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Dirty South: OutKast, Lil Wayne, Soulja Boy, and the Southern Rappers Who Reinvented Hip-Hop
Rap music from New York and Los Angeles once ruled the charts, but nowadays the southern sound thoroughly dominates the radio, Billboard , and MTV. Coastal artists like Wu-Tang Clan, Nas, and Ice-T call southern rap “garbage,” but they’re probably just jealous, as artists like Lil Wayne and T.I. still move millions of copies, and OutKast has the bestselling rap album of all time. In Dirty South , author Ben Westhoff investigates the southern rap phenomenon, watching rappers “make it rain” in a Houston strip club and partying with the 2 Live Crew’s Luke Campbell. Westhoff visits the gritty neighborhoods where T.I. and Lil Wayne grew up, kicks it with Big Boi in Atlanta, and speaks with artists like DJ Smurf and Ms. Peachez, dance-craze originators accused of setting back the black race fifty years. Acting both as investigative journalist and irreverent critic, Westhoff probes the celebrated-but-dark history of Houston label Rap-A-Lot Records, details the lethal rivalry between Atlanta MCs Gucci Mane and Young Jeezy, and gets venerable rapper Scarface to open up about his time in a mental institution. Dirty South features exclusive interviews with the genre’s most colorful players. Westhoff has written a journalistic tour de force, the definitive account of the most vital musical culture of our time.
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
17 people are currently reading
961 people want to read
About the author
Ben Westhoff
10 books190 followersBen Westhoff's new book Little Brother: Love, Tragedy, and My Search For the Truth (May 24, 2022, Hachette Books) is a true crime memoir detailing his investigation into the unsolved killing of Jorell Cleveland, Westhoff's mentee in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program for 11 years. His previous book Fentanyl, Inc.: How Rogue Chemists Are Creating the Deadliest Wave of the Opioid Epidemic (Grove Atlantic) is the highly-acclaimed, bombshell first book about fentanyl, which is causing the worst drug crisis in American history. It has received glowing reviews, was included on many year-end best lists, and Westhoff was featured on NPR's Fresh Air and Joe Rogan's podcast. He now speaks around the country about the fentanyl crisis, and has advised top government officials on the problem, including from the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, and the U.S. State Department.
Westhoff's previous book Original Gangstas: Tupac Shakur, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Ice Cube, and the Birth of West Coast Rap is one of the best-selling hip-hop books of all time and has been translated into multiple languages, receiving top reviews from Rolling Stone, People, Kirkus, and others. S. Leigh Savidge, Academy Award nominee and co-writer of Straight Outta Compton said it "may be the best book ever written about the hip hop world."
Westhoff is an award-winning journalist whose work has appeared in The New York Times, the Library of Congress, The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, Rolling Stone, Vice, and others. His 2011 book on southern hip-hop, Dirty South: OutKast, Lil Wayne, Soulja Boy, and the Southern Rappers Who Reinvented Hip-Hop was a Library Journal best seller.
Subscribe to Westhoff's newsletter at benwesthoff.substack.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
December 28, 2011
I liked Dirty South because I liked Ben Westhoff. I liked reading about the slightly aloof white guy kicking it in the club with Luke, being driven away from a potentially “gay” area by Mr. Collipark, asking Soulja Boy how much money he carried around, and unsuccessfully deciphering Gucci Mane’s southern drawl on the phone. He clearly cared about the culture and had done his homework. Every time I thought, “what about affiliate so and so,” Westhoff would mention him. There’s no new information here if you keep up with hip hop on the internet but it was cool how contemporary the book was. It’s hard for books about hip hop to stay timely, but Westhoff pulls it off in an accessible, often satirical, yet charming and accurate way. There’s more detail in Third Coast but it’s also so jammed packed with facts so that it’s not as easy of a read. There’s just enough information here, and if I were going to teach that class on Soulja Boy, I would assign Dirty South. Perhaps, that’s because I hold the distinction of publishing the first academic essays on Souljah Boy, but that’s an unconfirmed fact (kinda like independent record sales). Another plus is that Westhoff emphasizes pleasure and sound. You can’t talk about the popularity of dirty south music without talking about how it sounds. And his comparisons to the blues are right on—to their distinct generations both genres can be aptly termed dirty music.
