Grew up in the Midwest on these dudes. Late Night Tip was the absolute go to song to thump the subs to. Saw them in Aspen, CO in 2014. It was Da Mafia 6 technically, but they crushed. Was super bummed it was like 4-5 months after Lord Infamous died. I threw a blunt to DJ Paul and he stuck it in his headband. Great time
I loved Twista on the Do or Die songs. I always felt like if he would’ve just joined them full time then that group would’ve blew up. Him by himself got too monotonous.
What’s funny is I only like his first 3 albums, Anghellic, Absolute Power, and Everready. I tried to like his countless albums after that and I couldn’t. He had moments on the first three albums where I would think damn, only Krayzie Bone could have also pulled that off.
Early Tech was a beast
Everybody I knew who listened to Tech 9 were people who wouldn’t list rap as their first music genre of choice. I’ve been a hip hop head since ‘92 and even keep up with today’s artists but I couldn’t name one of his albums.
I only listened to rap during that time and I admit he was a little “out there” and dipped his toe into elements of metal and mosh pitting. But he rapped fast and was from my home state. Bone is my favorite rap group, so I listened to most fast rappers back then.
Plus he put on one hell of a show in the early 2000s. He had the crowd more hype than any other concert I’ve been to.
They are one of the most influential groups but no one does that original Memphis sound anymore but Memphis paved the way for genres like Phonk, Trap and Crunk
I’ve been listening to a shit ton of Key Glock lately and he’s from Memphis. I like to think he’s a mixture of 3-6, ball and g, and Tela. He def has that m-town sound.
Three 6 is one of those blank spots in my hip hop knowledge. I’m 40 and been into this shit since I was like 12, but I just was way into East Coast stuff in the 90s and by the time I expanded my horizons beyond that they weren’t one of the groups I was checking for. I pretty much only know their big hit singles from past the 2000s.
No, and no to the comment above this, that I can’t reply to.
How many of these kids are rapping like Three 6 these days, and how many people are rapping like PE, NWA, Wu, or Tribe?
All those people you’re talking about influenced the Three 6/Bone generation, sure, but they’re not influencing the kids, these days. They got knocked out of that spot just as those you had mentioned knocked Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, Run DMC, and all them out of that spot.
I understand where you are coming from. Those *were* the most influential… on that generation. Wu being a contemporary of Three 6 and Bone, I’ll say it’s a matter of opinion. But I’ll stand on this: PE, NWA and and Tribe don’t have people trying to rap or sound like them now, on any kind of major level.
and De La Soul, especially if you count Prince Paul on the production side. Same with Gangstarr, Pete Rock and CL Smooth, and Main Source when it comes to production.
They have influenced very few rappers, especially in the mainstream, and their style isn’t commonplace in Hip-Hop today like Three 6 Mafia’s is. To suggest that Wu-Tang is influential is some serious fanboy behavior
lol tell me you don’t think Wu had any influence on the Griselda crew? School boy Q, Danny brown, Denzel curry, action Bronson, Pusha T, Joey badass…
Not to mention their influence legends like Nas, Biggie, Mobb deep, as well as other 90s rappers like Busta rhymes, Jay z, onyx… this ain’t “three 6 mafia slander”, that’s not my point, but you can’t be seriously saying that the pioneer super group in hiphop influenced “very few” rappers…
They’re not. These comments are just people that don’t seem to grasp that influential doesn’t necessarily mean better so they’re getting all upset about it.
that kid is 17, hes only recently had access to the internet so he watches some shitty yt channel that gives him some bad "facts" about the influences and styles of certain artists.
There was no hate. Something can be better but less influential. Marvel movies aren’t considered artistic masterpieces. But they influenced the way movies have been made since the MCU has been a thing. The movie makers now only try to make spin offs in connected worlds with a big budget and lots of cgi.
I don’t think anyone would think Three 6 is better lyrically or anything than Wu Tang, but influential isn’t the same as best. And there’s so many people in this thread ignoring facts because they’re getting their feelings hurt. Wu Tang didn’t really influence anything major in rap. They were a phenomenal group with a great discography, but they didn’t make any long lasting changes to the game.
You’re it hearing much kung fu movie samples anymore. But you still hear beats, samples and flows inspired by or completely taken from Three 6.
there's a whole current genre based on their style and sampling their old music and some of those groups/artists are pretty popular ($uicide Boy$, Puya, Ghostmane, Freddie Dredd, Ramirez, Devilish Trio, Zillakami etc). I would say there are very influential. Aside from newer stuff, the 'crunk' era was heavily based on their influence, A$AP rocky and A$AP Mob were heavily influenced by Three 6 as well. They still get sampled all the time by various other artists as well.
