Texas/ H-Town

Houston hip-hop has always been defined by its grit, determination and experimentalism. Few in the hip-hop industry were even aware that there were Southern cats who made hip-hop before the Geto Boys blasted on the scene in 1990 with their Rick Rubin-produced, self-titled debut. Their breakthrough single, 1991's "Mind Playing Tricks on Me" was revolutionary, and remains one of the most nihilistic and paranoid singles to ever chart in the States. The single's success led to emcee Scarface being labeled "the original king of the South."

Though Houston artists were unable to capitalize off of the Geto Boy's success, Scarface, Bushwick and Willie D did manage to spawn an entire generation of emcees. Chief among these were mid-period H-Town artists such as Fat Pat and UGK. Though none of these artists had much of an impact outside of the South, Underground Kingz were one of the most heralded and virtually unseen groups to ever emerge from the region. While they began their careers in the late '80s, it wouldn't be until their guest appearance on Jay-Z's 1999 single "Big Pimpin'" that the rest of the country would catch up. Members Bun B and Pimp C have since launched successful solo careers.

Up until its commercial explosion in 2005, Houston rap was largely insular and self-perpetuating. This was as much by choice as it was necessity. After all, what's the point of signing with a major when you can sell nearly a quarter million copies in your region and not have to pay the hefty overhead charges associated with the majors? Not having to cater to a national audience also helped the scene's music develop organically and left room for more exploration. Screw -- a style developed in the early '90s by DJ Screw in which albums' tempos are slowed down to a snail's pace and rhythms chopped up so that they approximate the slurry high of cough syrup -- could've only come from Houston.

This sense of artistic freedom was pivotal to Houston's emergence in 2005. Amidst a national hip-hop scene that had grown increasingly stagnant, Houston's artists sounded fresh. And though the scene never quite lived up to the promise of 2005's monster hit single "Still Tippin'," it did produce new superstars in Paul Wall, Mike Jones and Slim Thugg. But perhaps more importantly, it drew attention to the legacy of DJ Screw and offered renewed interest in UGK.