Memphis

Memphis rap may not have the commercial appeal of Atlanta's or Houston's, but the city remains one of the most influential spots on the hip-hop map. Early '90s acts such as Gangsta Pat, Crunchy Black and Three 6 Mafia pioneered a sub-genre that would become known as "buck." The sound was backwater electro, featuring big synths, chanted choruses and almost always obscene lyrics. It was the original strip club music, and would serve as a blueprint for Atlanta's crunk music that would emerge later that decade. Also during this time, Memphis became known as the home of the "gangsta walk," which was a dance of sorts that involved its participants circling the club in near-violent pandemonium.

Though the gangsta walk and the buck sound would quickly spread through the South, it would be a decade before Memphis would rise to national prominence. This was partly due to the music's dirty, unfiltered aesthetic, as well as the scene's inability to unite and rally around a single artist. This changed with the 2005 movie Hustle and Flow. Chronicling the emergence of a Memphis pimp-turned-rapper, the Oscar-nominated film shined a light on the neglected scene, which would thereafter be considered a hot spot for hip-hop.