Last week, we published a list of the 50 Greatest Atlanta Rappers of All Time, focusing on individual artists and their contributions to hip-hop. This approach has its limitations—a framework like this doesn’t account for groups, where the collective strength outweighs the individual.
Atlanta, in particular, has been shaped by many influential groups over the years. While some of them gained widespread recognition, others struggled to become more than local stars. Take Silk Tymes Leather, one of the first prominent women-led rap groups. Or how about Parental Advisory (P.A.), a trio crucial to the rise of Organized Noize? And what about Ghetto Mafia, one of the first great indie groups from Atlanta? Despite their significant contributions, these groups have largely faded into obscurity. These unsung heroes shouldn’t be forgotten and, in their own way, deserve similar recognition as some of the iconic groups who built Atlanta rap, like Goodie Mob, Migos and OutKast.
Which is why we’re here. After ranking individual rappers, we decided to come back with another list, this time assessing the Greatest Atlanta Rap Groups of All Time, using the same metric as our rappers list—skill, catalog, and influence—to determine the order.
Scroll down to see the list.
15. P.A.
Why They Belong on This List: Early gangsta rap pioneers who helped developed the Organized Noize sound
Commercial success: 2 albums on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts
Important Songs: “Maniac”; “Like We Do”; “Sundown” featuring 8Ball
Before Rico Wade, Ray Murray, and Sleepy Brown—aka production trio Organized Noize—began guiding the sound of OutKast and Goodie Mob, they were deeply involved in the early work of Parental Advisory—a trio consisting of James “Mello” Hollins, Maurice “Big Reese” Sinclair, and Kawan “K.P.” Prather. They were making gangsta music before the genre became synonymous with Atlanta hip-hop, starting with their 1993 debut album, Ghetto Street Funk.
Though they weren’t quite Dungeon Family—more like Dungeon Family-adjacent—you can still see early traces of the DF sound that Organized Noize perfected, which often featured live instrumentation and chunky, dense music drenched in ’70s soul. Parental Advisory, as a group, never fully broke through commercially, but their late-’90s contributions shouldn’t be left out of the trap music canon. Notably, the remix of the underrated “Dope Stories” (Remix), which features P.A., Big Gipp, N.O.R.E., and Pimp C spitting some of the most vivid verses about the drug trade of their respective careers. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo
14. YoungBloodZ
Why They Belong on This List: Created one of the enduring crunk anthems and introduced the world to the “Eastside Stomp.”
Commercial success: 1 top 5 Billboard single and album
Important Songs: “Shakem’ Off”; “Damn!” featuring Lil Jon; “Presidential”
YoungBloodZ emerged in the post-OutKast Y2K landscape of Atlanta rap, blending the heady psychedelia of the group with an approachable yet gritty dedication to street rap. The duo, J-Bo and Sean Paul—later known as Sean P East after the Jamaican star made him change his name—established their credentials with the 1999 LaFace debut, Against Da Grain, which solidified them as a duo that adhered to classical forms while still infusing their raps with hyper-realistic diary entries of life in the city’s trenches. Local stars can rise to national prominence quickly, and on their 2003 Lil Jon-assisted hit “Damn!” they broke through with an iconic crunk anthem which introduced the world to the “A-Town stomp.” —Will Schube
13. Dem Franchize Boyz
Why They Belong on This List: Helped pioneer snap music
Commercial success: 5 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and 3 albums on the Billboard 200 chart
Important Songs: “Lean Wit It, Rock Wit It” featuring Lil Peanut and Charlay; “White Tee”; “I Think They Like Me”,
The snap-rap era wasn’t long, but Dem Franchize Boyz helped define it. For a period of about two years, the So So Def quartet, which featured Parlae, Pimpin’, Jizzal Man, and Buddie, served up some of the most indelible hits of their micro-era. Coated in sparse soundscapes and easily digestible hooks, this was apex ringtone rap. “White Tee” had us leaning and rocking with it—and running to Champs for their five for $20 deal.
