The South got somethin' to say, and a new book is hoping to be an added voice.

Dirty South: Outkast, Lil Wayne, Soulja Boy, and the Southern Rappers Who Reinvented Hip-Hop tells the tales of some of Southern rap's biggest acts while simultaneously trying to unpack the stereotype that the music is simple or stupid. Author Ben Westhoff sat down with Luke Campbell, Big Boi, 8Ball & MJG and Scarface to try to create a comprehensive history of the area's contributions to hip-hop. He dissects the histories and influences of artists and producers from Atlanta, Miami, Houston, New Orleans and St. Louis while also tracking the career trajectories of Nelly, Timbaland, the Neptunes, Geto Boys, UGK, T-Pain, the Hot Boys, T.I., and more.

Dirty South tells of some of the most important Southern movements and moments, from the creation of 2 Live Crew, to the rise of labels like Rap-a-Lot, No Limit, and Cash Money to Lil Jon’s crunk takeover and plenty more.

The book will be available in May of this year through Chicago Review Press. —Adam Fleischer

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