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Hip-Hop's relationship with other shores has long been a strange one, marked by periods of disdain, surprise, and respect at times. For Southerners, much of that positive praise comes from the work of rappers like Scarface, groups like UGK, 8Ball and MJG and OutKast, and producers like Mannie Fresh, DJ Paul and Juicy J, and the production trio, Organized Noize.
Born in Atlanta, the collective of the late Rico Wade, Ray Murray and Sleepy Brown, is responsible for not only some of music's greatest records, but for bringing to life a persona and energy that gave the South its name. Dirty South, the origin of the moniker often given to Cool Breeze, is a nod to the Goodie Mob song and a testament to the work they put into Wade's mother's basement, affectionately known as “The Dungeon.” Their work creating the music for OutKast, guiding the career of the Goodie Mob, and producing music for the South elevated her and laid the foundation for future Southern producers to follow in their footsteps.
Here are nine songs from the trio that should be on your playlist.
Cool Breeze – “Watch for the Hook”
The funk, soul and gospel of New Orleans Southern Man singer Merry Clayton is the perfect theme for this posse from one of the South's premier clans, the Dungeon Family. A play on the song's chorus and dynamic rap battle flow, it stands out as one of DF's most enjoyable tracks — taken from their debut album Cool Breeze East Point's greatest success.
Goodie Mob – “They Don't Dance No More”
Prophetic, satirical and visually captivating, the hook is embedded in the listener's mind, wedged between keyboard chords and vocals. An honest analysis of the changing landscape in rap, Goodie's Mob's lyrics focus on the increasingly violent and serious tone of rap music, which is why it remains one of the group's most memorable songs.
Ludacris – “Saturday (Oooh! Oooh!)”
The third single from Ludacris' multi-platinum sophomore album, Speech Muff, the earworm of a sample and vocals from Sleepy Brown help give the song a sense of nostalgia and bravado. “Saturday's” success helped reintroduce Organized Noize to a younger generation unfamiliar with the music of OutKast and other top 90s artists.
Goodie Mob – “Cell Therapy”
The sounds of piano keys only added to the song's haunting lyrics that foreshadowed Goodie Mob's musical experimentation. In one interview with B-High of Hot 107.9, Khujo talks about how the song came about.
“We went to Stankonia Studios and Ray (Murray) had a sound. This piano opened and I thought what is this?! I got lost in the rhythm.”
Being the group's first single from their debut album, Soul food, the song's socially conscious themes and sci-fi led to its being banned from MTV. Controversy aside, the song's production showed the world how creative and passionate Organized Noize was.
Goodie Mob – “Dirty South”
The definitive song, featuring Cool Breeze and Big Boi, for an entire region had to be considered near or at the top of the list. Iconic references to Atlanta staples like the Red Dog Police Unit, Mrs. Ann and her historic Ghetto Burger, and now-demolished housing projects serve as a time capsule of pre-gentrification Atlanta. It's safe to say that many people didn't know about the Dirty South before this statement.
OutKast – “So Fresh, So Clean”
The song's bassline, played by long-time bassist Preston Crump, and elegant vocals give the track a groovy and memorable energy, making it one of OutKast's most memorable songs. As for the video, the visual duality of their outfits and rhymes represents the yin and yang that make them iconic, and it remains one of the best examples of each member's contributions.
En Vogue – Don't let it go
Yet another signature song from a girl group that came to define them as a whole, while performing just as well on the Billboard charts. Arguably the most successful record released by En Vogue, the song's powerful strings and piano vocals brought the group a level of fame unlike anything they had ever seen. Envisioned by Rico Wade who then suggested the song go to En Vogue, Don't Let Go spent 35 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 diagramspeaking at #2.
TLC- Waterfalls
One of the biggest songs of its era and arguably TLC's biggest song, the iconic guitar and horn pick of 'Wateralls' showcases Organized Noize's musical prowess and genius. A metaphor that touched on the social and spiritual issues of the time, “Waterfalls” showed the world how versatile and capable both groups were in making folk music.
OutKast – “The Player's Ball”
Without the work of Organized Noize, the world would never have known about the genius of OutKast and Atlanta. A Christmas song about the joys of brotherhood and sleaze, the song introduced the world to OutKast and set the stage for their future reign. Conceived in Rico Wade's basement, the music that followed allowed OutKast and Goodie Mob to shine, while also leading us to one of the South's most important groups, Dungeon Family.
In one interview titled Hip Hop: Songs That Shook The World, Big Boi spoke about the influence of Rico Wade and Organized Noize, stating,
He was the gateway to LA Reid and signed OutKast to LaFace through a production deal. Without Organized, there would be no OutKast or Goodie Mob. They put all their blood, sweat and tears into making our first album.”
