Memphis Rap

Memphis rap is a style of Hardcore Hip Hop that originated in Memphis, Tennessee during the early 1990s. DJ Spanish Fly devised the sound bringing the electronically-produced Electro over to Memphis and decided to give it a gritty spin after he wanted something that represented the bleak Memphis environment. The style is characterized by its production with minimalist half-time drum machine programming and droning bass and often aggressive rapping with a double time flow. Other influential artists include Gangsta Pat, DJ Squeeky, Tommy Wright III, Al Kapone, Kingpin Skinny Pimp, Project Pat and most notably Three 6 Mafia for pushing the sound further. Early Memphis Rap was largely distributed via cassette tape by the artists themselves which has led to the genre being associated with lo-fi aesthetics, with some modern creators of Memphis Rap making deliberate use of lo-fi elements. The genre is also associated with sinister or satanic imagery in lyrics and production alike.