It’s unclear just who, exactly, created the signature snap dance, but “Lean Wit It” immortalized the maneuver when it peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. They might seem small in the grand scheme of rap history, but Dem Franchize Boyz’ minimalist snap songs helped pave the road for Soulja Boy to make “Crank That (Soulja Boy),” a song that’s only responsible for crystallizing viral rap culture as we know it. —Peter A. Berry
12. D4L
Why They Belong on This List: Released the biggest hit of the snap music era
Commercial success: 2 songs on Billboard Hot 100 chart, including a No. 1 single; 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart
Important Songs: “Laffy Taffy”; “Betcha Can’t Do It Like Me”; “I’m Da Man”
Ask any random mid-2000s hip-hop fan what they know about D4L, and they’ll respond with “Laffy Taffy.” Hell, ask anyone who was a teenager in 2005, and they’ll at least be able to recite the chorus. Before algorithms and playlisting broke everything, people used to listen to music on this thing called the radio. And for a wide swath of time, D4L’s “Laffy Taffy” dominated the airwaves. You’d be forgiven for thinking that’s all the group of Fabo, Mook-B, Stoney, and Shawty Lo brought to the table, but they were genuine pioneers of the snap music that emerged out of the rough Bankhead neighborhood in the early 2000s.
The aforementioned Dem Franchize Boyz were bubbling around the same time and a snap rivalry developed. But nationally, D4L’s lighthearted bop “Laffy Taffy” was the biggest song from the era, going No.1 on the Billboard charts and breaking all kinds of ringtone records. —Will Schube
11. Arrested Development
Why They Belong on This List: Became the first rap act to win a Best New Artist Grammy
Commercial success: 5 songs on Billboard Hot 100 chart; 3 albums on the Billboard 200 chart
Important Songs: “Tennessee”; “People Everyday”; “Mr. Wendal”
Three years before André 3000 and Big Boi took the stage at the ’95 Source Awards, Speech, Headliner, and the Arrested Development crew were shining a serious light on Atlanta. Their track, “Tennessee”—a song about grappling with the death of loved ones—was one of the first truly transcendent Atlanta rap records, demonstrating the potential for Atlanta music to convey socially conscious messages.
Arrested Development emerged at the height of gangsta rap’s early-’90s commercial ascent, and they were largely embraced by mainstream critics for offering a contrast to the dominant sounds of the era. “Tennessee” and their debut album, 3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life Of…, still marks their commercial peak, but they haven’t stopped. After a hiatus that followed the disappointment of their follow-up, Zingalamaduni, the group kept plugging away, further spreading their message of positivity, peace, and spirituality. —Will Schube
10. Ghetto Mafia
Why They Belong on This List: One of the first gangsta rap acts from the city; built a legit following despite being independent
Commercial success: 3 songs on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Chart; 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart
Important Songs:“I Can Feel It”; “For The Good Times (Straight From The Dec)”
Ghetto Mafia, Nino and Wicked, merged Southern-fried G-Funk with allegorical street vignettes. These weren’t trap tall tales; they were blunt trench realities you could find at the edge of your grandma’s porch.
They crystallized the formula with their 1994 debut LP, Draw the Line, which dropped the same summer as Outkast’s Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik. While ‘Kast would go on to become the best group out of the city—spoiler alert—Ghetto Mafia grinded it out independently, selling tapes from their trunk. Their biggest impact came with 1997’s Straight From the Dec, a nod to their native Decatur neighborhood. Imbued with a dazed Al Green sample, their single “For the Good Times (Straight From the Dec)” doubles as a regional statement of purpose: “Straight from the Dec (naw, this ain’t Compton, this Decatur).” —Peter A. Berry
9. Crime Mob
Why They Belong on This List: One of the most prominent acts of the crunk music era; gave Atlanta its unofficial national anthem, “Knuck If You Buck.”
Commercial success: 2 songs on Billboard Hot 100 chart and 2 albums on Billboard 200 chart
Important Songs: “Knuck If You Buck” featuring Lil Scrappy; “Rock Yo Hips” featuring Lil Scrappy “Stilettos (Pumps)”
In 2004, Crime Mob, a group originally consisting of six members (Lil’ Jay, Killa C, Cyco Black, M.I.G., Princess, and Diamond), put their hands in a pot to create a gumbo of muscle, vitality, and swag. That summer, “Knuck If You Buck” emerged as an electric national anthem perfect for throwing elbows and dreadlock shaking.
From “I’ll Beat Yo Azz” to “Stilettos,” a good portion of Crime Mob’s music was carried by the two women rappers: Diamond and Princess. Their contributions alone drew eyes towards Atlanta’s then-underrepresented female rap scene, which was preceded by the late Left Eye and eventually succeeded by Latto.
