Am I the only one who's sick of The Game?

Generally, gimmick-rappers get played out in a year or less.

They have one or so hits, then people realize there's other shit to listen to. Unfortunately, current hip hop radio is populated by a seemingly endless cycle of gimmick rapper after gimmick rapper, signed to small contracts by cunning record executives hoping to make a few easy million. Even so, we never quite have to be annoyed by one particular act for quite so long--at least, not until now.

Now we have The Game, the decent-at-best Compton rap act torn between being a gangsta and a nice guy who has somehow managed to keep himself in the spotlight since we first were introduced to him in 2003, despite being a virtual one-trick-pony. He has uncannily managed to make a substantial career out of ceaseless name-dropping and incessant feuding--his perpetually intermittent beef with former label-mate 50 Cent in particular.

A fact that we have to face in the hip hop community is that people are aways fascinated by a good-old-fashioned beef, no matter how frivolous it is or how completely ludicrous it's premise. Just think of some of the ridiculous shit rappers have squabbled over: Canibus and LL Cool J beefed because of a bizarre affinity LL had for a tattoo on his arm. The Nas/Jay-Z rivalry escalated to the rappers calling each other "gay" like third graders. Jermaine Dupri and Dr. Dre beefed because Dr. Dre wasn't taught the 'sticks and stones' rhyme as a child (the complete absurdity of two producers in a rapper beef notwithstanding). If there were an Emmy for dumb ass beefs though, the Game would be the easy victor. By now it's hard to tell why The Game and 50 Cent have been beefing for so long, all we know is that they just are, in a manner reminiscent of the Capulets and Montagues. For a while, we wanted to blame 50 cent, who seemingly started beef with every rapper he could think of for inane reasons, and I can deal with The Game responding when he's called out. But how many tracks do you gotta make, man?

The three year old beef continues to this day as a new diss track called "My Bitch" has leaked. To make things even more annoying, not only does Game diss his boyfriend 50, he also appears to want to revive an old beef with Suge Knight, and he, for reasons unknown, is also taking shots at Jay-Z. This guy doesn't know how to quit.
Click here to listen to "My Bitch".

Did I mention that Game also disses a host of video vixens and models including Melyssa Ford and Vida Guerra on a single called "Wouldn't Get Far" from his sophomore album Doctor's Advocate?

Yes, the dude is dissing fucking Vida Guerra now.

The Top Fifteen Southern Rap Acts of All time

With the recent "Southern Explosion" in rap music, I thought it fitting to chronicle the best the south has offered over the years, and since I live in the South, I've heard it all.

This is what I personally consider to be the top fifteen (and really ONLY notable fifteen) southern rap acts of all time. The most important criterion that I considered in this list is influence and affect on hip hop (in a notable or positive way) as a whole. I did also consider actual skill and entertainment value, but it was a secondary criterion. I only included official acts, not individual members of groups (unless they established a notable solo career). Also I did not include Virginia acts, because I think the VA scene is more in tune to east coast music than Southern music. With that said.

15. Goodie Mob: Goodie Mob not only personified "dirty south" music, they coined the phrase. Their mixture of grimey songs about street life with political and spiritual messaging was just the ticket to appealing to a mass audience in the nineties. They had street cred and they were politically aware. They weren't the same old ignorant gangstas we were used to. These guys actually saw the bullshit they were dealing with everyday. They weren't the most technically skilled bunch, but their lyrics were so honest and that's what made them good.

14. Arrested Development: Arrested Development set the stage for acts like Goodie Mob. They proved that a rapper could be a nice guy and still be popular. Super popular. Insanely popular. These guys had multiple number one hits and they even one a Grammy. Unfortunately, their success ended almost as quickly as it came, but there is no doubt that they left a lasting mark on mainstream hip hop, leaving that little door open for socially conscious acts to come.

13. 2 Live Crew: These guys basically invented mainstream Southern rap music. Before then, acts from the south would move to one of the coasts to start their career and 2 Live Crew, admittedly did begin on the West Coast, but when the group was signed by Miami entrepeneur Luke, they became a strictly Southern act. They mixed elements of pure dance music and hardcore rap music, added extremely sexual lyrics and rode the waves of controversy until their debut album went double platinum. They actually were banned in Florida for a time, but that only made people want to get their hands on a copy of their music even more.

12. CunninLynguists: Southern rap had been around for a while when CunninLynguists debuted, and with few exceptions was mostly critically panned. The lack of technical skill and artistic vision didn't appeal to those that were fans of the much more lyrically sound east coast artists. Then along came Kno and Deacon. These guys actually could rap. They actually rapped about something, and not the same thing on every album! Who'dathunk? CunninLynguists garnered attention with their clever name and remained notable in the underground to this day.

