Three 6 Mafia

Formed in Memphis, Tennessee in the early 1990s by DJ Paul, Juicy J, and Lord Infamous, Three 6 Mafia built a dark, horror-tinged sound from the city's underground cassette scene, pioneering the eerie, bass-heavy production and chant-driven hooks that would seed the crunk and trap movements.

Across albums like "Mystic Stylez" and "When the Smoke Clears," they cultivated a fiercely loyal following, and their crossover came with the hit "Stay Fly" and an Oscar-winning song from the film "Hustle & Flow." Their production and ad-lib style deeply shaped the next two decades of Southern rap.

They won the 2006 Academy Award for Best Original Song for "It's Hard out Here for a Pimp," becoming the first hip-hop group to perform and win at the Oscars.

Three 6 Mafia are foundational architects of Memphis rap, crunk, and the sonic DNA of modern trap, influencing a vast swath of contemporary hip-hop.