Jared Boyd | JBoyd@al.com
Jared Boyd | JBoyd@al.com
25 essential albums in Southern hip-hop
Hip-hop's inception and ascendance into a global industry is a phenomenon that, unlike most American music genres, happened with little to no participation from the Southern US.
It isn't that the South had no interest in hip-hop upon the genre's genesis. The reality is more complicated. As hip-hop grew to incorporate narratives in the L.A. alongside already prominent voices in the Northeast, a stylistic schism between the East and West Coasts overshadowed the first generation of Southern rap artist developing their talents.
The agitation of being bound to an outsider identity ultimately paid dividends for Southern artists looking to break through in the mid-90s. Ingenuity and entrepreneurship soon shattered the glass ceiling that seemed to loom over rap's self-proclaimed "Third Coast." With the turn of the millennium, Southern rappers went on a tear, becoming the linchpin of rap's operation in the current ultra-digital musical climate. Today, a nearly 15-year streak of dominance over rap's mainstream belongs to rappers from various Southern cities, such as Atlanta, Miami and Houston.
Often maligned by rap purists for its bare bones approach, Southern Rap has had its fair share of critical triumphs, whether or not hip-hop fans were paying attention. However this isn't a list compiling critical, or even commercial darlings. Instead, each album on this list signifies a societal impact that exceeds accolades. Each album on this list corresponds with a moment in which a Southern rap act ruled rap's greater dialogue and provided profound context for what it meant to be Southern in the genre.
If none of that makes sense to you, we can boil the criteria down to one commonly used cliche: If aliens came down to Earth and asked to hear Southern Rap for the purpose of truly understanding what it is, what would you want them to hear?
Disturbing tha Peace/Def Jam South
Word of Mouf
Artist: Ludacris
Year: 2002
City: Atlanta, GA
One of the most dazzling personalities Southern rap ever saw, Ludacris quickly became a household name for his comedic chops, cartoonish visuals and ear-worm songwriting. Ludacris solidified himself within the upper echelon of early-2000s urban pop sensations such as Nelly and 50 Cent with jock jam "Move". But, he shines most on singles "Rollout (My Business)" and "Saturday (Ooh, Ooh)" where Luda hones his knack for painstaking detail. Both songs were written in a cyclical fashion.
Each verse on the two records is structured in a template, matching new words to the same pattern of rhythms throughout the entire track. It's a technique that feels almost like Luda wrote his rhymes in a children's mad-lib work booklet. However, he remains fresh throughout via bold creativity.
It's impressive techniques and quirks such as this that carry 'Cris throughout the album. Even as bigger hits came, none of his efforts are as sharp as his output here.
Grand Hustle/Atlantic Records
Trap Muzik
Artist: T.I.
Year: 2003
City: Atlanta, GA
Before he and his family were the subject of hip-hop-inspired family lessons and hijinks on reality television, T.I. was an Atlanta rapper with a huge chip on his shoulder.
After a low-selling debut prompted a move from Arista to Atlantic, T.I. returned with a retooled sound on his sophomore effort. "I'm back now with something to prove, everything to gain, pimp, and nothing to lose," he raps about his label limbo on the unrepentant "I Can't Quit."
Although it took four singles to establish the album's impact, Trap Muzik was certifiably unique. Like no one had before, T.I. aimed his vocals directly at a particular breed of outlaw in the various inner cities of the south. The album wore this distinction on its sleeve. The anthemic nature of the album was meant to coincide with the perils of the "trap", an Atlanta slang term referring to deep south drug dens. His fixation with the subject garnered credence for the lifestyle and his career mutually.
ABB Records
The Listening
Artist: Little Brother
Year: 2003
City: Durham, NC
Not a wide release, The Listening, has no chance of measuring up in sales to any of the albums on this list. It's impact almost relies on that fate, however.
One of the first Southern entries to formally appeal to an elusive sect of rap purist known as "backpackers" (a slyly derogatory term referring to rap's intellectual elitists), The Listening pairs ostensibly East Coast Rap production and rhyme traditions with Southern charm and warmth. And so, hip-hop blogs and forums rejoiced in 2003 when the trio from North Carolina turned out this soulful ode to rap's golden age.
Little Brother, now disbanded, continues to be the prototype for intersectionality expressed through Southern rap fans that identify more closely to groups such as A Tribe Called Quest and Brand Nubian than classic artists from our region.
