The South Got Something To Say: A Celebration Of Southern Rap (2005-2009)
At the 1995 Source Awards, André 3000 issued a proclamation, or a prophecy: "The South got something to say." Inspired by his words, this list represents some of the most impactful songs, albums and mixtapes by Southern rappers. It was assembled by a team of Southern critics, scholars and writers representing the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, Maryland, Mississippi, Texas, Tennessee, Louisiana and Virginia.
We offer this list not as an authoritative canon but as an enthusiastic celebration that recenters the South's role as a creative center of hip-hop and presents the region for all that it has been and given to us.
2005
"Tell me what you know about me? W-E-B-B-I-E." It's the first bar Webbie spits on his debut solo album, Savage Life, and his attitude even in that short introduction immediately sets the tone for the rest of the album. Arrogant, self-assured and subtly menacing, the Baton Rouge rapper wanted it to be known that he was an MC to be taken seriously. Save for a handful of detours to speak directly to the women listening — with tracks like the desirous lead single "Give Me That" and the timeless twerk anthem "Like That," which has been interpolated by underground artists like SpaceGhostPurrp and Robb Bank$ and mainstream supernovas like Megan Thee Stallion and Beyoncé (who's actually shouted out on the song) — most of the album is spent flexing on his contemporaries. On "How U Ridin'," he asserts dominance through his cars, and on "Mind Ya' Business," he applies pressure to his enemies in a flurry of taunts. He's consistent in his imperturbable nature, choosing to turn up when and how he sees fit and keeping the momentum hurtling forward from song to song. With cadences that never feel duplicated and production that translates as pure, unvarnished crunk, Savage Life encapsulates Southern rap at its most indefatigable. —Kiana Fitzgerald
When Young Jeezy came onto the scene, hip-hop was at a special intersection of underground and mainstream culture. At that point, mixtapes and albums had clear lines of distinction, but both had equal significance to an artist's credibility. On tapes, rappers were allowed to color outside of the lines — reimagining beats that their peers glided over commercially, while making sure they were prioritizing their core base's wants and needs. The distinction comes into focus with Jeezy's Trap or Die mixtape and the album it birthed, Thug Motivation 101. The mixtape was grittier and unvarnished with its hustler's mentality devouring everything in sight. "I talk that shit to let n***** know, man, it's out there for you to get," he proclaims in an interlude. Thug Motivation 101 continued to build on that ethos, but its lessons felt accessible, polished and primed for wide consumption.
In regaling listeners with his colorful tales of the trap and the spoils of war, he framed his life as a true American rags-to-riches success story. And in the process, he pioneered dramatic, personalized ab-libs as absolute essentials in rap, as well as changing the meaning of a snowman from a wholesome winter fixture to a demonized symbol of drug trafficking in pop culture. Though the subject matter was specific, the lessons were universal — a reminder to us (and maybe himself, even) of the long, trying process of the climb. He preaches that putting your head down and working both smart and hard will get you everything you want in life. Looking back with the understanding of capitalism that we have now, one might say that these messages are easy to dispel, but there's immense value in Jeezy's intent here. While the majority of his peers at the time (and still to this day) weaponized their fortune against those without, the sole purpose of TM101 was to offer a playbook to the hustlers and go-getters. It's hard not to respect the approach and even harder not to listen. —Lawrence Burney
On the heels of their debut single, "White Tee," Dem Franchize Boyz released "I Think They Like Me (So So Def Remix)" as the lead single off , their second studio album. The remix would go on to become one of the biggest songs of the era. Joined by Jermaine Dupri, Da Brat and Bow