I also enjoyed reading about the music that marks my coming of age. I know the old heads are groaning but some of us are younger and the rise of the dirty south happened while we were in college and the parties were all about the dirty. My undergraduate best friend was from the ATL and he made me practice saying shawty until he gave up because I could never get the inflection right. He bootlegged my first Outkast, introduced me to Cool Breeze, Drama—the initial rise of the ATL. The first hip hop courses I ever taught occurred at the same time as the rise of Swishahouse. I loved the nostalgia of Dirty South. At the same time, the book does a great job demonstrating hip hop caprice. Most of the featured artists have come and gone. It reminds me of the ephemeral nature of hip hop and how now it’s hard to distinguish southern rap because so many rappers from the south are globally affiliated. I mean, is Young Money really a southern label with Drake from Toronto and Nicki from New York by way of Trinidad as its headliners? The changing of the guard also suggests if dudes hadn’t met the right people at the right time we would never know their names. How many names will we never know? The game has certainly changed since the beginning of its newest contributors. It has been 12ish years since the south was a novelty. Okay, so now I feel like the old head…
My only beef which is always my beef is the missing women. I mean, Missy, Trina, Mia X, and Gangsta Boo all get passing mentions, but they deserve more than that, and I always ride for Princess and Diamond. Actually, now that I think of it Crime Mobb wasn’t mentioned at all. But other than that, an easy read that made me reappreciate pleasure and play in 21st century hip hop.
I also enjoyed reading about the music that marks my coming of age. I know the old heads are groaning but some of us are younger and the rise of the dirty south happened while we were in college and the parties were all about the dirty. My undergraduate best friend was from the ATL and he made me practice saying shawty until he gave up because I could never get the inflection right. He bootlegged my first Outkast, introduced me to Cool Breeze, Drama—the initial rise of the ATL. The first hip hop courses I ever taught occurred at the same time as the rise of Swishahouse. I loved the nostalgia of Dirty South. At the same time, the book does a great job demonstrating hip hop caprice. Most of the featured artists have come and gone. It reminds me of the ephemeral nature of hip hop and how now it’s hard to distinguish southern rap because so many rappers from the south are globally affiliated. I mean, is Young Money really a southern label with Drake from Toronto and Nicki from New York by way of Trinidad as its headliners? The changing of the guard also suggests if dudes hadn’t met the right people at the right time we would never know their names. How many names will we never know? The game has certainly changed since the beginning of its newest contributors. It has been 12ish years since the south was a novelty. Okay, so now I feel like the old head…
My only beef which is always my beef is the missing women. I mean, Missy, Trina, Mia X, and Gangsta Boo all get passing mentions, but they deserve more than that, and I always ride for Princess and Diamond. Actually, now that I think of it Crime Mobb wasn’t mentioned at all. But other than that, an easy read that made me reappreciate pleasure and play in 21st century hip hop.
July 29, 2023
3.5 rounded up! I took a class on hip hop in college, but it definitely focused on the East and West Coasts, overlooking the South, the “third coast” Ben Westhoff celebrates here. I was inspired to pick this book up to round out my education…and because this book was published in 2011, so many of the artists profiled were at their zenith when I was in high school. It was a fun little nostalgia trip!
At times, the book read like a word salad of names and references, but it also featured a lot of original reporting and a sense of passion for the subject matter that I appreciated. I was disappointed by the lack of coverage of female artists; Westhoff gives glancing attention at best to Missy Elliott and TLC and I felt that was neglectful. Otherwise, I liked the format, where each chapter would explore different artists and facets of the Southern rap scene; I felt this lent a good sense of interest and pacing.
