The Most Underrated Southern Rap Albums Ever

I was scheduled to go the Ozone Awards (an awards show that honors southern hip-hop) in Houston this weekend, but I traveled to Cincinnati and then Indiana in order to cover the Bengals and Colts training camps instead. Both of the training camps are located in small towns that are miles from meaningful civilization. So during down time, the only form of entertainment that I had was the internet, cable TV, and, of course, watching the locals hit up the Golden Corral as if it was Club Visions in Atlanta, circa 2002. So to kill a few hours (which are kind of like days in a small country town), I decided to listen to a few throwback Southern rap albums. It took me back 10-12 years ago when the South was basically at the bottom (pun intended) of hip-hop when it came to respect. Sure, everyone loved OutKast, some heads were into UGK, 8Ball & MJG made noise, and (hate it or love it) Master P was getting money as if he was printing it. But there were some legit southern rap albums that were great but went unnoticed. So I decided to put together a list of the 5 most underrated southern rap albums in history. I suggest you go back and re-up.

1)MJG-No More Glory: Every now and then, an album gets you from the moment that you press play. While in the 11th grade, a friend handed me his CD player so that I could listen to the first track, “Keep Your Mind.” On the track, MJ didn’t Pimp, sell dope, kill a nucca, or brag about money. The dude rapped about everyday things like paying bills, having a bad job, misplaced desires, being stuck in a bad relationship, and the importance of remaining positive despite all of the bad things that can happen in life. I was already a big 8 Ball & MJG fan, but the way MJG dissected life on No More Glory was almost as potent as Pac’s Me Against the World. Other gems were “Shine and Recline,” “What is This,” and “Middle of the Night.”

2)The Witchdoctor- A S.W.A.T. Healin Ritual: I really believed that Organize Noize was going to sell huge a la No Limit during the late 1990s. But Rico (Wade) and ‘em couldn’t take the artists who were under their Interscope imprint (Organize Noize) to the next level. The Witchdoctor put together a masterpiece, however. From start to finish, the album is as street as Southernplayalistc.., as soulful as Soul Food, and had harmony like The Mis-Education of Lauryn Hill. If you haven’t heard this album yet, pick this up now-it’s still bumping til this day. Hot cuts include “Holiday,” “Remedy,” and “Dez Only 1.”

3) 8Ball & MJG-In Our Lifetime Vol. 1: Ball and J were bringing the heat during the `90s. 8Ball & MJG take turns giving their take on life during a rough time when they both were upset with T. Draper (CEO of Suave House) over shady business. Although the album had some banging club junts, it was very personal and likely the group’s most well-rounded album (it beats out Coming Out Hard and On Top of World when it comes to consistency). Hot junts include “Nobody But Me,” “Daylight,” and “Throw Your Hands Up” feat. Outkast.

4) Playa Fly-Fly Shit: Some of the hottest underground rappers in the 1990s came from Memphis, Tenn. TommyWright the III, Skinny Pimp, and Playa Fly were local stars that put out some interesting music. In 1998, Playa Fly dropped an underground classic with Fly Shit. I remember listening to it for the first time in my homeboy’s car and loving how cheap and hood the songs were. It sounded as if the songs were made in a basement. But that cheap sound blended perfectly with Fly’s rugged voice. My favorite song was “Crownin’ Me.” As I type, that’s still one of the hardest hip-hop songs ever made. Check out, “Havin Things,” “Work to Do,” and “Nappy Hair Gold Teeth.”

5. Devin The Dude-Self titled: I couldn’t have a list about southern rap without adding Houston. UGK’s Riding Dirty was going to be a choice, but that album got a lot of respect from hip-hop heads across the nation as the years went on(thanks to "Big Pimping"). So Devin The Dude’s self-titled classic debut makes the cut. Devin’s silky flow and hilarious take on Texas life allowed listeners to laugh, think, and mellow out. Always clever, Devin did his thing on the tracks, “Write and Wrong,” “Alright,” and “One Day at a Time.”

Bonus: Bun B’s "You're Everything"