By the time CM dropped their sophomore project, Hated on Mostly in 2007, their violent brand of music not only electrified the culture in Atlanta, it also spanned generations, becoming a staple across HBCU campuses. —Kemet High
8. Travis Porter
Why They Belong on This List: Provided the soundtrack for post-snap Atlanta
Commercial success: 3 songs on Billboard Hot 100 chart; 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart
Important Songs: “Make It Rain”; “Bring It Back”; “Ayy Ladies” featuring Tyga
From 2009 to 2012, Travis Porter was primarily known for two things: 1) making popular party anthems that helped usher in a new Atlanta dance sound, and 2) having a name that made people think the trio was a single person. Despite this misunderstanding, the group made a significant impact with their production style, which frequently featured a blend of 808s and upbeat melodies. This set a precedent for a more fun and accessible style of trap music. Although their influence was brief, it was intense. Tracks like “Bring It Back” and “Ayy Ladies” not only soundtracked the early-2010s, but also laid the groundwork for the evolution of Atlanta’s turnt rap. There is a clear throughline from the group’s use of repetitive beats, quirky vocal effects, and catchy rap-sung hooks to the style adopted by artists like Migos and Rae Sremmurd just a few years later. —Kyesha Jennings
7. Kris Kross
Why They Belong on This List: The first major pop-rap act to come out of Atlanta
Commercial success: 7 songs on Billboard Hot 100 chart, including a No. 1 single; 3 albums on the Billboard 200 chart, including 1 No. 1
Important Songs: “Jump”; “Warm It Up”; “Live and Die for Hip-Hop” featuring Da Brat, Aaliyah, Jermaine Dupri
In 1990, Jermaine Dupri was wandering through Greenbriar Mall in Atlanta when he ran into two kids who would later become one of the most popular rap acts of the early ’90s. But they weren’t rappers or entertainers yet—just cool.
Even back then, Dupri recognized that star quality was paramount. And star quality is exactly what these kids had. By 1992, with JD’s guidance and pen, they would become Kris Kross, the braided duo famous for wearing their clothes backwards and declaring things “wiggity wiggity wack.” They took over the world with “Jump,” a song so big it reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. They later parlayed that success to an opening slot on Michael Jackson’s Dangerous World Tour. (The connection to MJ was particularly poetic, as “Jump” sampled Jackson 5’s “Want You Back.”)
Despite their success—or maybe because of their success—they carried a chip on their shoulder. “Jump” took jabs at fellow kiddie group Another Bad Creation, and Kris Kross’ debut album wasn’t all juvenile anthems like “I Missed the Bus”; they flirted with adult themes, too, like growing up in the slums (“Lil’ Boys in da Hood.”) They were in a rush to leave the children’s raps behind and their follow-up albums, Da Bomb and then Young, Rich & Dangerous, saw them embrace profanity, while cultivating a tougher, gangsta image. Sadly, Chris “Mac Daddy” Kelly passed away in 2013 at the age of 34. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo
6. Ying Yang Twins
Why They Belong on This List: Helped bring crunk music to the pop charts
Commercial success: 12 songs on Billboard Hot 100 chart and 6 albums on Billboard 200 chart
Important Songs: “Salt Shaker” featuring Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz; “Say I Yi Yi”; “Wait (The Whisper Song)”
If Lil Jon was the general of early-2000s crunk, then the Ying Yang Twins (Kaine and D-Roc) were his most valuable soldiers. From the time they emerged at the beginning of the aughts, no one captured the kinetic, horny energy of the club quite like the Atlanta duo, whose raucous shouts and frenzied deliveries epitomized doing too much in the best way.
Tracks like “Whistle While You Twurk” set the M.O. for their style. With their growly vocals and underrated penchant for melody, they rendered thirst-themed songs with all the infectiousness of a nursery rhyme. Their guest appearance on Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz’s “Get Low” was a signal flare for their club dominance. In a career that includes two platinum albums, multiple top 15 singles, and a damn feature on a Britney Spears album, their greatest accomplishment might be creating ASMR crunk with “Wait (The Whisper Song).” —Peter A. Berry
5. Rich Gang
Why They Belong on This List: Released one of the best mixtapes to come out of Atlanta
Commercial success: 2 song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart; 1 top 10 album on Billboard 200 chart
Important Songs: “Lifestyle; “Tapout”; “Tell Em”
Months before Rich Gang were set to release their debut tape, Rich Homie Quan declared that he and Young Thug were the best duo from Atlanta since OutKast. It seemed like blasphemy at first…until they went on their run.