No Limit Records/Priority Records
Ghetto D
Artist: Master P
Year: 1997
City: New Orleans, LA
Master P's No Limit Records deservedly receives a ton of flack. Their spam-like business structure consisted of a window of years in which the label released a blistering amount of material to retailers from month to month.
The overwhelming majority of these albums featured the same production house, similar cover art and a revolving door of guest appearances on each song, invoking the feel of a "Various Artist" compilation. But the albums sold. Very well. And the stars bright enough to stand out on the crowded posse songs were able to garner loyal followings.
On this album, label leader Master P, figured out his formula just the right way. Never a lyrical force, P had a winning personality. However, he also got by with a little help from his friends. Mystikal, Fiend and Mia X all show up to prove why they were the strongest No Limit Soldiers. But, tragic figure Mac, deserves special kudos for his raps on "Tryin' 2 Do Something".
Cash Money Records/Universal Music Group
Tha Carter III
Artist: Lil' Wayne
Year: 2008
City: New Orleans, LA/Miami, FL
In 2008, Lil' Wayne was the most dangerous man in music. Not for any legal issues he might have been involved in (although there were some). He was feared, rather, for his influence and tenacity. Where most artists retreat to relative silence in the time between studio efforts, Wayne had released more music unofficial, unlicensed and unmarketable music than he had in his entire proper discography.
Rewriting the rules to rap, Weezy, a rapper known for hyper-productivity, continued to delay his impending album, citing leaked materials as the culprit. Anticipation for this record may have outweighed its merits once it was finally released, in retrospect. And, even though previous installments in Wayne's Tha Carter series are more listenable, this album is incessantly inventive.
Most notably, no album in rap history can match the feverish devotion fans had once able to finally hold this album in their hands.
Lil Wayne’s ‘Tha Carter III’ Recounted Through Oral History
Suave House
Comin' Out Hard
Artist: 8Ball & MJG
Year: 1993
City: Memphis, TN
Comin' Out Hard begins with an extended intro with two distorted, cartoonish voices setting the stage, snatching the listener out of reality. It's necessary. The 8 tracks that follow take gangster rap tropes and stretch them to their conceivable limits.
Robbery. Check! Misogyny. Check! A song that imagines pimps taking over the White House. Oddly, it exists. And it's right here.
Songs like "Pimps" verge on the utterly despicable, but the startling content is a byproduct of the unrelenting societal ills that plagued Memphis' seedy underworld. For more context, watch Hustle & Flow, a 2005 feature film seemingly lifted from the liner notes of this album and based in the Orange Mound neighborhood where Ball & G were bred.
Brick Squad Monopoly/Asylum/Warner Bros.
Flockaveli
Artist: Waka Flocka Flame
Year: 2010
City: Atlanta, GA
I'll for sure get some flack for this. Waka Flocka's claim to fame in hip-hop is apathy. The man flat out claimed not to care about lyrics shortly after his debut album released. Truth be told, he doesn't need lyricism to be effective. Flockaveli is an experiment in pure energy over hard hitting 808 beats.
If you want substance, don't bother. There's little here to make coherent criticism about.
That does nothing to take away from its pounding persistence, though. The album is to the continually burgeoning trap music scene what Lil' Jon was to Crunk half a decade prior. Waka's new form of rap translated so well to partying that it transcended rap, enticing the Euro-centric dance music circuit, where Mr. Flame remains a hero today.
Jive Records
Ridin' Dirty
Artist: UGK
Year: 1996
City: Port Arthur, TX
Ridin' Dirty is Southern Rap's Illmatic, an album that plays more like a coming-of-age tale, in which male characters wrestle with elements manufactured by their setting.
Where NaS tackles his surroundings in Queensbridge Projects, NYC, to formulate rap's most pivotal album, Pimp C and Bun B navigate their Southern identity for the entirety of Ridin' Dirty. The place they find themselves is mapped out abstractly as Anyhood, U.S.A. with only one rule - it must exist in a Southern state. Why? You'll hear the distinct Southerness of the backdrop in which each rap comes from on bluesy songs like"One Day", "Hi-Life" and the title track.
LaFace/Arista Records
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
Artist: Outkast
Year: 2003
City: Atlanta, GA
Double LPs have been historically more kind to rapper's sales figures (RIAA counts sales for double albums twice) than they have been to their critical reception. Most marquee major label artists pre-Napster have given it a go. But, if they were honest with themselves, they likely could have done better off scratching the filler and releasing these double-discs as a single LP (Jay-Z actually tried to rewrite his fate by doing just this).