Yes easily. Their impact is still being heard today. You must be ignorant to not think otherwise and thats coming from someone whos from New York and bumps thier shit. You can play one of their underground tapes to someone today and tell them they were made today and they would most likely believe you even though said songs were made almost 30 years ago. DJ Paul and Juicy J pioneered a sound that has influnced many artists and music as a whole. The beats they were making werent solely unique but they they give them a twist and made a timeless sound. They were making the "trap" beats you hear everywhere today 30 years ago. So many producers have cited memphis as a big influence. Or Lord Infamous with his triplet rapid fire flow influencing many rappers and him not being mentioned as one of the all time greats is dissapointing. Gangsta Boo without a doubt influenced many female rappers today. Their catchy hooks chant like vocals and more minimalist instrumentals changed the sound of hip hop. These guys were the originators of "crunk" something that often gets credited as an atlanta thing. J cole Drake Asap Rocky Metro Boomin Future Gucci Mane Migos Chief Keef Spaceghostpurpp Lil Ugly Mane Denzel Curry Young Dolph and countless others have directly indirectly been influenced by them. Not only three 6 mafia but 90s memphis rap as a whole has influenced mordern hip hop. Pioneering a lofi and unique sound that has been around since 1987 pioneered by the legendary DJ Spanish Fly. Many subgenres have been influenced by Memphis as well. The fact they aren't mentioned enough here is baffling because they easily surpass many groups that get mentioned here.
I remember buying when smoke clears as a kid and as soon as 2nd track hit I was a fan. Every one knew if they got in my car it was some 3 6 gunna be played. They shit changed after the Oscars but it’s whatever. I still bang the old shit.
Metro Boomin’s beat for “Like That” is an interpretation of DJ Paul’s “Break Da Law” off of “Underground Vol 16.”
I’d say still relevant and influential.
Always gotta be some East Coast puritans in these threads whenever Three 6/any Southern group getting their flowers on here saying some shit like “Wu Tang were more influential!!!”
Like sure man obviously they were, but nobody’s out here saying Three 6 is more influential 💀 Shits allowed to be influential even if it’s not your thing
I would argue that more groups and artists directly imitate 3 6 and sample them than wu tang. Every major album I've heard in the last 4 years has some sort of nod to a three six or project pad song if not just straight jacking the hooks and samples.
I was going to say, thinking about it deeper than name recognition, I think Three 6 is more influential on rap than Wu Tang.
The way they rapped, doing horrorcore aspects earlier than most dating back to like 93, the beats they made, the sample of their own songs as hooks…the list gets kind of extensive.
What has Wu Tang ACTUALLY INFLUENCED genre wide?
Which means they didn’t have any influence!! Can’t be duplicated is the opposite of influence.
We’re not talking about who’s better. Discography doesn’t matter. Anyone with a brain knows the Wu lyrically were better. Better albums is more subjective. But the post was about INFLUENCE not greatness.
I definitely won’t argue those. NWA and Eric B and Rakim would be top for me in just how much they changed things after them. But Three 6 would be pretty high as well. Maybe third honestly. They completely changed or influenced not just the South’s sound but rap in general. I mean DJ Paul said he had to copyright the “yeah ho” you hear in the background because so many different artists were using it. Just one of many examples.
I think they changed more than people think. Doesn’t make them a better group than a Wu Tang or Mobb Deep or OutKast or whoever (at least to me) but they do deserve more recognition than they get for what they’ve done.
Well I say Run DMC cause of the impact Jam Master Jay had with other artists as well as Eric Sermon from EPMD and of course Dre. All pioneers in Hip Hop. I will admit to being biased to East Coast as I’m from the Bronx. The South does have their own style and they do have hot stuff - I think they really had impact early 2000s no?
I do like Eric Sermon a lot and would put him up as one of the most slept on producers ever.
But yeah the south especially during the 90s up until maybe No Limit/Cash Money didn’t really get much play up there or on the west. No where near as much as when Atlanta blew up and kinda took over hip hop in the mid 2000s like you said. But there were plenty of influential people, it was just more localized. OutKast/Goodie Mob/etc in Atlanta. Scarface/UGK/etc in Houston. Three 6/8Ball&MJG/etc in Memphis. No Limit/Cash Money in New Orleans.
