Born and raised in Philly, DJ Drama has made a name for himself in the hip hop game over the years. While his career set sail after becoming the official DJ for T.I., he has played a crucial role in the onset of mixtapes in the rap world. The Golden Mixtape Era, which started about ten years ago, is now stronger than ever. During a time when the FBI and ICE were raiding mixtape studios, most mixtape DJs decided to lay low in fear of getting caught. DJ Drama did the exact opposite as he decided to take the leap and push forward with his Gangsta Grillz mixtapes. His drive and success changed the mixtape game in hip hop altogether.
Now for a little history lesson. According to Urban Dictionary, Gangsta Grillz can be defined as a "gangsta" attitude you have towards someone. Fair enough. While Drama's entire Gangsta Grillz mixtape series consists of roughly 150 projects, each one has played a major role in his career, good or bad. The original Gangsta Grillz series only consisted of 5 mixtapes, each being a compilation of various Southern rap artists. Back before the convenience of Internet, they were dispersed in the streets of Atlanta for all to hear. Ever since, DJ Drama can proudly stand as one of the faces of underground Southern rap.
Working with some of music's greatest, such Lil Wayne, Chris Brown, and even Pharrell, each mixtape by DJ Drama bears the stamp of authenticity. DJ Drama personally hosting the mixtape is equivalent to an executive producer of an album. He picks the tracks, puts them in order, and basically sees that the final product is up to par.
We have now put together a list of the top 10 greatest Gangsta Grillz mixtapes of all time.