11. UGK: UGK are the underdogs of rap. They've been around for EVER. They made music because they liked to. They weren't concerned that much with going platinum, they just wanted to make some pimptastic ass shit for the homies to bump. And they did that for twenty years, and still continue to do it. Thanks in part to their appearance on Jay-Z's hit "Big Pimpin'", to Bun-B appearing on EVERYONE'S album during Pimp C's incarceration, and also to Bun-B's successful solo debut, UGK has finally reached the mainstream spotlight. They've got more of a poppy feel to their tracks now, but still the same gangsta lyrics.

10. Lil' Wayne: Weezy's been the game a long time, even though he's still a young guy. He was one of the key reasons for the original Cash Money Record's success. When his debut Tha Block is Hot was announced, there was little doubt in any Cash Money fan's mind that it was going to be dope. After Juvenile's triumph in 400 Degreez, fans were torn between who was the best in Cash Money, Juvvy or Weezy. After Juvvy's fall from the spotlight, Wayne has certainly took that spot. After the disappointing 500 Degreez, Lil' Wayne took some time off to listen to Jay-Z's The Black Album. Sometime during this period he began to realize the potential that he'd had for so many years. He started using more complex rhyme schemes, he started playing with his words more. He took a page from his mentor Jay-Z's book and built from there. This was essential in gaining respect in the South from elitist east coast fans. He claims that Tha Carter marks his perfection of his craft, but I don't think so. I think Wayne's got much more potential, and in a future incarnation of this list he may be much higher.

9. Three 6 Mafia: This Memphis group that at one point sported around six members and ended up with only two spend most of their career under the mainstream radar. Not to say that they weren't doing anything. They virtually invented what is now known as "crunk" music. DJ paul and Juicy J also set a new standard for production in southern rap, and rap in general. Due to their alleged association with the occult and their Satanic monicker, radio stations (especially in the South) were hesitant to support them. It wasn't until their album Choices II and the mega hit "Stay Fly" that they achieved national success. This led to their work on the feature film Hustle and Flow, which result in them being one of the only two rap acts to win an Oscar. They won a fucking ACADEMY AWARD.

8. Lil' Jon & The East Side Boyz: Between 2002 and 2004, not only was Lil' Jon the King of Crunk, he was the King of RAP. He ran rap music. Him and his East Side Boyz released the incredibly popular Kings of Crunk and it swept the nation. It wasn't the grimey rap music from the streets that we were used to, it was fun, it was flashy, it was loud and it was incredibly simple. Anyone can scream "Yeeeaaaah". It's fun. It's a hit at clubs. It offended those who felt rap should have more substance, but it undeniably was something that people wanted to hear and bob their heads violently too. Lil' Jon's albums are an INTENSE blend of heavy bass, loud synthesized sounds, and a lot of screaming; his tracks sort of are rap's answer to death metal.

7. Master P: Master P was the first southern rap visionary. The first southern rap entrepreneur. Master P is the best example in rap's history of nothing to something through sheer ambition and determination. He didn't get discovered and offered a deal. He didn't release a surprise hit single. He started a record label literally from the ground up. He sold his first album out of the trunk of his car. New Orleans had been looking for their place in rap music, so they were waiting for Master P. His honest, yet hardcore lyrics, made his very first CD, sold out of the trunk of his car, go nearly gold...without any sort of promotion. This gained the attention of the distributor Priority records. That's right, they came to him. He didn't go out sending demos to everyone. They came to him. They gave him creative control. They gave him ownership. The sound was so unique, the lyrics were novel. Master P's grimey voice and bouncy flow was perfectly catchy. Master P's original "no limit" vision was proving to be true. Basically everything Master P put his hands on for the next four years or so became a mega success. Even that crappy movie he wrote, produced, directed and starred in, I'm Bout It. He didn't become the richest rapper of all time, though, until he decided to make No Limit a conglomerate. Yes a conglomerate. There were No Limit movies, toys, clothing, books, stores, sports management firms; they even had a phone sex service. This in tern made Master P the richest rapper of all time, and despite he fast fall from the spot light after the turn of the millenium, he still remains one of the wealthiest entertainers ever. If anyone had anything to do with Southern rap being the mainstream powerhouse it is, it is Master P.