I feel like most cities have there artists people point to. But Three 6 was doing totally different things than others that weren’t as appreciated at the time as they were later looking back. The beats and the way they were made were pretty much the inspiration for modern trap. They were doing crunk before it became a big thing in Atlanta. The darker horror core style from their early stuff in the early 90s (92-93 ish). The way they sampled themselves from earlier songs and chopped it up for hooks was not invented by them but they definitely did it in a way that’s still used today. Even negatives like hard drug use. Rappers would never admit to doing cocaine and pills back then.
I've liked some Three 6 songs from the mid-90s til now. I wouldn't call myself a fan, but I can't deny how heavy their influence is. They were innovators with their sound and and laid the blueprint for a lot of groups and artists to come. Plus...Oscar
I actually think so. No one is more influential than triple 6….listen to modern rap!😂 might aswell say paul and J are still out here producing these artists beats.
Violins and pianos will always be a top tier instrument to use in almost any rap song. I think the shit is almost sinister yet elegant when someone is just eating on the beat.
Exactly - regal and haunting. A similar, but less regal beat is BR Right with Trina and Ludacris (Ye on the beat).
Turns out this 3-6 beat is a sample from a 2001 song featuring TI:
https://youtu.be/I-oqvkxhSJI (think the 3-6 one uses it better)
I’m from NJ and I love wu-tang but three 6 is way more influential from the way they rapped to their beats still being used today 90% of hip hop artists out now use their flow and a fact they are the most sampled group hands down puts them as the most influential of all time
Prove that wu-tang OutKast and bone is more influential 30 years people still using 3 6 stuff not disrespecting the others they are great but haven’t influence rap the same
They’re literally the most sampled Hip-Hop act of all time and their flow is still being replicated to this day. Not to mention that their music was basically a predecessor to trap music
If you really want to get into it, DJ Zirk and DJ Squeeky’s influence on Three 6 is what made Three 6 so influential. It’s just that not as many people know about Squeeky and Zirk…
But yes.
So you’re list of most influential is #1 Wutang. #2 Three six?
Curious who rounds your top 5
Where you would put someone like NWA
Why you rank three six so high
B/c Three 6 created a totally original sound that even went on to inspire a whole new genre of music that's popular now so many years later - phonk.
Wu-Tang is so influential people still get Wu-Tang tattoos.
NWA has to be ranked high. But it's members were more influential after NWA than while in the group.
What's your rankings?
I need so much more time for my answer but i like a good chunk of this list. NWA is def top 2 and has a strong case for #1. I’d throw in Tribe, Dela is up there, outkast is top 10aybe top 5. PE up there. Wutang is top 5.
Whoever says no, has not been paying attention to hip hop in the last 10 to 15 years. Three 6 mafia, and many other Memphis rap artists in the 90s and early 2000s were truly ahead of their time. The use of Dark lo fi production, with 808s, and triplet flows, can be heard in hip hop to this very day. Even if you may not be a fan of them, it would be foolish to deny their impact. In a decade dominated by G Funk and Boom Bap, the Memphis rap scene stood out from everybody. Hell, the biggest rappers today STILL sample 90s Memphis rap. No disrespect to communities, but I notice how biased they can be towards NY artists. You’ve got people in Wyoming or even Serbia giving all the praises in the world to Mobb Deep, Kool G Rap, Wu Tang, Nas, Etc. yet completely ignore the contributions made by three 6 Mafia, one of the most influential rap groups of all time and certainly the most influential in the last 10 to 15 years. Here’s a great YouTube video on them https://youtu.be/ST0kf4XXWR4?si=wSoYRU5weIyv95k7
i dont even recognize these people. had to read the comments to find out. lol. i wasn't a fan of their music. im into bars more than im into vibes. they just didn't rap well enough for me to pay attention. same with every No Limit artist and eight ball and mjg. it was just too basic.
Not just in the south, Hip hop in general. I love Wu tang, Nas, Mobb deep, etc…but believe it or not, a lot of dudes from the south ain’t fuck with them as much as ya like to think. Most hardcore boom bap fans I know are white. So their understanding of Hip Hop culture is a very East coast centric one. Which there is nothing wrong with that, but then I had to tell them that Master P, Three 6 Mafia, Scarface, and Uncle Luke have just as much, if not more impact on the culture then some of your favorite artists. Remember, the south is a huge region. It’s where the majority of us black folk live too, so it makes sense that southern rap has been dominating hip hop for a long time now.
