Three 6 Mafia formed in Memphis in the early 1990s around DJ Paul, Juicy J, and Lord Infamous, pioneering the dark, horror-tinged Memphis rap sound that fed crunk and trap alike. Mystic Stylez (1995) is the underground landmark, and they took home an Oscar in 2006 for It's Hard out Here for a Pimp. Shop Three 6 Mafia vinyl, CDs, and reissues at Wax Trax Records.
Three 6 Mafia formed in Memphis, Tennessee in the early 1990s, with founding members DJ Paul, Juicy J, and Lord Infamous (1973-2013), later expanding to include members such as Crunchy Black, Koopsta Knicca, and Gangsta Boo. Emerging from the Memphis underground tape scene, the group built a major regional and then national following and became one of the most influential acts in Southern hip hop.
Three 6 Mafia pioneered a dark, menacing, horrorcore-influenced strain of Memphis rap, built on ominous, lo-fi production, heavy 808s, chanted hooks, and aggressive lyricism. Their sound is widely cited as foundational to crunk and an important precursor to modern trap music, influencing a broad swath of later Southern and mainstream hip hop.
Mystic Stylez in particular has become a sought-after collector item and has been reissued on vinyl given its landmark status in Memphis rap. Early Prophet and Hypnotize Minds-era pressings are of strong interest to hip hop collectors.
Listeners new to Three 6 Mafia often start with Mystic Stylez (1995) or Most Known Unknown (2005). For related listening, see and .
