No matter what rap song you click to when you open up your go-to streaming app, it’s hard to deny the influence the south has on Hip-Hop. When it comes to music, the south gets down and dirty. 33-year-old rapper and producer Alkebulan is more than proud to be a part of the Dirty South resurgence.
Though from the western state of Oregon, Alkebulan grew up in the Peach state in none other than Atlanta. Coming from a family of musicians and artists alike, music may as well be hereditary for the artist.
The Black and Indigenous Alkebulan works under A Black Clan Records (ABC), a record label that stays in the family. Alkebulan has flourished into being a proudly Black and Indigenous artist with a southern kick to his tracks; however, he had to work hard to rise up to where he stands now. So, where did it all begin, you might ask?
The music all began when, in his senior year of high school, a diss track was made against the then-young talent. He was left with no option but to drop a diss in response – oldschool style. The diss track was well-received and gave him confidence in his sound, which he says really started to come into fruition when he was around 21 years old.
And thus, he decided it would only be right to go by his birth name: Alkebulan.
As a Dirty South-styled rapper himself, he has watched the sound ebb and flow over time, as all genres do. He keenly remembers which Dirty South artists started putting the southeast on the map:
In today’s Dirty South scene, though, he gives flowers to artists such as Young Thug, 21 Savage, Key Glock, and others. Many Dirty South artists are from the Atlanta area, like Alkebulan himself. The main difference between southern rap and other genres of rap is simple, according to him:
“(Other regions) don’t change as much as the south does. They’re very innovative (not to say that people in the north and the west aren't because they are so talented at what they do) it’s just the producers are different here (in the south).”
The Dirty South sound is about being quick to reinvent the wheel. He iterates how heavily this sub-genre of rap depends on a more melodic, rhythmic delivery, in contrast to other styles.
Alkebulan sharpens his musical prowess by continuing to create and collaborate. Some of his favorite collaborations were with artists such as JID, 6lack, and OG Maco on their song titled “W4R”.
He especially loves the synergy that comes about from working with woman vocalists. Some of his favorites to collaborate with were Alexis Glenn, Alexis Vinett, Baby Rose, and others.
Alkebulan has unique and cerebral bodies of work said to be dropped in the near future. He explains what each album will entail and delves into the symbolism in the clip below:
No matter how much Dirty South rap undergoes construction and reinvention, Alkebulan will never cease to stick to his Black roots in all that he creates.