9. Suave House
In the early ’90s, most Southern rap artists were shut out of major label deals. As a result, many independent labels were formed to distribute southern hip-hop. In 1990, Tony Draper created Suave House Records and signed Memphis duo, 8 Ball & MJG. The duo released the classic album Coming Out Hard in 1993 and followed with four other solid albums. With the help of producers, T-Mixx and 8 Ball & MJG, the Suave House sound of using soul samples pre-dated Kanye West’s production style by 10 years. Other artists on Suave House who gained prominence in the South include Tela, South Circle and Crime Boss. But in the early ‘2000s, 8 Ball & MJG left the label due to mis-management of funds by Draper. The label has never regained the status it enjoyed during the ’90s.
