Rapper Yung Joc (born Jasiel Robinson) learned about running his own business from his father who owned a hair-care products company. It was also his father who gave a teenage Yung Joc his first break, writing a jingle for the Revlon company. Joc decided right then that the hip-hop business was for him, but he needed time to find his own style.... [+] 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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As the flagship artist for producer Irv Gotti's Def Jam-affiliated Murder Inc. label, Ja Rule became the rap industry's most commercially successful artist during the early 2000s, working closely with the hitmaker and his stable of talent. Ja initially won over a sizable following with Venni Vetti Vecci (1999), his rather hardcore debut album... [+] 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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Crunk practitioner Lil Scrappy was born Darryl Richards in the ATL. Discovered by BME Recordings and Lil Jon, Scrap built his rep throughout the Southeast before breaking nationally in 2003 with the hit "Head Bussa." A split EP with fellow BME artists Trillville followed in February 2004, spinning off the single "No Problem." Crunk was never the... [+] Read More

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Rapper Memphis Bleek was raised in Brooklyn, NY's Marcy Projects housing community, making his recorded debut in 1996 on Jay-Z's Reasonable Doubt. A member of the Roc-A-Fella Records stable, Bleek made his solo debut in 1999 with Coming of Age. While his debut did warrant plenty of attention, he wasn't able to capitalize on the hype surrounding... [+] 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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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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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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The boisterous and brash Trillville began their bid for the title "Gods of Crunk" in 1997 while attending ninth grade in Atlanta's public school system. Dirty Mouth was leader of the school's snare drum line along with writing his own rhymes, Don P was rapping and working on producing beats with his keyboard, and Lil LA (aka Lil Atlanta) was an... [+] Read More

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Atlanta's party rap duo Ying Yang Twins scored a hit with the single "Whistle While You Twurk," which received nationwide airplay on urban and crossover radio stations. Their full-length debut album, Thug Walkin', appeared later in 2000. Alley...Return of the Ying Yang Twins from 2002 sold well down South but it was the duo's 2003 team-up with... [+] Read More

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