Three Six Mafia

The controversial hip-hop group Three Six Mafia has reached another historical milestone. They will be among 25 legendary artists to be inducted into the Smithsonian’s new Memphis Music Hall of Fame. The artists are all from Memphis, Tennessee.

Other inductees include Otis Redding, Elvis Presley, Al Green, The Staple Singers, Jerry Lee Lewis and Isaac Hayes. The induction ceremony will take place at the Cannon Center for Performing Arts in Memphis on November 29. The full list of the 25 musical acts who are joining the aforementioned legends is available on Memphis Daily News.

The group received an Oscar award for best original song in 2006 for “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp.” The award was met with a lot of ridicule. “It was another example of how they pick the worst aspects of black life and reward that. There are more important things in our culture that need focus more than the hardships of a pimp,” said 51-year-old Juaqin Jessup. “The only place many people see our culture is through movies and on television, and at the same time, this country is experiencing an influx of people coming over here from all over the world, and the only thing they see of black America through the media is . . . pimps and gangsters and all of that. It’s always some low-down brother or some welfare mother.” Despite the criticism, the group basked in their success and landed a reality show shortly after the historical recognition.

Staff