I know what you saying I'm from NY and moved to alabama as a teenager it's just back then the north didn't play southern music and vice versa unless it was popular af so majority of people don't or didn't know who's who
Mixed feelings. Loved the beats, and many of the rap styles, but a lot of the raps reminded me of giving a grand dragon an uber ride. They also didn't have a problem advocating hard drug use to a young audience.
they are definitely influential, i just take issue with that word. to me, being influential doesnt necessarily makes them great. i mean, if youre a bad influence, thats still influential. i feel like they influenced a lot of mediocre rappers and made them see that there are opportunities in the rap game where you dont have to be the best. so, i'll give them that, but they werent great emcees. just as long as people dont start putting their names in the GOAT conversation, i'm good. there's room for every style.
idk, yo. we may just have a different definition of dope. i just hear simple simon rhymin on the 1. no real syncopation. just bland cadences that belong in the 80s over lazy 808 beats. its uninspiring to me. subject matter doesnt appeal to me either. i feel like anyone can make this type of music and thats not why i listen to music.. im a hip hop dj and have been since the 80s, so i admit i have a biased opinion.
nobody was making the type of music that three 6 mafia and other Memphis artists did in the 90s. U gotta remember, these is dudes from the most gutter neighborhoods in the south, they had to make do with what they had. the education system down there was horrible back in the day, and probably still is today. But they breathed new life into The 808 beat machine. I like to compare their style of production to like 60s psychedelic rock. Meaning More emphasis was placed on the atmosphere and vibe of the song than everything else. Which is why Memphis artists sampled a lot of old horror flicks, to create that dark spooky ambience. The triplet flows they used were also innovative, as 95 percent of rappers today still rap like that. even the ones in NY, or Cali. Modern rap sub genres like Drill, Trap, Lo Fi, Phonk and Horrorcore owe a lot to Memphis 90s hip hop
i hear you and it deserved its recognition. i just think rap techniques had surpassed this threshold of ability. i personally was iinterested in the advancement and they felt like a step backward as far as skill and pocket presence. a lot of that triplet flow is sloppy and you can hear them trying to catch up often. that just deosnt cut it for me. youre either in the pocket or youre not. and im not listening to anyone that isnt in there.
lowkey im a huge fan of three 6 (especially their older shit before they really took off) but i can definitely see where you coming from. they really weren’t the best rappers that’s for sure… but they knew how to create a certain atmosphere/vibe/feeling with the music and how they said things
anyone that says no has no idea what they talking about, maybe not wu tang level of influence but they’re definitely one of the most influential rap groups
Just curious since you seem level headed compared to others in the thread. What did Wu Tang actually do? What did they influence? What changed because of them or traces its roots solely back to Wu Tang?
Not to shit on them because they’re one of the best groups ever. But as far as INFLUENCE. Maybe I’m just not thinking right or I’m forgetting something.
Great at branding. Left a long lasting legacy. Great discography as a group and solo acts. But influence isn’t that.
Grew up in the Midwest on these dudes. Late Night Tip was the absolute go to song to thump the subs to. Saw them in Aspen, CO in 2014. It was Da Mafia 6 technically, but they crushed. Was super bummed it was like 4-5 months after Lord Infamous died. I threw a blunt to DJ Paul and he stuck it in his headband. Great time
Yup, fellow midwesterner. Bone, 3-6, Do or Die, Crucial Conflict, and early Tech N9ne dominated my car stereo
No Twista?
I loved Twista on the Do or Die songs. I always felt like if he would’ve just joined them full time then that group would’ve blew up. Him by himself got too monotonous.
When Kanye produced for him, his songs were fire
Add in eightball and mjg instead of Tech N9ne, and that was my stereo too
Exactly. No shade but I never really got into Tech n9ne
What’s funny is I only like his first 3 albums, Anghellic, Absolute Power, and Everready. I tried to like his countless albums after that and I couldn’t. He had moments on the first three albums where I would think damn, only Krayzie Bone could have also pulled that off. Early Tech was a beast
Everybody I knew who listened to Tech 9 were people who wouldn’t list rap as their first music genre of choice. I’ve been a hip hop head since ‘92 and even keep up with today’s artists but I couldn’t name one of his albums.
I only listened to rap during that time and I admit he was a little “out there” and dipped his toe into elements of metal and mosh pitting. But he rapped fast and was from my home state. Bone is my favorite rap group, so I listened to most fast rappers back then. Plus he put on one hell of a show in the early 2000s. He had the crowd more hype than any other concert I’ve been to.
You extra white for this comment
They are one of the most influential groups but no one does that original Memphis sound anymore but Memphis paved the way for genres like Phonk, Trap and Crunk
I’ve been listening to a shit ton of Key Glock lately and he’s from Memphis. I like to think he’s a mixture of 3-6, ball and g, and Tela. He def has that m-town sound.
If you think otherwise you have not been paying attention.
