[1] In 1993, they released Comin' Out Hard, the album was successful commercially as well as critically and established the group as a prominent act in the then emerging Southern Rap scene.
Three 6 Mafia are a rap group originally from Memphis, Tennessee, signed to Sony Music Entertainment under the Columbia Records imprint. Formed in 1991 as Backyard Posse then later Triple 6 Mafia, by DJ Paul, Lord Infamous, Juicy J and Koopsta Knicca, the group later included two more members including; Crunchy Black and Gangsta Boo (who were both added shortly before the release of their debut album Mystic Stylez). The group has also collaborated with many rappers on their own label; Hypnotize Minds, where they have kick started the careers for many Memphis rappers, such as; Frayser Boy, Gangsta Blac, Lil Wyte and Indo G.
Hypnotize Minds (originally named Prophet Entertainment) is a record label started by the Memphis rap group Three 6 Mafia.
This record label has consisted of an extended collective of rappers around in-house producers DJ Paul and Juicy J. Its central group is Three 6 Mafia. Because the group has been heavily involved in Three 6 Mafia productions, it has started careers for many rappers from Memphis, however the family has had several falling-outs with other rappers from the Memphis area. They have released albums under the names Prophet Posse, Hypnotize Camp Posse, Tear da Club Up Thugs and Da Headbussaz, and are heavily featured on Three 6 Mafia projects. Notable artists: Three 6 Mafia, 8Ball & MJG, Gangsta Boo.
The Hip-Hop Era (1980-1999)
http://www.bgol.us/forum/index.php?threads/the-hip-hop-era-1980-1999.790956/
The music was a reaction to the 1980s flow of hip hop culture from New York City and the Los Angeles area, and can be considered a third major American hip hop genre, after East Coast hip hop and West Coast hip hop. Many early Southern rap artists released their music independently or on mixtapes after encountering difficulty securing record-label contracts in the 1990s. By the early 2000s, many Southern artists had attained national success, and as the decade went on, both mainstream and underground varieties of Southern hip-hop became among the most popular and influential of the entire genre.
Atlanta
In the 1980s and early 1990s Atlanta's hip hop scene was characterized by a local variant of Miami's electro-driven bass music, with stars like Kilo Ali, MC Shy-D, Raheem the Dream and DJ Smurf (later Mr. Collipark).[13] MC Shy-D is credited with bringing authentic Bronx-style hip-hop to Atlanta (and Miami), such as 1988's Shake it produced by DJ Toomp. Atlanta is also the home of So So Def Records, a label founded by Jermaine Dupri in the mid-1990s. Atlanta natives Kris Kross was best known for their hit 1992 song "Jump", which was No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for eight weeks and certified double platinum as a single. By the mid-1990s, the rise of OutKast, Goodie Mob and the production collective Organized Noize, let to the development of the Dirty South style of hip-hop and of Atlanta gaining a reputation for "soul-minded hip-hop eccentrics", contrasting with other regional styles. From the late 1990s to early 2000s, producer Lil Jon was a driving force behind the party-oriented style known as crunk. Local Southern rappers, such as T.I., Gucci Mane and Young Jeezy helped expand the popularity of Atlanta hip-hop through the sub genre trap music. Producer Fatboi called the Roland TR-808 ("808") synthesizer "central" to Atlanta music's versatility, used for snap, crunk, trap, and pop rap styles. Atlanta moved "from the margins to becoming hip-hop's center of gravity, part of a larger shift in hip-hop innovation to the South. Notable artists: Outkast, Ludacris, T.I., Kriss Kross.
Houston
Houston hip-hop was first noticed in the late 80's with the emergence of the controversial group The Geto Boys. Their single, "Mind Playing Tricks on Me", which became a big hit in the hip-hop community and charted at No. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100. Their label Rap-a-Lot Records is a Houston hip hop record label that was created in 1986. Since then, it has maintained its success and focus on gangsta and southern rap. In Houston, a different approach of slowing music down, rather than speeding it up, developed. It is unknown when DJ Screw definitively created "screwed and chopped" music: although people around Screw have indicated any time between 1984 to 1991. A song that originally appeared on the compilation album The Day Hell Broke Loose 2, Mike Jones' "Still Tippin'", achieved mainstream success in 2004, leading to local Houston rap label Swishahouse signing a national distribution deal with Asylum Records. Jones released his major label debut, Who Is Mike Jones?, on Swishahouse/Warner Bros. in April 2005; the album was certified platinum that June. Paul Wall's major label debut, The Peoples Champ, on Swishahouse/Atlantic, was released in September 2005, eventually topping the Billboard 200. Before embarking on his rap career and while still at school, Wall had worked in the Swishahouse office. Notable artists: Geto Boys, Scarface, UGK, Slim Thug.
