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Three 6 Mafia

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Three 6 Mafia is an American hip-hop group from Memphis, Tennessee, formed in 1991. It began as an underground horrorcore group and later broke through to the mainstream. The founders were DJ Paul, his half-brother Lord Infamous and Juicy J. At first they worked under names such as Da Serial Killaz and The Backyard Posse. In 1995 Crunchy Black and Gangsta Boo joined, and the group took the name Three 6 Mafia. The debut album Mystic Stylez, released that year, became an influential cult classic.

Music and breakthrough

In 1997 DJ Paul and Juicy J founded the label Hypnotize Minds. They signed with Sony and released Chapter 2: World Domination, the first album to receive an official certification. In 1999 a subgroup made one of the first records in the crunk style. In 2000 came When the Smoke Clears: Sixty 6, Sixty 1, featuring Sippin' on Some Syrup with UGK. In 2005 Most Known Unknown arrived, with Stay Fly. In 2006 the group won an Oscar for Best Original Song, It's Hard out Here for a Pimp, from the film Hustle & Flow.

Influence

Three 6 Mafia shows how hip-hop from Memphis made its way into the mainstream. The group brought crunk and a raw Memphis sound to a large audience. For the chapter on hip-hop in the 2000s, it is a clear example of how a local scene could break through nationwide.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Stay Fly and notice the chorus and the beat. Can you hear how the rappers take turns and how the rhythm builds around a simple, repeated motif?

Discography

Studio albums

Mentioned in other articles

See also

Categories: ArtistsSouthern hip hop and crunk