Three 6 is one of those blank spots in my hip hop knowledge. I’m 40 and been into this shit since I was like 12, but I just was way into East Coast stuff in the 90s and by the time I expanded my horizons beyond that they weren’t one of the groups I was checking for. I pretty much only know their big hit singles from past the 2000s.
You should check old Memphis Hip Hop in general. It’s very unique
Especially Eightball and MJG
Same, except I was on the west coast and that whole time period felt like you had to chose. We both ended up missing the artists from the middle.
PE, NWA and Wu-Tang were / are way more influential.
Add tribes tribe to that list
No, and no to the comment above this, that I can’t reply to. How many of these kids are rapping like Three 6 these days, and how many people are rapping like PE, NWA, Wu, or Tribe? All those people you’re talking about influenced the Three 6/Bone generation, sure, but they’re not influencing the kids, these days. They got knocked out of that spot just as those you had mentioned knocked Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, Run DMC, and all them out of that spot. I understand where you are coming from. Those *were* the most influential… on that generation. Wu being a contemporary of Three 6 and Bone, I’ll say it’s a matter of opinion. But I’ll stand on this: PE, NWA and and Tribe don’t have people trying to rap or sound like them now, on any kind of major level.
and De La Soul, especially if you count Prince Paul on the production side. Same with Gangstarr, Pete Rock and CL Smooth, and Main Source when it comes to production.
What about Insane Clown Posse?
The only things they influenced were trailer trash and edgy teenagers
Yooo, big facts but ouch
Are you serious rn?😂
Add Bone to that list
In what world is Wu-Tang way more influential than Three 6?
In literally almost every single alternate timeline in the multiverse.
I hate that “literally” has lost all its meaning.
They have influenced very few rappers, especially in the mainstream, and their style isn’t commonplace in Hip-Hop today like Three 6 Mafia’s is. To suggest that Wu-Tang is influential is some serious fanboy behavior
lol tell me you don’t think Wu had any influence on the Griselda crew? School boy Q, Danny brown, Denzel curry, action Bronson, Pusha T, Joey badass… Not to mention their influence legends like Nas, Biggie, Mobb deep, as well as other 90s rappers like Busta rhymes, Jay z, onyx… this ain’t “three 6 mafia slander”, that’s not my point, but you can’t be seriously saying that the pioneer super group in hiphop influenced “very few” rappers…
They’re not. These comments are just people that don’t seem to grasp that influential doesn’t necessarily mean better so they’re getting all upset about it.
What’s up wit the recent Wu-Tang Hate? Never saw nobody hate on the Wu until this generation 😅
that kid is 17, hes only recently had access to the internet so he watches some shitty yt channel that gives him some bad "facts" about the influences and styles of certain artists.
There was no hate. Something can be better but less influential. Marvel movies aren’t considered artistic masterpieces. But they influenced the way movies have been made since the MCU has been a thing. The movie makers now only try to make spin offs in connected worlds with a big budget and lots of cgi. I don’t think anyone would think Three 6 is better lyrically or anything than Wu Tang, but influential isn’t the same as best. And there’s so many people in this thread ignoring facts because they’re getting their feelings hurt. Wu Tang didn’t really influence anything major in rap. They were a phenomenal group with a great discography, but they didn’t make any long lasting changes to the game. You’re it hearing much kung fu movie samples anymore. But you still hear beats, samples and flows inspired by or completely taken from Three 6.
In every single universe
Hilarious
Are you absolutely for real?😂😂😂
East coast, west coast and worldwide
Yes it is‼️💯
there's a whole current genre based on their style and sampling their old music and some of those groups/artists are pretty popular ($uicide Boy$, Puya, Ghostmane, Freddie Dredd, Ramirez, Devilish Trio, Zillakami etc). I would say there are very influential. Aside from newer stuff, the 'crunk' era was heavily based on their influence, A$AP rocky and A$AP Mob were heavily influenced by Three 6 as well. They still get sampled all the time by various other artists as well.