6. Juvenile: At the beginning his career, Juvvy was was mainly known as 'the best rapper on Cash Money', and really nothing more. He has one of the most distinct styles in music history and one of the most recognizable voices. In 1998, he released the Southern classic 400 Degreez which effectively made him a star, and it put Cash Money on the mainstream map, paving the way for the success of B.G, Lil Wayne, and The Big Tymers. 400 Degreez wasn't a lyrical masterpiece or a feat of creative mastery. It was just an album chock full of solid tracks. The leading single "Ha" was a refreshingly unique social commentary and this was followed by arguably the first southern rap/pop crossover hit, "Back that Azz Up". The song may've been played too many times for anyone to really want to hear it anymore, but it is a brilliantly executed track. Everything from Juvvy's unique and mind numbingly catchy singsong flow to Manny Fresh's marvelous beat made this track extend beyond the constraints that most rap music is held behind. After "Back that Azz up", Juvenile has managed to keep himself in the spotlight, even without Cash Money backing him. He's released several hit singles, like "Slow Motion", "Nolia Clap", and "Rodeo". People just can't get enough of the always unique Juvvy.

5. Geto Boys: Geto Boys was the South's answer to NWA. They were more talented than the Californians though. They had more to say, and they were more apt to say it. They explored more taboo subjects such as rape and necrophilia, but they are mostly notable for their extreme social commentary in a time where being a gangsta was about shooting guns, not exploring why one might shoot a gun. The reason they are on this list is because, they virtually put Southern rap on the map. 2 Live Crew invented mainstream Southern rap music, but the Geto Boys opened the door for every other mainstream Southern rap act to come. 2 Live Crew built the house, the Geto Boys opened the door.

4. Eightball and MJG: Eightball and MJG are one of the most consistently innovative rap groups of all time. They have been around through every trend of rap, yet they still managed to create unique blends of Southern funk and crunk, as well as every other type of music, with each and every album. They are truly legends in Southern rap. They aren't very spectacular rappers, but they are artists, for sure. They continue to experiment with new sounds and new blends of sounds, setting many of the trends Southern Rap has seen. They're on a whole different level than most Southern rap acts, and they know it. They don't rap about anything, they're mostly concerned with the sounds they create. I couldn't reasonably name everything they've tried and succeeded doing.

3. Ludacris: Luda was one of those guys that was dope right out the box. Most rap artists show promise in the beginning, but eventually evolve into the artist they were meant to be. Ludacris, however, was incredible to begin with. His very first album showcased a polished flow, great production, and the witty, East Coast friendly lyrics that would define his career. Wielding one of the best voices in the history of rap and one of the smoothest flows, Luda is one of those rappers that people will probably always like. With five critically acclaimed albums, and probably more to come, Luda stood at the forefront of rap music at the dawn of the new millennium alongside his often collaborator, Lil' Jon. His music wasn't even really "southern music", it's just Luda music. He broke through that barrier by refusing to box himself a certain style. Some of his songs are definitely "dirty south" in style, but others are inspired directly from East coast styles, and some are a unique amalgam of the two. Easily one of the more creative Southern acts, he's accomplished creative feats such as Chicken and Beer, which is basically an album where nearly every song is about sex or women, yet he still managed to find a way to make every song distinct.

2. Scarface: If 2 Live Crew built the house, and the Geto Boys opened the door, then Scarface is the one who moved in, decorated, and slept in that shit. Scarface is one of the greatest rappers of all time. He took what Geto Boys started and brought it to a new level. His amazing voice and natural skill enabled to do everything from brag to tell stories masterfully. His masterpiece The Fix is a definite classic and is Scarface at his best. The excellent production mixed with Scarface's lyrical skill which is nearly unmatched in the south made for an album that belongs in every collection.

1. Outkast: You probably guessed it. Outkast may be the greatest hiphop group of all time, much less the greatest southern group. They are the epitome of what a musical artist is supposed to be; talented, unique, experimental, and creative. They are all those things and much more. They started off as 'two dope boys in a Cadillac', but as of now they are simply incredible artists who constantly reinvent themselves and manage to be mega popular while doing so. Their collective skill is unmatched in the south. Andre3000 is the best technical writer in hip hop, his poetic metaphors and witty wordplay rivals and exceeds many of the best in the game. Almost everything he's ever said is quotable. Big Boi has found himself finally, and boasts on of the most unique flows in the game, and some of the best and creatively written lyrics. Add this to great production which is often produced by the group themselves and new ideas with every album, Outkast is the clear number one for this list. Outkast is the backbone of Southern hiphop. No matter how many retarded Southern acts come out, the south will always be able to say "we had Outkast".