At times, the book read like a word salad of names and references, but it also featured a lot of original reporting and a sense of passion for the subject matter that I appreciated. I was disappointed by the lack of coverage of female artists; Westhoff gives glancing attention at best to Missy Elliott and TLC and I felt that was neglectful. Otherwise, I liked the format, where each chapter would explore different artists and facets of the Southern rap scene; I felt this lent a good sense of interest and pacing.
July 13, 2021
As a woman born and raised in Alabama, I grew up listening to many southern rappers including Geto Boys, OutKast, Lil Jon, the Ying Yang Twins as well as artists from No Limit Productions and Cash Money Records. The main reason why I love southern hip hop so much is that it is a genre where anyone can become a star whether they came from a stable two parent home in the suburbs or a single parent home in the projects.
Through "Dirty South," author Ben Westhoff provides a book that presents the history of how southern hip hop went from an unknown genre in the late 1980's to becoming a powerful musical force that currently gets airplay on radio, TV, and the internet which is accepted worldwide.
The book begins with an introduction in which the author highlights Louisiana rapper Ms. Peachez and the controversy created through the rapper's low budget videos which many say perpetuate black stereotypes such as eating chicken and watermelon. Ironically, the criticisms lobbied against Ms. Peachez only helps to spur Peachez' popularity and leads to additional music videos.
Through the course of sixteen chapters, the author highlights heavyweights in southern rapper who came from Florida, Texas, Georgia, Louisiana, Alabama, and Virginia that have been instrumental to creating, honing, and refining the southern hip hop sound. To me, the most surprising state included in the book is Missouri (through Nelly) however the author justifies the inclusion of Missouri as a southern rap state since the Missouri rap style is similar to southern rap style with the use of bounce, bass and southern vernacular.
In each chapter of the book, Westhoff presents the rapper's origin story as well as the rapper's rise to fame, their rapper's success, the rapper's failure and the current state of the rapper's career.
The rappers highlighted in the book are as follows:
1. Luke Campbell
2. Geto Boys
3. Trae and DJ Screw
4.UGK
5. Eightball, MJG, & Three Six Mafia
6. Outkast, Goode Mob, and Organized Noise
7. Cash Money, No Limit, and Juvenile
8. Nelly
9. Timbaland and the Neptunes
10. Lil Jon
11. DJ Drama and T.I.
12. Paul Wall and the New H-Town Movement
13. T-Pain and his Florida Hitmakers
14. Soulja Boy & DJ Smurf
15. Lil Wayne
16. Gucci Mane
I enjoyed this book immensely since it provides backstories on rappers I wasn't aware of as well as shows how interconnected the music industry is regarding how rapper's were introduced to each other. In addition, I liked how Westhoff provides context for how popular phrases such as bling bling, chopped, crunk, dirty south, and screwed became widely used by people of all ages and races. Although I enjoyed all the chapters in this book, my favorite chapters are about OutKast, Timbaland and the Neptunes, and Lil Jon.
Through "Dirty South," Westhoff shows that the southern rap developed due to a desire for rappers to tell stories of their life experiences and how it was initially shunned by East and West Coast rappers but was eventually embraced. This book serves as a time capsule showing the growth, popularity, and decline of the southern hip hop genre as well as a cautionary tale of what happens when rappers are involved in drugs, violence, and drinking too much syrup which is a drink consisting of prescription cough syrup and soda.
Overall, this book is a great read for anyone who is a fan of the southern hip hop genre or who has ever enjoyed southern hip hop. "Dirty South" is not only an informative read, it helps inspire the reader to get reacquainted with pivotal records by the artists mentioned in the book.
Through "Dirty South," author Ben Westhoff provides a book that presents the history of how southern hip hop went from an unknown genre in the late 1980's to becoming a powerful musical force that currently gets airplay on radio, TV, and the internet which is accepted worldwide.
The book begins with an introduction in which the author highlights Louisiana rapper Ms. Peachez and the controversy created through the rapper's low budget videos which many say perpetuate black stereotypes such as eating chicken and watermelon. Ironically, the criticisms lobbied against Ms. Peachez only helps to spur Peachez' popularity and leads to additional music videos.
