by S. L. Wheeler

Created on: June 18, 2009

Southern rap is a style of hip-hop that originated from southern cities like Atlanta, Houston, New Orleans and Miami, as the name implies. These cities are the most notable cities to have consistently churned out mega rap stars like Outkast, T.I., and Lil' Wayne respectively.

Stylistically, southern rap is known for its exuberant production and straightforward lyrics. Some times referred to as the dirty south form of hip-hop it has received more acclaim for its distinct sound and slang than for its lyrical content.

In the late '80s, Southern rap was primarily associated with Miami bass music, also popularly known as "booty music" both for its rump-shaking beats and the central preoccupation of its lyrics. Chief among its artists was Luther Campbell's 2 Live Crew, which became well known for the sexual content of its lyrics which later sparked outcries from pro-censorship groups from across the country.

The sound of Miami bass spread through the rest of the South and remained a national dance-floor staple through the '90s, with artists like Tag Team, 95 South, the 69 Boyz, Quad City DJ's, all scoring huge hit singles (although their lyrics were far less explicit than Campbell's).

Before long, Atlanta had its share of bass-heavy party rap artists, but also offered a quirkier, more characteristic (and critically acclaimed) style incorporating the funk of classic Southern soul. The intellectual Arrested Development was one of the first to hit the national scene in 1992, and they were followed a few years later by groups such as OutKast and Goodie Mob. While it seemed that Atlanta was the creative center of Southern rap, New Orleans was in the process of making a name for it self.

Master P a New Orleans native, built a lucrative empire with the No Limit record label, and even if he and his roster didn't really push the envelope artistically (most No Limit albums stuck to West Coast G-funk, Wu-Tang-style hardcore, and mainly gangsta lyrics) - No Limit records churned out hits with assembly-line efficiency and became a constant presence on the national album charts during the late '90s. Toward the end of the decade, fellow New Orleans label Cash Money scored a national breakout with Juvenile, establishing them as a legitimate rival force. More recently the success and critical acclaim of rapper Lil Wayne who came upon the scene as a solo artist in 1999 and has since been nominated for eight Grammy awards has earned New Orleans bragging rights as the birth place of some of southern raps greatest.

Houston's hegemony in 2005 gave rise to the mainstream success of Paul Wall, Chamillionaire, Slim Thug, and Mike Jones. Houston's commercial reign also put the 'chopped and screwed' sub-genre (named after its pioneer DJ Screw) on the national map.

Southern rap has been in existence since the early days of hip-hop however it always seemed to come in a distant third behind the East Coast and the West Coast styles. While lyrical content may not be the central focus of southern rap, its pulsating beats, stylish local dialects and its ability to always spark the latest dance craze has managed to catapult what was once a regional form of hip-hop on to the national scene.

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