Thanks to smash singles "Hey Ya!" and "The Way You Move" this package of solo albums from each member of the Outkast duo eventually blew the hinges off the door other Southern rappers put their foot in. It's the only album on this list or in this category that has won the Grammy Album of the Year award. And thanks to the double-counting rule mentioned above, it is certified diamond by the RIAA. That's 10-times platinum! In the case of this album, 11 million copies were shipped.
But, how's the music? It isn't Outkast's best album. That will come further in the list. What's most interesting is that each member doubled down on a sonic ecosystem from their discography's past. Big Boi leaned toward ATLiens-style rapping, while Andre 3000's side felt more like Aquemini's funk.
Rap-A-Lot Records
Mr. Scarface is Back
Artist: Scarface
Year: 1991
City: Houston, TX
Whether a part of the Geto Boys or on his own, Scarface has remained the most vivid storyteller among all of rap's most prolific bards.
Perpetually sinister, Face flourishes in topics that deal with the downtrodden. On "A Minute to Pray and a Second to Die" Scarface follows the events that lead to the untimely death of a young man in his neighborhood. With great control, Face makes wise use of the negative space on the track. He allows the Marvin Gaye-sampling beat to breathe at times when lesser emcees might stumble all over the instrumental. The poise he posits sets the tone for his storied career as the prototypical narrative rapper.
Make no mistake, this isn't Scarface's only classic, as collections like The Diary, The Untouchable, The Fix and a few more could've easily made this list.
Fun fact: My vote for the greatest Southern Rap song, "Mind Playin' Tricks On Me" was originally written for this album, but was reworked for Geto Boys' We Can't Be Stopped album in 1991.
Cash Money Records/Universal Music Group
400 Degreez
Artist: Juvenile
Year: 1998
City: New Orleans, LA
New Orleans in the 90s was known for rappers that were hard to understand. Not "misunderstood", but more literally, hard for uninitiated listeners to comprehend.
Like Mystikal, Juvenile was able to use this combination of local color and disregard for enunciation to his advantage. Lead single "Ha!" caught on with audiences, even in the notoriously snobbish New York club scene, due to an incredibly bouncy beat and sheer confusion when it came to lyrics. What made this album stick, however, was "Back That Thang Up", a literal dancefloor firebomb that is to hip-hop club mixes what The Beach Boys are to Baby Boomer summer road trips.
The true preservative that has made the entire album never go stale, though, is Mannie Fresh's production, paired with Juvie's no nonsense approach to describing Down South street reality on songs like "Gone Ride With Me".
LaFace/Arista Records
Soul Food
Artist: Goodie Mob
Year: 1995
City: Atlanta, GA
Cee-Lo Green proved he was a star in the opening moments of Soul Food. He's the first voice you hear, creeping out beyond a haunting organ to belt out a verse in the style of a hymn.
There's a stillness to Goodie Mob's debut album that lingers long after you listen. Phrases jump out off of tracks as permanent reminders of how little has changed since it was recorded two decades ago. The album remains, after time, Southern rap's most focused and socially responsible recording.
Ever poignant, this album's contributions to the rap consciousness and lexicon are more implicit than other albums in it's class. Still, today, it is underappreciated by the masses, but true purveyors cherish it. This is likely your favorite Southern rapper's favorite Southern rap album.
I've written a long-form review of this album before. Check it out here!
Dreamville/Columbia/Roc Nation
2014 Forest Hills Drive
Artist: J. Cole
Year: 2014
City: Fayetteville, NC
Passionate and endearing, J. Cole is an everyman rapper who champions good intentions. Unfortunately, his album work hasn't lived up to the underdog-like following he garnered during the mixtape run prior to his debut LP in 2011.
He did with this album, however, manage to go "double platinum without features", which J. Cole fans and Internet trolls remind the world each day.
Despite some alarming critical shortcomings, J. Cole does come across earnest and true to himself. 2014 Forest Hills Drive, his best full-length release yet, finds Cole at his most reflective. His sharp rhyme technique is encapsulated by a sound less reliant on tropes of hip-hop past than his fairly stale Born Sinner album. For that, this album stands out in Cole's discography and has kept his footing firm in the ranks of fan favorites no matter what reviews critics return.
It postulates itself as a modern classic, much like a pinata postulates itself as an actual donkey. Break it open and there are treats inside, but not much of any sustenance. Despite, this album is indisputably Southern rap's most recent essential body of work. The social media age has gotten behind it. We have to listen to a class that embodies the next generation of rap nerds.
