Dirty

Southern rap duo Dirty inked a deal with Universal Records toward the close of 2000, capitalizing on the region's ascent as a dominant presence in hip-hop during the prior years and marking Alabama's debut major-label rap success. Hailing from Montgomery, the pair—Big Pimp and Mr. G' Stacka—merged rapid-fire flows rooted in the Southern lineage of OutKast with an Alabama-inflected pimp-meets-gangsta attitude and strikingly original beats. Their refined vocal approach set them apart from countless Dirty South contemporaries, fueling strong local appeal through The Pimp & da Gangsta, a project that first dropped independently via Nfinity Music and achieved major regional traction. Although Countryversatile had appeared in 1999, it was this follow-up that generated the buzz prompting the Universal contract. The album received its wider rollout in February 2001, refined with additional cuts and a smoother finish. Lead single "That's Dirty" paved the way for 2003's Keep It Pimp and Gangsta, the duo's final Universal effort. Love Us or Hate Us arrived in haste before year's end on Rap-a-Lot, featuring pointed barbs directed at the prior label and its roster. The artists subsequently launched Black Klown Records, nurtured the rise of their younger relative Lil' Burn One, and resurfaced in 2005 via Hood Stories.