DJ Spanish Fly
Spanish Fly created and perfected the Memphis rap style before it was even considered such. He has some of the oldest tapes of anyone from the scene, with recordings from even earlier. He put out so much music that the majority of them are still lost. Vol 43-45 and 32-38 have never seen the internet or have been lost. For that reason, I appreciate what we do have and continue to search to put the rest together.
DJ Squeeky
Without DJ Squeeky the entire scene that this page is based around likely wouldn’t exist. Squeeky deserves his respect for creating a legendary sound in music, Which continues to be used today. He’s been doing this full-time for over 30 years and is the perfect example of a true music producer at heart.
DJ Sound
DJ Muda-Fuckin sound from the Frayser Click is one of my all-time favorite Memphis producer. For his consistency on production and rapping throughout his deep yet short career. His hardcore style of production is yet to be matched to this day. And his diverse catalog of rappers on his songs makes them that much more enjoyable. I will forever appreciate what DJ Sound has done creatively and the projects he’s released, such as volume 9 Negative Thoughts. Which are still some of the best underground Hip-Hop releases ever.
Tommy Wright III
What can I say about TW that hasn’t already been said. From his production style being years ahead of his time. To his lyrics and team of rappers that are still getting sampled today by mainstream artists like Beyoncé. Or the fact that he still consistently performs the songs off these tapes 30+ years later. However you feel about Tommy 3 and Street Smart Records, you can’t deny that he is a legend in Hip-Hop.
Blackout
Blackout as a producer was in his own lane in the 1990s as far as his sound. He put out a ton of his stuff back in the day, including major albums for Playa Fly. Under The Influence is one of my favorite albums ever! it has songs that should’ve been on the billboard charts. Blackout and his psycho sounds still bang today and will never get old to me.
Shawty Pimp
It’s good to see great artists such as Shawty Pimp finally begin to receive recognition and praise for their old work. I think Shawty Pimp had one of the best ears for samples in the underground scene. And although many of his drum patterns are simple loops, they still work and eventually became a part of his style. What also must be stated are the unorthodox methods of recording that Shawty Pimp and many other underground artists used before the internet. Shawty Pimp was known to record his music live through a dual cassette player. Meaning that his songs were all done in one take and that he was pressing in a sample while also rapping at the same time. If you haven’t heard much of Shawty Pimp’s stuff, it’s a great introduction into the scene as a whole
Orange Juice Click
This super underground group from up outta Orange Mound were laying down some heat back in the day provided by Chilly D. They were one of many groups back in the day, but still managed to find some popularity given their Orange Mound location. Chilly D’s production can definitely be hit or miss but his sampling skills make up for all of this.
Lil Grimm
Grimm is a favorite for those who love dark and creepy music. The more tapes from him I uncover, the more I realize that he needs his props as a producer. All of these tapes sound good and offer something different from each other like they all have their own story to tell. Grimm himself stays busy nowadays by making beats for notable acts like Juicy J and of course being a devoted family man.