Luke Records
As Nasty As They Wanna Be
Artist: 2 Live Crew
Year: 1989
City: Miami, FL
The album cover for this record isn't safe for work.
Neither are the lyrics. And most of the titles of the songs within.
So, to be on the safe side, the less detailed I am about this album, the better. But, despite those truths, I can't justify leaving this controversial entry off this list, as it was one of the first widely appreciated Southern hip-hop albums.
Rolling Stone: 7 Ways the World Went Crazy With 'As Nasty As They Wanna Be'
Def Jam Recordings/CTE
Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101
Artist: Young Jeezy
Year: 2005
City: Atlanta, GA
In the years after peer-to-peer music sharing and before social media became ubiquitous Southern rap was far enough removed from its early critical victories to develop a bad name for itself. Like an adolescent boy, it lashed out at the traditions its forefathers coveted and started experimenting with uncouth influences. Southern rappers were growing popular, but at what cost?
Young Jeezy's album is at the crux of this transitional period. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Jeezy blazed his own path instead of following the leader. He's been rewarded with longevity.
Thug Motivation 101's charm is found in its bombastic nature. Each track feels urgent, but Jeezy oddly remains calm throughout. It's his commitment to cool that keeps Jeezy in the pantheon of Southern emcees, even when he falters.
Re-Up/Jive Records/Star Trak
Hell Hath No Fury
Artist: Clipse
Year: 2006
City: Virginia Beach, VA
Brothers Terrance & Gene Thornton defied all odds to make Hell Hath No Fury an unforgettable Southern rap LP.
Clipse, an oddball mash of conscientious gangster rap and live-wire production from The Neptunes, found some pop success in 2002 with their debut. But some label peril put this, their sophomore album, in jeopardy for much longer than the siblings were comfortable. Sheer bitterness brought an animalistic tenacity out of both rappers on this LP.
In retrospect, the delayed release pushed Clipse into a frenzy of hype during a time in which anything the album's executive producer, Pharrell Williams, touched became Internet gold. Overnight, the album circumnavigated the blogsphere, breaking the rap Internet in half. HHNF is no fad, though. It's quality still holds up today, possibly even more now that fans are a decade removed from the buzz.
"Hello New World" and "Keys Open Doors" are evidence of Pusha T and Malice's growth as rappers. "Nightmares", a song that begins with a full verse from neo-soul singer Bilal, expressed an astonishing maturity in their writing instincts.
LaFace/Arista Records
ATLiens
Artist: Outkast
Year: 1996
City: Atlanta, GA
After making a statement with Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, Outkast doubled down on their second album. Taking the funk they coined with producers Organized Noize on their first joint, Dre and Big Boi elevated their style.
Like, for real. They took it to outer space.
This afrofuturist manifesto set the pace for Outkast's themes until the group's end. The album is particularly flawless in a very assured manner. ATLiens is Outkast's most lyricaly dexterous and least varied release, finding the boys in a midtempo pocket on each and every song. It's an easy listen from a rap duo that thrived on challenging each other as much as they challenged their listeners.
Rap-A-Lot Records
Just Tryin' Ta Live
Artist: Devin The Dude
Year: 2002
City: Houston, TX
What can one say about Devin? He's a jester. He's a griot. He's witty. He's probably high. But, he works hard, and rappers have to work hard to keep up with him when they appear adjacently on a track listing.
Effortless as his music may seem, Devin seems to show off a bit with this album. It speaks volumes when producers like Dr. Dre and DJ Premier, legendary producers who hardly mix with Southern rappers even today (although the later was proudly born in Texas). Devin brings his signature comedic story rhymes to Premo's "Doobie Ashtray" beat, narrating a stoned-out mystery. "Somebody had the nerve to take the herb out of my doobie ashtray, Why you do me that way?" Devin sings so solemnly that you earnestly feel bad for the poor guy.
Empathy is his greatest tool, even in hilarious scenarios. The duality makes for a captivating listen.
Prophet Entertainment
Mystic Stylez
Artist: Three 6 Mafia
Year: 1995
City: Memphis, TN
Dirty, grimy, ragged, devlish - all words that accurate encapsulate what Three 6 achieved with their first proper album.
The lo-fi recording doesn't lack in banging bass, but the muddy sonics can be grating to even the most staunch rap listener.