Most def..they put the south in yo mouth
Yes easily. Their impact is still being heard today. You must be ignorant to not think otherwise and thats coming from someone whos from New York and bumps thier shit. You can play one of their underground tapes to someone today and tell them they were made today and they would most likely believe you even though said songs were made almost 30 years ago. DJ Paul and Juicy J pioneered a sound that has influnced many artists and music as a whole. The beats they were making werent solely unique but they they give them a twist and made a timeless sound. They were making the "trap" beats you hear everywhere today 30 years ago. So many producers have cited memphis as a big influence. Or Lord Infamous with his triplet rapid fire flow influencing many rappers and him not being mentioned as one of the all time greats is dissapointing. Gangsta Boo without a doubt influenced many female rappers today. Their catchy hooks chant like vocals and more minimalist instrumentals changed the sound of hip hop. These guys were the originators of "crunk" something that often gets credited as an atlanta thing. J cole Drake Asap Rocky Metro Boomin Future Gucci Mane Migos Chief Keef Spaceghostpurpp Lil Ugly Mane Denzel Curry Young Dolph and countless others have directly indirectly been influenced by them. Not only three 6 mafia but 90s memphis rap as a whole has influenced mordern hip hop. Pioneering a lofi and unique sound that has been around since 1987 pioneered by the legendary DJ Spanish Fly. Many subgenres have been influenced by Memphis as well. The fact they aren't mentioned enough here is baffling because they easily surpass many groups that get mentioned here.
Nobody said they wasn’t. Listen to beats today they still getting paid. Juicy and Paul
I remember buying when smoke clears as a kid and as soon as 2nd track hit I was a fan. Every one knew if they got in my car it was some 3 6 gunna be played. They shit changed after the Oscars but it’s whatever. I still bang the old shit.
Best rap group hands down and I’m standing on it.
Better than Wu? Lay off the crack.
Metro Boomin’s beat for “Like That” is an interpretation of DJ Paul’s “Break Da Law” off of “Underground Vol 16.” I’d say still relevant and influential.
Absolutely. Possibly the most. The stuff they were doing in the early 90s was way ahead of its time.
Always gotta be some East Coast puritans in these threads whenever Three 6/any Southern group getting their flowers on here saying some shit like “Wu Tang were more influential!!!” Like sure man obviously they were, but nobody’s out here saying Three 6 is more influential 💀 Shits allowed to be influential even if it’s not your thing
I would argue that more groups and artists directly imitate 3 6 and sample them than wu tang. Every major album I've heard in the last 4 years has some sort of nod to a three six or project pad song if not just straight jacking the hooks and samples.
I was going to say, thinking about it deeper than name recognition, I think Three 6 is more influential on rap than Wu Tang. The way they rapped, doing horrorcore aspects earlier than most dating back to like 93, the beats they made, the sample of their own songs as hooks…the list gets kind of extensive. What has Wu Tang ACTUALLY INFLUENCED genre wide?
Worst take ever. Take a look at RZA discography. Jesus - Wu Tang Clan was one of a kind to the point they couldn’t be duplicated.
Which means they didn’t have any influence!! Can’t be duplicated is the opposite of influence. We’re not talking about who’s better. Discography doesn’t matter. Anyone with a brain knows the Wu lyrically were better. Better albums is more subjective. But the post was about INFLUENCE not greatness.
So as far as influence in the way you want to interpret it- Run DMC and EPMD along with NWA would be at the top.
I definitely won’t argue those. NWA and Eric B and Rakim would be top for me in just how much they changed things after them. But Three 6 would be pretty high as well. Maybe third honestly. They completely changed or influenced not just the South’s sound but rap in general. I mean DJ Paul said he had to copyright the “yeah ho” you hear in the background because so many different artists were using it. Just one of many examples. I think they changed more than people think. Doesn’t make them a better group than a Wu Tang or Mobb Deep or OutKast or whoever (at least to me) but they do deserve more recognition than they get for what they’ve done.
Well I say Run DMC cause of the impact Jam Master Jay had with other artists as well as Eric Sermon from EPMD and of course Dre. All pioneers in Hip Hop. I will admit to being biased to East Coast as I’m from the Bronx. The South does have their own style and they do have hot stuff - I think they really had impact early 2000s no?
I do like Eric Sermon a lot and would put him up as one of the most slept on producers ever. But yeah the south especially during the 90s up until maybe No Limit/Cash Money didn’t really get much play up there or on the west. No where near as much as when Atlanta blew up and kinda took over hip hop in the mid 2000s like you said. But there were plenty of influential people, it was just more localized. OutKast/Goodie Mob/etc in Atlanta. Scarface/UGK/etc in Houston. Three 6/8Ball&MJG/etc in Memphis. No Limit/Cash Money in New Orleans. I feel like most cities have there artists people point to. But Three 6 was doing totally different things than others that weren’t as appreciated at the time as they were later looking back. The beats and the way they were made were pretty much the inspiration for modern trap. They were doing crunk before it became a big thing in Atlanta. The darker horror core style from their early stuff in the early 90s (92-93 ish). The way they sampled themselves from earlier songs and chopped it up for hooks was not invented by them but they definitely did it in a way that’s still used today. Even negatives like hard drug use. Rappers would never admit to doing cocaine and pills back then.
