A major case in point is their song “Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik,” the title track from their 1994 debut album, in which Big Boi and Andre 3000 entertain traditional perceptions of Southern life, refuting some and legitimizing others to further add to their artistic aura. While it could be argued that many of Outkast’s hits are inspired by and utilize the success of West coast g-funk elements, what sets the duo apart from the coasts is their emphasized slang, swagger, and style - all derivative from stereotypes of the South, and all evident in their production and lyricism. The emergence of Atlanta into the rap scene and the rise in popularity for hip hop duo Outkast went hand in hand as a critical stage for the creation of Southern hip hop’s collective voice. From this realization, Southern rap was able to diverge into the cultural subgenres of individualism in Southern experience tied into a city, most clearly defined by artistry in Atlanta, Georgia and Houston, Texas. As a result, Southern rappers became accustomed to and even celebrated their paradoxical existence, “as the forces that have helped to marginalize them are the very same ones that can now make them distinctive (and marketable) within the context of the rap music industry” (Miller 284).
Rather than characterizing cities - just as the stark differences of New York City and Los Angeles were defined - to better display the talents of Southern rappers, America’s hip hop audience viewed their work through the lens of centuries-old Southern stereotypes. In Matt Miller’s essay, “Rap’s Dirty South: From Subculture to Pop Culture,” he analyzes the rise of Southern popularity in the genre as a response to nationwide perceptions of the South. Furthermore, Southern hip hop differentiated itself strongly from both coastal rap scenes through this emphasis on individual experience, exemplified by the rural viewpoints of Outkast juxtaposed against the urban perspective of DJ Screw and his collective. Through a reinterpretation and reclamation of Southern stereotypes assigned by the rest of the United States, Southern hip hop commodified traditional assumptions of ‘Southern hospitality’ while adding a realistic spin regarding independent city cultures. The South paved its own path separate from the interdependency of East and West coast rappers during the peak of coast wars. The notion of the “Dirty South,” as conceived by Goodie Mob and several other mentions by rap groups has transformed and further characterized itself as a hip hop schema. As Southern hip hop rose to popularity nationwide, it refused to simply concede to the overbearing assumptions of non-Southern listeners who attempted to consider all Southern rap as a single genre.