Through the course of sixteen chapters, the author highlights heavyweights in southern rapper who came from Florida, Texas, Georgia, Louisiana, Alabama, and Virginia that have been instrumental to creating, honing, and refining the southern hip hop sound. To me, the most surprising state included in the book is Missouri (through Nelly) however the author justifies the inclusion of Missouri as a southern rap state since the Missouri rap style is similar to southern rap style with the use of bounce, bass and southern vernacular.
In each chapter of the book, Westhoff presents the rapper's origin story as well as the rapper's rise to fame, their rapper's success, the rapper's failure and the current state of the rapper's career.
The rappers highlighted in the book are as follows:
1. Luke Campbell
2. Geto Boys
3. Trae and DJ Screw
4.UGK
5. Eightball, MJG, & Three Six Mafia
6. Outkast, Goode Mob, and Organized Noise
7. Cash Money, No Limit, and Juvenile
8. Nelly
9. Timbaland and the Neptunes
10. Lil Jon
11. DJ Drama and T.I.
12. Paul Wall and the New H-Town Movement
13. T-Pain and his Florida Hitmakers
14. Soulja Boy & DJ Smurf
15. Lil Wayne
16. Gucci Mane
I enjoyed this book immensely since it provides backstories on rappers I wasn't aware of as well as shows how interconnected the music industry is regarding how rapper's were introduced to each other. In addition, I liked how Westhoff provides context for how popular phrases such as bling bling, chopped, crunk, dirty south, and screwed became widely used by people of all ages and races. Although I enjoyed all the chapters in this book, my favorite chapters are about OutKast, Timbaland and the Neptunes, and Lil Jon.
Through "Dirty South," Westhoff shows that the southern rap developed due to a desire for rappers to tell stories of their life experiences and how it was initially shunned by East and West Coast rappers but was eventually embraced. This book serves as a time capsule showing the growth, popularity, and decline of the southern hip hop genre as well as a cautionary tale of what happens when rappers are involved in drugs, violence, and drinking too much syrup which is a drink consisting of prescription cough syrup and soda.
Overall, this book is a great read for anyone who is a fan of the southern hip hop genre or who has ever enjoyed southern hip hop. "Dirty South" is not only an informative read, it helps inspire the reader to get reacquainted with pivotal records by the artists mentioned in the book.
August 20, 2011
I read this to try and keep an open mind about a sub-genre of music that I generally find repulsive. I have to say that I've got a better understanding of the appeal of this music and the stories of the "artists" in the book are intriguing.
February 1, 2011
i like this book bec it real no lie
January 14, 2023
A couple weeks ago I went to an exhibit at the Museum of Design Atlanta on hip-hop architecture and it included a model of Atlanta's Trap Music Museum. Fortunately there was a posted explanation of what trap music was (I'd never heard of it) but it just highlighted to me that there are a lot of things happening in this city that I am totally clueless about. I am definitely too old for hip-hop to be my music, but Atlanta has been my home town for decades and I'm interested in the city and what's happening in it, especially beyond my own admittedly narrow experience. Reading Maurice Hobson's "The Legend of the Black Mecca: Politics and Class in the Making of Modern Atlanta" a few years ago convinced me that Atlanta hip-hop artists and rappers were an important part of the city's cultural scene and I didn't know anything about it. So when I saw Ben Westhoff's book "Dirty South: OutKast, Lil Wayne, Soulja Boy, and the Southern Rappers Who Reinvented Hip-Hop" at a local bookstore it caught my eye. It provides a good overview of the artists who have been influential in the 1990s and 2000s (the book was published in 2011). I was especially interested in the entrepreneurial approaches many artists employed to market their music absent external support from record labels. (Given how the music industry has changed I'm not sure how much support even major record labels provide their artists anymore.) I also appreciated the "Recommended Listening" list in the book, which obviously would not be needed for readers more familiar with the music and the artists. It's a good overview that is accessible to a reader who is new to the genre, but I expect that readers who are more familiar than I am with the artists would also find the book interesting and informative.
