Once dubbed "the Jay-Z of the South" by Pharrell Williams, T.I. gradually came into his own and established himself as one of rap's greatest and most successful MCs during the early 2000s. Like Jay-Z, T.I. -- born Clifford Harris in Atlanta, GA -- has always carried a balance of smoothness and toughness, and though 2001's I'm Serious (released... [+] Read More

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One half of the rap duo Crooked Lettaz, David Banner helped put Mississippi on the map in 1999. In 2000, he released his first solo album in Them Firewater Boyz, Vol. 1. Originally on Penalty Records, he realized quickly that a New York-based record label just didn't know how to handle the south. With the help of his crew, he managed to sell... [+] Read More

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Goodie Mob's earnest and reverent approach made them one of the more admired groups of their era, and undeniably one of the most respected groups in the often irreverent and scoffed at Dirty South scene, if not the most respected. The Atlanta group's first album, Soul Food (1995), stands as one of the earliest Southern rap albums to... [+] Read More

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Beginning with breakout success in 1992 upon the discovery of teenage rappers Kris Kross, Jermaine Dupri became one of the most consistent and all-persuasive producers of the 1990s, producing practically the entire careers of many artists on his label, So So Def Recordings (including platinum entries like Xscape and Da Brat as well as Kris... [+] Read More

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Outkast associate Killer Mike earned his own hit in 2003 with "A.D.I.D.A.S." He debuted two years earlier on "The Whole World," from the greatest-hits Big Boi and Dre Present...Outkast. After signing to Columbia, his first single "A.D.I.D.A.S.," hit the pop charts in March 2003, and the subsequent album, Monster, debuted in the Top Ten. ~ John... [+] Read More

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The LACS which consists of recording artists Clay Sharpe (Uncle Snap), Brandon Herndon (Yocal), and Brian King (Captain Kang)made a name for themselves in the south's underground hip hop scene. Completeing their lastest album LACADEMICS for release this fall with guest appearances from Pastor Troy, Mr. MUDD, DG Yola and the ATL Legend Raheen tha... [+] Read More

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The Georgia-based hip-hop trio Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz includes members Lil Jon, Big Sam, and Lil Bo. Leader Lil Jon began his career by DJ'ing at the now defunct Atlanta club Phoenix in the early '90s, a hangout frequented by many top hip-hop/R&B stars of the day. One of the artists who frequented the club, Jermaine Dupri, was so impressed... [+] Read More

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OutKast's blend of gritty Southern soul, fluid raps, and the rolling G-funk of their Organized Noize production crew epitomized the Atlanta wing of hip-hop's rising force, the Dirty South, during the late '90s. Along with Goodie Mob, OutKast took Southern hip-hop in bold, innovative new directions: less reliance on aggression, more positivity... [+] Read More

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Integrating self-consciousness and sincerity into his otherwise prototypical Dirty South style of rap, Pastor Troy stood out among the masses of up-and-coming Southern MCs trying to break nationally in the early 2000s. Perhaps more than anything, Troy's deeply religious youth shapes his ideology, which also features the usual Dirty South themes... [+] Read More

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Integrating self-consciousness and sincerity into his otherwise prototypical Dirty South style of rap, Pastor Troy stood out among the masses of up-and-coming Southern MCs trying to break nationally in the early 2000s. Perhaps more than anything, Troy's deeply religious youth shapes his ideology, which also features the usual Dirty South themes... [+] Read More

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Rather than taking the underground route like most Southern rappers, Petey Pablo took the direct route into the rap game: he went straight to the top. Though few knew much about him, Pablo suddenly broke in late 2001, and not just in the South but from coast to coast -- MTV rotated his video and urban radio championed his debut single. That... [+] Read More

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Once dubbed "the Jay-Z of the South" by Pharrell Williams, T.I. gradually came into his own and established himself as one of rap's greatest and most successful MCs during the early 2000s. Like Jay-Z, T.I. -- born Clifford Harris in Atlanta, GA -- has always carried a balance of smoothness and toughness, and though 2001's I'm Serious (released... [+] Read More

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