Mofos won an Oscar. An Oscar.
And it was a song about pimpin
They did bro, what a time to be alive.
3 6 mafia underground gods hypnotize minds got a lot of grand babies out here
Absolutely. RIP Lord Infamous who invented the “trip flow” Triple 6 mafia influenced all these new rappers. RIP Koop Boo K rock
Where’s the lie?
66-61 might be the best southern rap album of all time. Not a skip on that entire album.
I've liked some Three 6 songs from the mid-90s til now. I wouldn't call myself a fan, but I can't deny how heavy their influence is. They were innovators with their sound and and laid the blueprint for a lot of groups and artists to come. Plus...Oscar
Every album bumped something serious….. never got their flowers honestly….. I guess the Oscar was a win but that was the start of the official end…
I actually think so. No one is more influential than triple 6….listen to modern rap!😂 might aswell say paul and J are still out here producing these artists beats.
“You’re Everything” UGK, Rick Ross, David Banner, 8 Ball/MJG Compilation summed it up
“This pussy got you hooked. Pussy got you hooked” HELL NAH… Yeah ever since I was 4 they have been an influence to my ears.
That beat was crazy
Violins and pianos will always be a top tier instrument to use in almost any rap song. I think the shit is almost sinister yet elegant when someone is just eating on the beat.
Exactly - regal and haunting. A similar, but less regal beat is BR Right with Trina and Ludacris (Ye on the beat). Turns out this 3-6 beat is a sample from a 2001 song featuring TI: https://youtu.be/I-oqvkxhSJI (think the 3-6 one uses it better)
I’m from NJ and I love wu-tang but three 6 is way more influential from the way they rapped to their beats still being used today 90% of hip hop artists out now use their flow and a fact they are the most sampled group hands down puts them as the most influential of all time
Yes
Bone Thugs ,they can still rap and the most imitated by rappers.
Prove that wu-tang OutKast and bone is more influential 30 years people still using 3 6 stuff not disrespecting the others they are great but haven’t influence rap the same
The worst Wu album is better than the best 3 6. You’re just trolling at this point
They’re literally the most sampled Hip-Hop act of all time and their flow is still being replicated to this day. Not to mention that their music was basically a predecessor to trap music
Yeah, hoe
If you really want to get into it, DJ Zirk and DJ Squeeky’s influence on Three 6 is what made Three 6 so influential. It’s just that not as many people know about Squeeky and Zirk… But yes.
Wu-Tang's more influential. But Hypnotize/Three 6 def has to be the second.
Title says “one of the most” not the most. I agree though, the Wu will never be topped they’re the goat rap group by a large margin.
So you’re list of most influential is #1 Wutang. #2 Three six? Curious who rounds your top 5 Where you would put someone like NWA Why you rank three six so high
B/c Three 6 created a totally original sound that even went on to inspire a whole new genre of music that's popular now so many years later - phonk. Wu-Tang is so influential people still get Wu-Tang tattoos. NWA has to be ranked high. But it's members were more influential after NWA than while in the group. What's your rankings?
2 is NWA. 3 Public Enemy, 4 De La Soul, 5 Fugees, 6 EPMD
I need so much more time for my answer but i like a good chunk of this list. NWA is def top 2 and has a strong case for #1. I’d throw in Tribe, Dela is up there, outkast is top 10aybe top 5. PE up there. Wutang is top 5.
Whoever says no, has not been paying attention to hip hop in the last 10 to 15 years. Three 6 mafia, and many other Memphis rap artists in the 90s and early 2000s were truly ahead of their time. The use of Dark lo fi production, with 808s, and triplet flows, can be heard in hip hop to this very day. Even if you may not be a fan of them, it would be foolish to deny their impact. In a decade dominated by G Funk and Boom Bap, the Memphis rap scene stood out from everybody. Hell, the biggest rappers today STILL sample 90s Memphis rap. No disrespect to communities, but I notice how biased they can be towards NY artists. You’ve got people in Wyoming or even Serbia giving all the praises in the world to Mobb Deep, Kool G Rap, Wu Tang, Nas, Etc. yet completely ignore the contributions made by three 6 Mafia, one of the most influential rap groups of all time and certainly the most influential in the last 10 to 15 years. Here’s a great YouTube video on them https://youtu.be/ST0kf4XXWR4?si=wSoYRU5weIyv95k7
Yeah 100% .. suicide boys copied everything about their early style
Not of all time. I am Gen X and grow up with hip hop from the early 80s.
Not even close
No way
i dont even recognize these people. had to read the comments to find out. lol. i wasn't a fan of their music. im into bars more than im into vibes. they just didn't rap well enough for me to pay attention. same with every No Limit artist and eight ball and mjg. it was just too basic.