January 10, 2020
This is really good.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2012
Editorial: How Southern Rappers Changed the Climate of Hip Hop; The Expectations Of a Region
Up and coming rappers succumbed to the east coast sound and lyrical poise from rap initiators such as: Kool Herc, Run DMC, to name a few. But, UGK, consisting of Pimp C and Bun B were from Port Author, TX. A city 90 miles outside of Houston would lay the framework for a sustainable and cherished piece of rap history. Pimp C, the stepson of a school band teacher, possessed a classical background and an appreciation for negro spirituals and Italian sonnets.”That rap is noise…,” said his step-father. Arguably the reason for his soulful, church organ inspired beats with rebellious bass to complete the hip hop theme.
So how did this change the climate of hip hop? Gangsta rap assimilated and first exposed in the west created infatuation for a regions “way of life.” The idea of southern pimps, “swanging” slabs and gold-mouthed rhyme speakers gave the under-developed hip hop culture something new to analyze. However, as southern rap expanded to the big screen (Menace II Society, Office Space, etc) and became acknowledged as “hip hop” conflict arose. Outkast appeared on the 1995 Hip Hop Source Awards they were immediately welcomed by boos from the crowd of peers.
But lack of acceptance could not have happened at a better time. A pivotal moment occurred when Wu-Tang Clan member Raekwon, shortly after winning the Source Award for Best Group, developed a respect for southern style during his tenure in Atlanta. He met Andre Benjamin of Outkast and was invited to the Dungeon Family recording studio. This rare meeting resulted in a groundbreaking collaboration on the record, “Skew It on the Bar-B” and was an immediate hit. Raekwon shares, “before that south wasn’t played in New York.”
Before hip hop strongly emerged in the south, the path to success was blazed by artists, such as: Ray Charles, Chuck Berry, and others. The general notion seemed to be you can’t make it from the south in the south. But southern rap pioneers such as, UGK, Geto Boys, Goodie Mob and DJ Screwed changed the persona and challenged the status quo. The south re-designed the “big business” of hip hop by exploding on the scene gaining support from their region, selling tapes out of their trunks and supporting other up and coming rappers in their community.
Up and coming rappers succumbed to the east coast sound and lyrical poise from rap initiators such as: Kool Herc, Run DMC, to name a few. But, UGK, consisting of Pimp C and Bun B were from Port Author, TX. A city 90 miles outside of Houston would lay the framework for a sustainable and cherished piece of rap history. Pimp C, the stepson of a school band teacher, possessed a classical background and an appreciation for negro spirituals and Italian sonnets.”That rap is noise…,” said his step-father. Arguably the reason for his soulful, church organ inspired beats with rebellious bass to complete the hip hop theme.
So how did this change the climate of hip hop? Gangsta rap assimilated and first exposed in the west created infatuation for a regions “way of life.” The idea of southern pimps, “swanging” slabs and gold-mouthed rhyme speakers gave the under-developed hip hop culture something new to analyze. However, as southern rap expanded to the big screen (Menace II Society, Office Space, etc) and became acknowledged as “hip hop” conflict arose. Outkast appeared on the 1995 Hip Hop Source Awards they were immediately welcomed by boos from the crowd of peers.
But lack of acceptance could not have happened at a better time. A pivotal moment occurred when Wu-Tang Clan member Raekwon, shortly after winning the Source Award for Best Group, developed a respect for southern style during his tenure in Atlanta. He met Andre Benjamin of Outkast and was invited to the Dungeon Family recording studio. This rare meeting resulted in a groundbreaking collaboration on the record, “Skew It on the Bar-B” and was an immediate hit. Raekwon shares, “before that south wasn’t played in New York.”
