Five things we learned from the rise of the South
Until the mid-1990s, the South was a relatively neglected region in terms of hip-hop. Of course, people from the Southern states were listening to music from the region. However, it took a while for the South to find its own sound and get on its feet. Still, it managed to do so. Although the South is a part of the US, it is distinctly different in many ways, which makes its music that much more interesting. A city like New York is a melting pot of different cultures. As such, whether it’s Dominicans in the Bronx, Haitians in Brooklyn or Jamaicans in Harlem, the immigrant communities contributed greatly to the creation and philosophy of hip-hop.
Still, early rap lyrics heavily reflected New York City. Not only did rappers visually have a New York style, but their songs made references to ‘Uptown,’ the ‘Boogie Down Bronx,’ and ‘The A-train.’ Although these subjects are interesting to many, they were and are completely unrelatable to Black Americans from the South. In the 1980s, the West Coast forged its own lane with gangsta rap acts such as NWA and Ice T, but unlike California, states like Georgia and Louisiana failed to get recognition on a nationwide scale.
However, in the 1990s, hip-hop finally gained a new respect for the South after its long struggle. Now more than ever, rappers from what is colloquially known as ‘The Dixies’ are being uplifted and empowered. However, during hip-hop’s formative years, the region’s music was a non-factor, especially in the eyes of New Yorkers.
But strangely, in 2025, the sonic of Atlanta-born trap music not only runs hip-hop but has become the de facto way of producing hits. The sound is prominent in New York MCs like Cardi B and Lil TJay, as well as in West Coast torchbearers like Kendrick Lamar and Roddy Ricch. As such, we have explained how the formerly irrelevant South became a cultural epicentre of hip-hop in three decades.
Five things we learned from the rise of the South:
5. Local DJs are meant to play local music
The South has always maintained a sense of regional pride, which proved crucial to the area’s musical success in the long term. When the genre of hip-hop first arose, New York DJs unsurprisingly played artists from the city on the radio. The same happened when the West Coast began to experience a boom in the 1980s. However, as the culture became a nationwide phenomenon, inter-city radio play became frequent.
Furthermore, radio stations in certain areas began to draft more prestigious DJs from outside. This led to an increase in the number of tastemakers with no knowledge of the local music scene seizing power. However, the South never had this issue, and, as once highlighted by Snoop Dogg, whether you’re in the club or listening to the airwaves, hip-hop from outside the region has always taken a backseat. As such, new talent is frequently promoted, and the area is in a constant state of musical renewal.
4. Internal feuds are damaging
Since the 1980s, New York artists have gone against one another and created vicious feuds. Over time, this actually led to a decline in the quality of music coming out of the city as it became very segregated. From the Juice Crew vs BDP to G-Unit vs Murder Inc, with less collaboration a hostile environment was created, which in turn stopped New York from flourishing.
On the other hand, most of the South’s rappers co-exist and create amazing music with each other. Lil Baby is happy to collaborate with Young Thug, and the latter is happy to collaborate with Playboi Carti. These relationships lead to amazing projects, smash hits and a sense of dynamism that doesn’t exist in other parts of the US. While 50 Cent was getting shot, Three 6 Mafia, UGK and Project Pat were collaborating on ‘Sippin’ on Some Sizzurp’ — a Southern anthem. Such an environment removes unneeded sideshows and often leads to more money.
3. Don’t demean your audience
Although hip-hop is innately political and is a great way to spread messages, many artists from outside the South politicised their music so much that they ultimately alienated their listeners. It’s important to have messages in your music, but it is also important to create songs that uplift people. That said, with such a prevalent strip club culture, the South never forgot about the importance of club anthems.
In the 1990s, many artists from both New York and LA began to become preachy, condescending and overly focused on “kicking knowledge.” These kinds of tracks can’t be played in the club and are in no way uplifting. While albums such as The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill are key to hip-hop, MCs producing a barrage of politically charged tracks will find it hard to see the top of the charts, and, in the South, the club is king.
2. The mixtape is king
The South has always been a great producer of mixtapes and no one epitomises this quite like Lil Wayne. The Louisiana native has 29 mixtapes, and this represents something. Although mixtapes on the East Coast were a big deal in the 2000s, the mixtapes (even in the ‘90s) were primarily compilations of the hottest tracks out. What Lil Wayne cleverly figured out is that people in the South would love to hear a version of these anthems that were more relatable and even grow to prefer them.
MCs from all over the South did this, and, unsurprisingly, local radio DJs played for their audience. As a result, many tracks, such as Dipset’s ‘Get From Round Me’ had an alternate version. ‘Get Em’ which appeared on Lil Wayne’s Dedication 2, was far more popular than the New York original. This happened across the South and unlike in other regions, tailored mixtapes with familiar references were listened to by natives a lot more than the commercially palatable albums.
1. Embrace evolution
Unlike other regions of the US, the South has always embraced evolution in its music and has never seemed so desperate to hang on to the sonic it had during its heyday. When crunk emerged in the 2000s, other local artists immediately embraced it and helped the sound grow. When trap first came to the forefront, elders from the South welcomed it.
On the East Coast, figures such as Pete Rock have decided to call drill “trash.” Styles P has said, “it ain’t nothing,” and Tony Yayo has asserted it’s bad for the city. From these examples alone, it is clear to see why New York hip-hop hasn’t moved forward or adopted a new sound as, it seems, the city’s elders won’t allow the sound to change. That said, until the above points are noticed as the blueprint for domination, the West and East Coasts will fail to have a new renaissance.