Today in Hip Hop History. Fourteen years ago Three 6 Mafia became the first hip-hop group to ever win an Oscar. The rap group took home the win for their single, “Its Hard out Here for a Pimp,” from the Hustle and Flow Soundtrack.
Warning: Explicit Lyrics.
Three 6 Mafia formed in 1991 emerging a new unique sound of “horror rap.” The group consisted of Juicy J, Dj Paul, Project Pat, Gangsta Boo, Lord Infamous, Crunchy Black, La Chat, Lil Wyte, Koopsta Knicca, Frayser Boy, Playa Fly, Indo G, and Gangsta Blac.
The group would release their debut album titled, Mystic Stylez in 1995 which the rap group says they were influenced by Geto Boys, NWA, Isaac Hayes, Willie Hutch, KRS-One, and Venom. A long way from the so-called “crunk” the band would make their mark in hip hop, with their impact of horrorcore lyricism and destructive samples would place the group into mainstream music.
More About Three 6 Mafia:
Three 6 Mafia is an American hip hop group from Memphis, Tennessee formed in 1991. Emerging as a horror-themed underground rap group, they would eventually go on to enjoy mainstream success. The group's 1995 debut album Mystic Stylez would go on to become an influential cult classic. They have released music on independent labels such as Prophet Entertainment and their own Hypnotize Minds label, as well as Relativity, Loud, and Columbia Records.
Two of their albums are RIAA-certified Platinum: When the Smoke Clears: Sixty 6, Sixty 1 (2000) and Most Known Unknown (2005), the latter featured their hit single "Stay Fly". In 2006 the group won the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 78th Academy Awards for their song "It's Hard out Here for a Pimp" from the film Hustle & Flow. The group's latest studio album, Last 2 Walk, was released in 2008. Three 6 Mafia's worldwide album sales stand at 5.5 million as of 2016.