Before hip hop strongly emerged in the south, the path to success was blazed by artists, such as: Ray Charles, Chuck Berry, and others. The general notion seemed to be you can’t make it from the south in the south. But southern rap pioneers such as, UGK, Geto Boys, Goodie Mob and DJ Screwed changed the persona and challenged the status quo. The south re-designed the “big business” of hip hop by exploding on the scene gaining support from their region, selling tapes out of their trunks and supporting other up and coming rappers in their community.
June 17, 2012
This reads less like a cohesive book than a series of long, feature profiles. It makes for easier reading and the content he digs up is engaging.
So overall, it's a very good book with a lot of great info on artists who don't generally get a good critical look at. I had a couple minor issues with it though. One was that I thought it was weird to read about things as current as 2010 as if they were history. I guess I think he should've held back on tackling Gucci Mane before the dust had really settled. I think the other artists covered have already done something to make an impact. But Gucci's impact, it's still hard to say what that might be if anything at all.
Also, there are moments when he explicitly talks of having a sort of mission with this book to legitimize Southern rap. That's fine but he accomplishes that just by telling the stories he tells. When he talks about his mission, he antagonizes and dismisses rap traditionalists pretty unfairly. Which makes him look as petty as said rap traditionalists.
This review sounds pretty negative now that I'm reading it. But the book is good for sure. It's changed my views of T.I., T-Pain, and Lil Jon for the better. The Soulja Boy chapter was a stretch but he does have a point about making music that people actually wanna enjoy as opposed to writing complex lyrics and whining that people don't wanna hear that. Recommended.
So overall, it's a very good book with a lot of great info on artists who don't generally get a good critical look at. I had a couple minor issues with it though. One was that I thought it was weird to read about things as current as 2010 as if they were history. I guess I think he should've held back on tackling Gucci Mane before the dust had really settled. I think the other artists covered have already done something to make an impact. But Gucci's impact, it's still hard to say what that might be if anything at all.
Also, there are moments when he explicitly talks of having a sort of mission with this book to legitimize Southern rap. That's fine but he accomplishes that just by telling the stories he tells. When he talks about his mission, he antagonizes and dismisses rap traditionalists pretty unfairly. Which makes him look as petty as said rap traditionalists.
This review sounds pretty negative now that I'm reading it. But the book is good for sure. It's changed my views of T.I., T-Pain, and Lil Jon for the better. The Soulja Boy chapter was a stretch but he does have a point about making music that people actually wanna enjoy as opposed to writing complex lyrics and whining that people don't wanna hear that. Recommended.
dnf
April 7, 2025dnf @ 48%. i was skeptical about reading hiphop history by a white author but this was barely history. it was just a collection of profiles of notable southern rappers. all male btw. the south is so rich in culture and rap in each region varies so much. memphis hiphop isnt like new orleans, houston isn’t like miami, etc. i was really hoping to get an insight into the evolution of southern rap but this book was so disorganized. i did like the profile on outkast but that was it.
also notice how i said it was all male rappers mentioned in the book, if the table of contents is anything to go by. in the 50% of the book i read, not one woman was mentioned in her contribution to southern hiphop. i think tboz worked with someone at a record shop, destinys child was at an award show with somebody, erykah badu dated andre 3000, and kelly rowland was on a nelly track. da brat was mentioned in passing. no presence of trina or missy elliott and others who i have no doubt had a major impact on hiphop. how can i take an analysis on the history of a music genre seriously if only one group of people is mentioned? this book was written in the mid 2010s so hiphop superstars like megan thee stallion, doechii, glorilla, etc. weren’t even a thought but i need a new book to read on women in hiphop ASAP. dont piss me off.
also notice how i said it was all male rappers mentioned in the book, if the table of contents is anything to go by. in the 50% of the book i read, not one woman was mentioned in her contribution to southern hiphop. i think tboz worked with someone at a record shop, destinys child was at an award show with somebody, erykah badu dated andre 3000, and kelly rowland was on a nelly track. da brat was mentioned in passing. no presence of trina or missy elliott and others who i have no doubt had a major impact on hiphop. how can i take an analysis on the history of a music genre seriously if only one group of people is mentioned? this book was written in the mid 2010s so hiphop superstars like megan thee stallion, doechii, glorilla, etc. weren’t even a thought but i need a new book to read on women in hiphop ASAP. dont piss me off.