New Orleans
Building on a decade of local activity, rappers and DJs in New Orleans during the early 1990s created a new local style of hip-hop that was eventually christened “bounce.” While the style remained regionally limited, the bounce scene helped support the growth of a local industry. However, the city’s distance from hip-hop’s initial centers of activity (New York and later Los Angeles) meant that it would take a significant amount of time for New Orleans-based rappers, producers, and record labels to penetrate the commercial mainstream. Building on the early foundation, several independent record labels, including No Limit and Cash Money, captured national audiences in the late 1990s, and helped establish New Orleans as one of the centers of the “Dirty South” style. Locally established record labels and producers were responsible for some of the earliest rap recordings to come out of New Orleans. These included singles by Parlez (on Senator Jones’s Superdome label) and Jones and Taylor Experience (on Soulin’ Records), among others. New York Incorporated, a group of several DJs and rappers led by transplanted New Yorker Denny Dee, was one of the first devoted exclusively to hip-hop. It included Byron Thomas and Mia Young, who would go on to later fame as Mannie Fresh and Mia X, respectively. The isolation of New Orleans hip-hop from the national mainstream ended in 1995, when Michael “Mystikal” Tyler signed with Jive Records. His debut album for Big Boy Records was re-released with the new title Mind of Mystikal, the first of several successful releases for the energetic rapper. Despite many local references in his lyrics, Mystikal’s music was not linked to New Orleans bounce. Meanwhile, New Orleans native Percy “Master P” Miller was in the process of building an underground gangsta rap empire that would see him become one of the richest entertainers in the world. Miller founded the No Limit label while he was living in Richmond, California, but the enterprise took off after he returned to New Orleans and enlisted several prominent local artists, including Mia X and producer Craig “KLC” Lawson. Along with several other producers, KLC formed part of a group known as Beats by the Pound (later the Medicine Men) who produced music for the label in its heyday. While No Limit’s success was groundbreaking for New Orleans, it was followed in 1998 by a similar deal between Cash Money and Universal. The agreement helped Juvenile’s second album for the label, 400 Degreez, sell more than three million copies, with bounce-flavored songs like “HA” and “Follow Me Now” winning over critics and audiences nationwide. Juvenile’s success was soon followed by other hits, including B.G.’s iconic song “Bling Bling,” on his album Chopper City in the Ghetto. The rap group The Hot Boys, whiched included Cash Money artists B.G., Lil Wayne, Juvenile, and Turk rose to regional prominence in 1997 with the release of Get It How U Live! and later found nationwide success with later releases in 1998. Notable artists: Master P, Lil Wayne, Mystikal, The Hot Boys.
Miami
Miami hip-hop is known for bass music a sub-genre of hip hop music that became popular in the 1980s and 1990s. Its roots are directly linked to the electro-funk sound of the early 1980s.The use of the Roland TR-808 sustained kick drum, raised dance tempos, and occasional sexually explicit lyrical content differentiate it from other hip hop subgenres. Music author Richie Unterberger has characterized Miami Bass as using rhythms with a "stop start flavor" and "hissy" cymbals with lyrics that "reflected the language of the streets, particularly Miami's black neighborhoods such as Liberty City and Overtown". During the 1980s, the focus of Miami bass tended to be on DJs and record producers, rather than individual performers. Record labels such as Pandisc, HOT Records, 4-Sight Records, and Skyywalker Records, released much material of the genre. Luther 'Luke Skyywalker' Campbell along with David "Treach DJ Mr. Mixx" Hobbs of 2 Live Crew played a key role in popularizing Miami bass in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The group's 1986 release, The 2 Live Crew Is What We Are, became controversial for its sexually explicit lyrics. 1989's As Nasty As They Wanna Be, along with its hit single "Me So Horny", proved more controversial still, leading to legal troubles for both 2 Live Crew and retailers selling the album (all charges were eventually overturned on appeal). Miami based Slip-n-Slide Records signed local rapper Trick Daddy Dollars in its early years; he debuted in 1997 with the locally popular album Based on a True Story and broke into mainstream success the next year with www.thug.com having dropped "Dollars" from his stage name. Trick Daddy's second album included hit single "Nann Nigga", featuring the new rapper Trina. Other rappers signed to Slip-n-Slide include Trina, Rick Ross, and Plies. Notable artists: 2 Live Crew, Trick Daddy, Rick Ross, Trina.
Memphis
One of the first rap artists from the city to make the move from an indie label to a major label when signing to Atlantic records was Gangster Pat. He established himself in the Memphis underground during the late 1980s and is the son of Stax Records drummer, Willie Hall.
8Ball & MJG is an American hip hop duo from Memphis, Tennessee. They first appeared on the rap scene with their 1992 underground album Listen to the Lyrics.[1] In 1993, they released Comin' Out Hard, the album was successful commercially as well as critically and established the group as a prominent act in the then emerging Southern Rap scene.
Three 6 Mafia are a rap group originally from Memphis, Tennessee, signed to Sony Music Entertainment under the Columbia Records imprint. Formed in 1991 as Backyard Posse then later Triple 6 Mafia, by DJ Paul, Lord Infamous, Juicy J and Koopsta Knicca, the group later included two more members including; Crunchy Black and Gangsta Boo (who were both added shortly before the release of their debut album Mystic Stylez). The group has also collaborated with many rappers on their own label; Hypnotize Minds, where they have kick started the careers for many Memphis rappers, such as; Frayser Boy, Gangsta Blac, Lil Wyte and Indo G.
Hypnotize Minds (originally named Prophet Entertainment) is a record label started by the Memphis rap group Three 6 Mafia.
This record label has consisted of an extended collective of rappers around in-house producers DJ Paul and Juicy J. Its central group is Three 6 Mafia. Because the group has been heavily involved in Three 6 Mafia productions, it has started careers for many rappers from Memphis, however the family has had several falling-outs with other rappers from the Memphis area. They have released albums under the names Prophet Posse, Hypnotize Camp Posse, Tear da Club Up Thugs and Da Headbussaz, and are heavily featured on Three 6 Mafia projects. Notable artists: Three 6 Mafia, 8Ball & MJG, Gangsta Boo.
The Hip-Hop Era (1980-1999)
http://www.bgol.us/forum/index.php?threads/the-hip-hop-era-1980-1999.790956/
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