Producer and rapper Juicy J has played an important role in the South's rise to prominence within the once East and West Coast-dominated rap industry. Behind the leadership of Juicy J and production partner DJ Paul, Three 6 Mafia rose from an underground phenomenon in Memphis to a nationally recognized music empire, spinning off numerous solo albums for the collective's many members starting in the mid-'90s. In addition to helming whole albums for artists such as Project Pat and Gangsta Boo, and earning an Academy Award for Three 6 Mafia's "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" (from the soundtrack of Hustle & Flow), Juicy has produced or co-produced hit singles including UGK's "International Players Anthem (I Choose You)" and Megan Thee Stallion's "Hot Girl Summer." His solo work is highlighted by the Top Ten album Stay Trippy (2013), the source of the Top 40, platinum-certified single "Bandz a Make Her Dance." As a featured artist, he has scored numerous additional hits, most significantly Katy Perry's chart-topping and Grammy-nominated "Dark Horse." Additional Top 40 entries with the likes of Ne-Yo, Usher, and Rae Sremmurd preceded Juicy's fifth solo album, The Hustle Continues (2020).