September 18, 2025
This isn’t a bad primer on southern hip-hop cjrca 2010, but it also doesn’t offer too much insight or new information for anyone who’s already a fan of the music. Westhoff does a decent job capturing the rap landscape at the time the book was published, and he scores a small handful of solid interviews and quotes from some major artists, but the majority of the book feels like entry-level bios, slightly more compelling than just reading the Wikipedia page for anyone he’s writing about. I’m just always glad to see any halfway-decent books written on this genre, and I respect Westhoff for taking southern rap seriously at a time when a lot of critics dismissed it.
Shame he didn’t wait a few years and write this one after Migos dropped Culture, which would have been a great final chapter to signify the death of regionality in hip-hop.
Shame he didn’t wait a few years and write this one after Migos dropped Culture, which would have been a great final chapter to signify the death of regionality in hip-hop.
February 21, 2017
This was another interesting read about music that was an integral part of my college years! However, I think it could use an update, as it was published in 2011, and it appears that most of the research was done prior to that, so it's almost like a time capsule. The book references MySpace and SouljaBoy, whose stars have definitely faded in the time since the book was written, and Pharrell is almost glossed over, which surprised me. Actually, I was even more surprised that Ludacris was barely mentioned at all. I am not sure why he was mostly excluded from this narrative.
It was a good overview of a time in music when it seemed to be nothing but Lil Jon and Lil Wayne, and it appeared that they would dominate forever. But times have changed, obviously.
It was a good overview of a time in music when it seemed to be nothing but Lil Jon and Lil Wayne, and it appeared that they would dominate forever. But times have changed, obviously.
January 5, 2018
Good book. Westhoff is a great writer and obviously has a passion for the music.
Lots of info on artists I didn’t know enough about beforehand. Turned me on to some great albums.
My only real complaint is that many of the chapters felt like unfinished snippets, or quick glances of artists and movements that could have had their own full length books. As such, at 269 pages, it’s too short. But it’s a great introduction to these southern spitfires and their DIY ethos.
I also appreciated the recommended albums and books at the back.
Lots of info on artists I didn’t know enough about beforehand. Turned me on to some great albums.
My only real complaint is that many of the chapters felt like unfinished snippets, or quick glances of artists and movements that could have had their own full length books. As such, at 269 pages, it’s too short. But it’s a great introduction to these southern spitfires and their DIY ethos.
I also appreciated the recommended albums and books at the back.
November 23, 2018
A great overview of the history of hip hop in the South. Westhoff covers all of the trends from the 80s to 2010, but could have gone into greater depth on a few of the artists mentioned and definitely included a few others.
June 29, 2018
good overview
June 27, 2024
3.5 You can tell a lot of work went into this, but -1 star for saying T-Pain can’t sing
November 8, 2013
I was hoping for a little more from this.
There was an opportunity to really take a look at cultural issues through the lens of Southern Hip-Hop, but rather than dive too deeply into anything of substance, the book kind of just skims around the edges of the major issues, and focuses more on profiling individual people than on developing a consistent narrative.
The book starts by taking a look at why Southern hip-hop has developed such a bad reputation (and how East/West coast rappers look down on the South), but then changes gear into quick hit profiles of the most important Southern rappers of the last 10-15 years.
Each chapter kind of reads like a short magazine profile (think a mix of The Source, Rolling Stone and The New Yorker), yet unfortunately, they don't really go in-depth enough to say anything about the personality and lifestyle of the rappers that I found particularly surprising.
With all this said though, it's a quick read, and if anyone is interested in finding out a little more about rappers like Gucci Mane and Scarface, there isn't a whole lot of other material out there where info on all these rappers is packaged together in one place like this.
