As a member of the popular Eightball & MJG duo, this large rapper labored for years in the Southern rap underground before making the jump from cult success to coast-to-coast stardom. His career began as part of the Memphis, TN, duo Eightball & MJG back in the early '90s, when you had to be from either New York or Cali to get a major-label deal.... [+] Read More

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Master P created a hip-hop empire without registering on any mainstream radar. For several years, he operated solely in the rap underground, eventually surfacing in the mid-'90s as a recording artist and producer who knew exactly what his audience wanted. And what they wanted was gangsta rap. With his independent label No Limit, Master P gave... [+] Read More

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As a member of the popular Eightball & MJG duo, the rapper born as Marlon Jermaine Goodwin is widely seen as one of the South's pioneers. His first solo album, No More Glory, appeared in 1997. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide

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Evolving slowly but steadily over the years, Three 6 Mafia began as an exploitative, horror-themed underground hardcore rap sensation ("666 Mafia," get it?) yet went on to enjoy relatively mainstream success years later, eventually winning an Oscar and scoring some major hits. The Memphis, TN, group's membership varied from album to album, with... [+] Read More

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Tru is a three-piece gangsta rap group that No Limit mastermind Master P formed with his younger brothers, Silkk and C-Murder. Tru became the most popular act on No Limit with their 1995 debut album, True; it sold over 200,000 copies with little promotion or airplay, and helped establish No Limit as an underground hip-hop force. Tru released its... [+] Read More

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Southern gangsta rappers Pimp C and Bun B formed UGK (aka Underground Kingz) in the late '80s and signed to Jive Records for their major label debut album, 1992's Too Hard to Swallow. After second album Super Tight..., UGK hit the R&B charts with 1996's Ridin' Dirty, which ascended to the number two spot. Dirty Money followed in late 2001. ~... [+] Read More

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