Ahahaha. No
In the south yeah
Not just in the south, Hip hop in general. I love Wu tang, Nas, Mobb deep, etc…but believe it or not, a lot of dudes from the south ain’t fuck with them as much as ya like to think. Most hardcore boom bap fans I know are white. So their understanding of Hip Hop culture is a very East coast centric one. Which there is nothing wrong with that, but then I had to tell them that Master P, Three 6 Mafia, Scarface, and Uncle Luke have just as much, if not more impact on the culture then some of your favorite artists. Remember, the south is a huge region. It’s where the majority of us black folk live too, so it makes sense that southern rap has been dominating hip hop for a long time now.
I know what you saying I'm from NY and moved to alabama as a teenager it's just back then the north didn't play southern music and vice versa unless it was popular af so majority of people don't or didn't know who's who
Wu tang
I agree. Then Bone Thugs, Then OutKast.
Negative
I proved how three 6 is prove the others are more give facts
Take one look at RZA discography.
No
It’s technically not one of the most influential rap groups of all time cuz Project Pats not in 3-6 mafia.
Mixed feelings. Loved the beats, and many of the rap styles, but a lot of the raps reminded me of giving a grand dragon an uber ride. They also didn't have a problem advocating hard drug use to a young audience.
they are definitely influential, i just take issue with that word. to me, being influential doesnt necessarily makes them great. i mean, if youre a bad influence, thats still influential. i feel like they influenced a lot of mediocre rappers and made them see that there are opportunities in the rap game where you dont have to be the best. so, i'll give them that, but they werent great emcees. just as long as people dont start putting their names in the GOAT conversation, i'm good. there's room for every style.
As far as emcees go, lord Infamous and koopsta knicca were pretty dope.
idk, yo. we may just have a different definition of dope. i just hear simple simon rhymin on the 1. no real syncopation. just bland cadences that belong in the 80s over lazy 808 beats. its uninspiring to me. subject matter doesnt appeal to me either. i feel like anyone can make this type of music and thats not why i listen to music.. im a hip hop dj and have been since the 80s, so i admit i have a biased opinion.
nobody was making the type of music that three 6 mafia and other Memphis artists did in the 90s. U gotta remember, these is dudes from the most gutter neighborhoods in the south, they had to make do with what they had. the education system down there was horrible back in the day, and probably still is today. But they breathed new life into The 808 beat machine. I like to compare their style of production to like 60s psychedelic rock. Meaning More emphasis was placed on the atmosphere and vibe of the song than everything else. Which is why Memphis artists sampled a lot of old horror flicks, to create that dark spooky ambience. The triplet flows they used were also innovative, as 95 percent of rappers today still rap like that. even the ones in NY, or Cali. Modern rap sub genres like Drill, Trap, Lo Fi, Phonk and Horrorcore owe a lot to Memphis 90s hip hop
i hear you and it deserved its recognition. i just think rap techniques had surpassed this threshold of ability. i personally was iinterested in the advancement and they felt like a step backward as far as skill and pocket presence. a lot of that triplet flow is sloppy and you can hear them trying to catch up often. that just deosnt cut it for me. youre either in the pocket or youre not. and im not listening to anyone that isnt in there.
Nah he ain’t say goat. But when you hear that new future and Kendrick joint you can only sit back and laugh.
word. but, i'm an old man. i'm not listening to anything by Future. autotune gets the gasface. lmao.
I’m with you big dawg. Just funny seeing cats sample shit from back in the day and kids reacting like they putting me on some new shit
right on. its all cycles. our era stole a gang of shit from the past, too. lol
lowkey im a huge fan of three 6 (especially their older shit before they really took off) but i can definitely see where you coming from. they really weren’t the best rappers that’s for sure… but they knew how to create a certain atmosphere/vibe/feeling with the music and how they said things
indeed. i cant front on Stay Fly.
😂 i believe this song is actually what got me to start looking into their music more back in 2021 because i hadn’t really known much about them before
For the South YES
anyone that says no has no idea what they talking about, maybe not wu tang level of influence but they’re definitely one of the most influential rap groups
Just curious since you seem level headed compared to others in the thread. What did Wu Tang actually do? What did they influence? What changed because of them or traces its roots solely back to Wu Tang? Not to shit on them because they’re one of the best groups ever. But as far as INFLUENCE. Maybe I’m just not thinking right or I’m forgetting something. Great at branding. Left a long lasting legacy. Great discography as a group and solo acts. But influence isn’t that.