Southern Hip-Hop · ranked by score

Best Southern Hip-Hop Albums, Ranked

47 albums reviewed

The South reshaped hip-hop with crunk, chopped-and-screwed, and trap. From OutKast to UGK, these albums carry the weight of Southern innovation.

We have reviewed 47 Southern Hip-Hop albums released between 1992 and 2025, averaging 7.2 out of 10. The highest score so far goes to CunninLynguists's A Piece of Strange (8.9). Lil Wayne (8), OutKast (4), Three 6 Mafia (4) appear more than once.

The Diary by Scarface album cover
8.9

The top of the pile

Highest-rated Southern Hip-Hop albums

  1. 18.9
  2. 28.9
  3. 38.9
  4. 48.8
  5. 58.8

Through the years

By decade

What defines Southern Hip-Hop

Southern rap covers Atlanta, Houston, Memphis, New Orleans and everywhere between. It brought slower tempos, heavy 808s, chanted hooks, screwed-and-chopped tapes from Houston and the bounce and trap sounds that now dominate the charts. OutKast, UGK, Three 6 Mafia and Lil Wayne are some of the names that moved it from regional to national.

How we score it

Delivery and replay value matter a lot in this style: flows, ad-libs and hooks are part of the writing, not decoration. The scorecard still asks for cohesion, so a strong run of singles padded with filler will not reach the top bands. See the scoring methodology.

Ranked discographies

Every record, best first

All Southern Hip-Hop reviews

The Diary by Scarface album cover8.9

The Diary

Scarface

Hip-HopSouthern
A Piece of Strange by CunninLynguists album cover8.9

A Piece of Strange

CunninLynguists

Hip-HopSouthern
Aquemini by OutKast album cover8.9

Aquemini

OutKast

Hip-HopSouthern
Ridin’ Dirty by UGK album cover8.8

Ridin’ Dirty

UGK

SouthernHardcore
Stankonia by OutKast album cover8.8

Stankonia

OutKast

Hip-HopSouthern
Monster by Future album cover8.4

Monster

Future

Hip-HopSouthern
Sir Lucious Left Foot… The Son of Chico Dusty by Big Boi album cover8.3

Sir Lucious Left Foot… The Son of Chico Dusty

Big Boi

Hip-HopSouthern
Super Tight… by UGK album cover8.2

Super Tight…

UGK

SouthernHardcore
Supa Dupa Fly by Missy Elliott album cover8.2

Supa Dupa Fly

Missy Elliott

Hip-HopAlternative
DS2 by Future album cover8.1

DS2

Future

Hip-HopSouthern
Tha Carter III by Lil Wayne album cover7.9

Tha Carter III

Lil Wayne

Hip-HopSouthern
Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101 by Young Jeezy album cover7.8

Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101

Young Jeezy

Hip-HopSouthern
Cilvia Demo by Isaiah Rashad album cover7.8

Cilvia Demo

Isaiah Rashad

Hip-HopSouthern
JEFFERY by Young Thug album cover7.7

JEFFERY

Young Thug

Hip-HopSouthern
Fever by Megan Thee Stallion album cover7.6

Fever

Megan Thee Stallion

Hip-HopSouthern
Tha Carter II by Lil Wayne album cover7.6

Tha Carter II

Lil Wayne

Hip-HopSouthern
Too Hard to Swallow by UGK album cover7.5

Too Hard to Swallow

UGK

SouthernGangsta
Teflon Don by Rick Ross album cover7.5

Teflon Don

Rick Ross

Hip-HopSouthern
Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik by OutKast album cover7.5

Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik

OutKast

Hip-HopSouthern
The Sun’s Tirade by Isaiah Rashad album cover7.5

The Sun’s Tirade

Isaiah Rashad

Hip-HopSouthern
Mystic Stylez by Three 6 Mafia album cover7.3

Mystic Stylez

Three 6 Mafia

SouthernHardcore
Underground Kingz by UGK album cover7.3

Underground Kingz

UGK

SouthernGangsta
Country Grammar by Nelly album cover7.2

Country Grammar

Nelly

PopSouthern
Pretty Girls Like Trap Music by 2 Chainz album cover7.2

Pretty Girls Like Trap Music

2 Chainz

Hip-HopSouthern
When the Smoke Clears: Sixty 6, Sixty 1 by Three 6 Mafia album cover7.1

When the Smoke Clears: Sixty 6, Sixty 1

Three 6 Mafia

SouthernHardcore
SoulFly by Rod Wave album cover6.8

SoulFly

Rod Wave

SouthernPop
Sincerely, Kentrell by YoungBoy Never Broke Again album cover6.8

Sincerely, Kentrell

YoungBoy Never Broke Again

SouthernTrap
Word of Mouf by Ludacris album cover6.7

Word of Mouf

Ludacris

SouthernHip-Hop
Tha Carter by Lil Wayne album cover6.6

Tha Carter

Lil Wayne

SouthernHip-Hop
Issa Album by 21 Savage album cover6.6

Issa Album

21 Savage

Hip-HopSouthern
The State vs. Radric Davis by Gucci Mane album cover6.4

The State vs. Radric Davis

Gucci Mane

SouthernTrap
Chapter 2: World Domination by Three 6 Mafia album cover6.4

Chapter 2: World Domination

Three 6 Mafia

SouthernHardcore
Top by YoungBoy Never Broke Again album cover6.4

Top

YoungBoy Never Broke Again

SouthernTrap
MUSIC by Playboi Carti album cover6.4

MUSIC

Playboi Carti

Hip-HopSouthern
Tha Carter V by Lil Wayne album cover6.3

Tha Carter V

Lil Wayne

SouthernTrap
Until Death Call My Name by YoungBoy Never Broke Again album cover6.3

Until Death Call My Name

YoungBoy Never Broke Again

SouthernTrap
Idlewild by OutKast album cover6.3

Idlewild

OutKast

Hip-HopSouthern
Beautiful Mind by Rod Wave album cover6.2

Beautiful Mind

Rod Wave

SouthernPop
Ghetto Gospel by Rod Wave album cover6.2

Ghetto Gospel

Rod Wave

Hip-HopSouthern
Tha Block Is Hot by Lil Wayne album cover6.1

Tha Block Is Hot

Lil Wayne

SouthernHip-Hop
500 Degreez by Lil Wayne album cover6.1

500 Degreez

Lil Wayne

SouthernHip-Hop
My Turn by Lil Baby album cover6.1

My Turn

Lil Baby

TrapSouthern
Most Known Unknown by Three 6 Mafia album cover6.1

Most Known Unknown

Three 6 Mafia

SouthernHip-Hop
Tha Carter IV by Lil Wayne album cover6.0

Tha Carter IV

Lil Wayne

SouthernPop
The Last Slimeto by YoungBoy Never Broke Again album cover6.0

The Last Slimeto

YoungBoy Never Broke Again

SouthernTrap
Back for Everything by Kodak Black album cover5.8

Back for Everything

Kodak Black

TrapSouthern
Funeral by Lil Wayne album cover5.7

Funeral

Lil Wayne

SouthernTrap

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