Over time, the taste for Memphis underground has become more acquired, as it serves as the basis for revivalist artists such as Spaceghostpurrp, Xavier Wulf, Robb Bank$ and A$AP Rocky. It's hard to look at Juicy J rap alongside Katy Perry and accepting Oscars when you've heard his humble beginnings on this album, flirting with satanic imagery and graphic violence.
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Supa Dupa Fly
Artist: Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott
Year: 1997
City: Virginia Beach & Portsmouth, VA
The biggest sound in the late-90s urban market was Timbaland & Missy Elliott. The duo's leadership led to successes in both R&B and hip-hop.
Missy excelled for a myriad of reasons that include her rap-sung vocal approach and productions that blend recognizable samples with spacey synthesizers and crisp percussion kicks. Few rap albums sound as musical and round as Supa Dupa Fly in 2017, but in 1997, it was a true anomaly. Nothing here is hard-edged, nor is anything too smooth. It's all fun. And all Missy.
Grand Hustle/Atlantic
KING.
Artist: T.I.
Year: 2006
City: Atlanta, GA
If Trap Muzik was the album that made T.I. a star, KING. is the album that made him a legend.
With his previous album's promotion hindered by a stint in jail, T.I. reemerged, once again wearing his angst like an ill-fitting baseball cap. Surviving beefs with Lil' Flip and Ludacris for a spot atop all Southern rap solo acts, T.I. used his fourth full-length project as an affirmation of his staying power. Tip raps each song with a crude arrogance, speaking his own importance into existence even before anyone else knew he was great.
LaFace/Arista Records
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Artist: Outkast
Year: 1998
City: Atlanta, GA
Outkast is no stranger to shape-shifting their style. Each album they've composed has a different depth and purpose.
Operating without fear of ostracizing the fans they gained the album prior ultimately promoted personal growth for those who chose to follow the group's dramatic shifts.
Aquemini (a portmanteau of Aquarius and Gemini) exists in time and sound at the intersection of Outkast's most daring album (Stankonia) and their most grounded album (ATLiens). Frankly, it benefits from its position, embodying all the group's best qualities to become their de facto best effort.
Swisha House/Asylum/Warner Bros.
Who Is Mike Jones?
Artist: Mike Jones
Year: 2005
City: Houston, TX
Who? Mike Jones is typically relegated to a kitschy footnote in rap history. In all honesty, he was a gimmick, a fading star cut from the cloth that made names like Vanilla ice and MC Hammer mainstays in popular culture.
Sure, Mike Jones, the rapper, is forgetful. But, Who Is Mike Jones?, the album should be credited with rolling out the red carpet for Houston rap to graduate from mom and pop record stores and into Best Buy, Target and F.Y.E.
The album's bulk is made up of certified BANGERS! "Still Tippin'", "Turnin' Lanes", "Got it Sewed Up", "Back Then" and the fabulous duet with Houston legend Big Moe, titled "Flossin'".
I bought this album twice, after scratching my first copy. So, I can attest to how important it was to keep it rotating when Mike-mania was at its peak. Inadvertently, the album's success was a sacrificial lamb that kick-started an infatuation with Houston rappers that still endures.
Jared Boyd | JBoyd@al.com
Honorable Mention: Kings of Crunk
Artist: Lil' Jon & the East Side Boyz
Year: 2002
City: Atlanta, GA
We all know Lil' Jon by now. Sadly, he's made a place for himself in popular culture that borders on caricature or parody of himself. But, that impression does nothing to speak to his influence in Southern rap.
From the Ghost Town DJ's "My Boo" (an old-school Atlanta Bass track popularized in Web lore via the #RunningManChallange) to "Yeah!" and "Turn Down for What!", Jon has constantly innovated. The height of his importance to rap begins here, however, with a song so infectious that I can't even resist dancing when I hear it, "Get Low."
This album's biggest draw is the collection of guests that turn in career-defining verses. Pastor Troy's addition to album opener "Throw It Up" is an Atlanta anthem that is still a staple in his live show set list. Mystikal completely loses his freaking mind on "I Don't Give A..." And somehow history has forgotten how much North Carolina's Petey Pablo stepped up on "Rep Yo City". Yeesh! It's an all-star affair that pointed the entire South's compass down Crunk Avenue.
The trend in music ultimately set the South back, drawing rolled eyes from rap fans outside of the South, but Southern rap stronger now because of it.
Jared Boyd | JBoyd@al.com
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