Journalist Ben Westhoff’s book about the rise of hip-hop music below the Mason-Dixon line, Dirty South: OutKast, Lil Wayne, Soulja Boy, and the Southern Rappers Who Reinvented Hip-Hop, is on shelves now

Investigating the roots of rap’s “Third Coast” movement, the 272-page tome documents the history of Southern hip-hop as well as the struggle of some of today’s biggest artists. Westhoff travels to Miami, Houston, New Orleans, Atlanta and Memphis, among other hip-hop hot beads to speak to the some of the genre’s key players and hear their untold stories.

Uncle Luke, Lil Jon, Juvenile, Big Boi, Three 6 Mafia and Ludacris are just some of the artists that participated in the making of the book.

Dirty South is available now at your favorite retail store and online for $14.95. —XXL Staff

Check out some video footage of Westhoff interviewsing DJ Drama and 8Ball & MJG.

DJ Drama on Meeting T.I.

8Ball & MJG on Memphis Pimpin’

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