There was an opportunity to really take a look at cultural issues through the lens of Southern Hip-Hop, but rather than dive too deeply into anything of substance, the book kind of just skims around the edges of the major issues, and focuses more on profiling individual people than on developing a consistent narrative.
The book starts by taking a look at why Southern hip-hop has developed such a bad reputation (and how East/West coast rappers look down on the South), but then changes gear into quick hit profiles of the most important Southern rappers of the last 10-15 years.
Each chapter kind of reads like a short magazine profile (think a mix of The Source, Rolling Stone and The New Yorker), yet unfortunately, they don't really go in-depth enough to say anything about the personality and lifestyle of the rappers that I found particularly surprising.
With all this said though, it's a quick read, and if anyone is interested in finding out a little more about rappers like Gucci Mane and Scarface, there isn't a whole lot of other material out there where info on all these rappers is packaged together in one place like this.
July 29, 2016
Shoddy. The whole thing feels tossed off. It's a shame; the ascendance of the Dirty South in rap is a fascinating topic, and I would've liked to see it covered properly. In particular I'd love to someday read an in-depth history of New Orleans rap-- Cash Money, No Limit Records, bounce, etc. Such a crazy story. Also would love to see a proper Lil Wayne bio, complete w/ investigative reporting into Baby's finances. (Does the Birdman
ever
pay
anyone
? Amazed there's no Wikipedia page for "Cash Money lawsuits".)
August 15, 2015
Westhoff did a great job. He's a captivating writer with a journalistic, yet entertaining approach. He transitions his commentary about southern artists fluidly and cites interesting facts that are either common knowledge or that he gleaned from phone or in-person interaction. He basically purports that Southern rap, while not liked by all, is no different from its 'northern' sibling, or any other musical genre. Either you're entertained or enlightened, or both, or you dislike it totally. The distinction is the colloquial vernacular and style of production, that seems (based on popularity) most dominant since 2000, and emulated by both East and West Coast artists.
June 3, 2016
It's good, but I would have liked a little more depth- the last half seems thin compared to the first half, as if the author has far less to say and less knowledge about those artists- and fewer of the author's somewhat pointless interjections. Still, it's a good overview of southern hip hop, and some of the main players. (I am annoyed that Missy Elliott gets a page in the chapter all about Timbaland, but no chapter just for her- women hip hop artists are barely mentioned in this book at all.)
August 11, 2011
A great book covering different eras of hip-hop in South that brought a great sense of nostalgia for me. It was very informative and entertaining. I recommend this book for the new generation who is oblivious to the foundation of rap and hip-hop, even though it only covers the South, it's better than the nothing that they know now. I would like to add this my collection one day and perhaps find other books similar to it that cover other areas of the genre.
March 18, 2012
It was a good book, showcasing some of the more major characters behind the music movement. I enjoyed reading some of the quirky, unknown tidbits about rappers I've listened to over the years. I got the impression that it paints southern rap, and in some ways rap in general, as a genre on the decline, coming down from a heyday it won't reach again.
December 13, 2016
Another great read by Westhoff.
March 9, 2012
Dirty South is a great read for anyone who loves Southern Hip Hop! It takes you from the early 90s to now and really gives some great insight into the plights and flights of southern rappers. Loved it from beginning to end!
August 12, 2012
Westhoff basically hops around the different Southern subcultures (Houston, New Orleans, Atlanta, etc.) and goes over the basic history and the key players, but he doesn't make much effort to develop any characters or tie it all together. I was entertained but it's definitely not for everyone.
September 10, 2015
This book gives a whole new perspective on shout-outs. At least I know who they might be referring to now. Also, is there any song out there that Pharrell Williams isn't messing around in the background?
August 30, 2011
Easy read, but enjoyable.
September 28, 2011
that this will be a good book because lil wayne is one of my favirate rapper
February 28, 2012
I love anything about me
April 19, 2012
first non-fiction in a long while. really enjoyed it.
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