25. Migos
- Yung Rich Nation(2015)
- Culture(2017)
- Culture II(2018)
Maybe this selection is an indictment of me being a prisoner of the moment. To be honest, I had UGK in this slot. And I’m probably sure there is someone in Texas right now who is ready to knuckle up with me for not including the Pimp and Bun on my list. Before the 80’s and 90’s Hip Hop fans burn a cross on my lawn, let me defend my choice for putting Migos on my list.
First let’s deal with their music. It could be argued that they have had the biggest songs in Hip Hop for the last 3 or 4 years. Older heads may not listen to their music but I had to consider their influence on the current and future Hip Hop listeners. Would I play the Migos music before I play UGK’s music? Maybe so; it is a toss up with me, because I have never really big fan of UGK. Yes, they had songs that I like, such as One Day and Pocket Full of Stones but I never was in a hurry to listen to their music.
Secondly, I had to look at influence. The Migos have changed the game with their flow on music. Almost all of the new rappers that have been coming out have copied their style. Lastly I looked at success, although UGK are legends, they have never been as successful as the Migos. They might have more respect than the Migos, but not success. Keep in mind, there were other groups who I left out this slot besides UGK. I also considered putting Naughty by Nature, the Treacherous Three, Clipse or The Fat Boys in this slot. In the end, I decided to go with the Migos.
24. Three 6 Mafia
- Mystic Stylez(1995)
- Chapter 1: The End(1996)
- Chapter 2: World Domination(1997)
- CrazyNDaLazDayz(1999)
- When the Smoke Clears: Sixty 6, Sixty 1(2000)
- Da Unbreakables(2003)
- Most Known Unknown(2005)
- Last 2 Walk(2008)
- Watch What U Wish…(2015)
During the ’90s, a lot of attention was not being paid to groups like Three 6 Mafia by so-called “Hip Hop Heads.” You can include me in that group of people who were more favorable toward East Coast music and artists with the reputation of having more lyrical content. Maybe that neglect is why I put them on my top 25 list. I may have a guilty conscience and feel a need to make up for the past. This doesn’t mean that Three 6 Mafia is not deserving of this selection. They have had a lot of influence on Hip Hop, especially Southern Hip Hop. They released 10 albums and 3 of them went gold and 2 of them went platinum. Not to mention they are still relevant in today’s music scene.