Thug and Quan united the Cleveland Avenue and East Point sectors of Atlanta’s Southside, respectively, to represent the new wave of Cash Money Records as the leads of Rich Gang. Their hit single, “Lifestyle,” broke through in 2014, showcasing their ability to complement each other as lyrically deft, eccentric stars who could make hits. Tha Tour Pt. 1, their first and likely last project, was marked by elastic melodies and pounding production crafted by beatmakers like London on da Track and Isaac Flame. While their trap “blanguage” wasn’t always fully understood, it was always memorable.
From the underground to the mainstream, their impact was formidable, which comes as no surprise considering how both artists had already made significant strides as solo artists. After a one-year run, the two artists distanced themselves from each other. In the aftermath, Thug soared to superstardom while Quan remained an underrated veteran. —Kemet High
4. Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz
Why They Belong on This List: Crunk music pioneers who took belligerent club sounds and turned them into Billboard hits
Commercial success: 7 songs on the Billboard Hot 100, including 4 top 10 singles; 3 albums on Billboard 200 chart
Important Songs: “I Don’t Give A…” featuring Mystikal & Krayzie Bone; “What U Gon’ Do” featuring Lil Scrappy; “Get Low”[ featuring Ying Yang Twins
Lil Jon is such a ubiquitous figure that people often forget he was the frontman of a group. Remember—it’s Lil Jon… and The East Side Boyz. The other two members, Big Sam and Lil’ Bo, primarily served as hype men and occasionally provided songwriting support, while Jon fully embraced the spotlight.
In the mid-2000s, the trio established themselves as the faces of crunk music. Classics like “Bia Bia,” “Get Low,” and “What U Gon’ Do” became essential to both club culture and the broader music industry. The group’s influence was so impactful that they made everyone want to jump on the crunk bandwagon, collaborating with hometown heroes like Usher and Ludacris, NYC vets like Jadakiss and Nas, and West Coast OGs like Ice Cube and E-40.
To survive in Atlanta is to thrive in chaos, and that’s the best way to describe the sonic palette of Lil Jon and his comrades. Even if people didn’t recognize each of their faces, they were certainly familiar with the sound that put crunk on the map for the world to experience. —Kemet High
3. Goodie Mob
Why They Belong on This List: Brought a level of seriousness and heft to the Atlanta rap scene
Commercial success: 5 songs on Billboard Hot 100 chart and 5 albums on Billboard 200 chart
Important Songs: “Cell Therapy”; “Dirty South” featuring Cool Breeze and Big Boi of OutKast; “Black Ice (Sky High)”
From the start, Goodie Mob were dead serious. Kujo, T-Mo, Big Gipp, and CeeLo Green weren’t even 24 when they released their debut album Soul Food. Yet, they crafted one of the most layered rap albums ever put to wax. Using deeply personal narratives, the four MCs addressed systemic issues ranging from gentrification to the dangers of fast food to police brutality. (There’s even a sprinkle of William Cooper conspiracy theories, if that’s your twist.)
They were an intellectual bunch that wasn’t aloof, largely due to CeeLo, Goodie Mob’s magnetic center. He drew listeners in with pure vulnerability, heart, and one-of-a-kind MC skills. While each Goodie Mob member had compelling qualities, it was often CeeLo who stole the show, and frequently on the last verses of the group’s songs—a great honor back in the ’90s.
Soul Food will be remembered as the perfect meal—the moment when the right amount of grease met the ideal blend of paprika, cayenne, and garlic. And the follow-up, Still Standing, is just as poignant. It’s an album that reminds us that great art is often great criticism; Still Standing is a fierce response to the over-commercialization of late-’90s hip-hop. The Goodie Mob story would get complicated afterward—there was an infamous flop, a breakup, some diss tracks, and an underwhelming reunion—but no one can take away their legacy as true rap pioneers from the South who, yes, had something to say. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo
2. Migos
Why They Belong on This List: One of the most popular and influential rap acts to come out of Atlanta; helped transform the sound of “trap music” in the 2010s
Commercial success: 1 No. 1 single and 4 top 10 singles; 2 No. 1 albums; 34 total songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart
Important Songs: “Versace”; “Fight Night”; “Bad and Boujee” featuring Lil Uzi Vert
No group defined Atlanta rap in the 2010s like the Migos. Hailing from the city’s Northside, the trio—composed of Quavo, Offset, and the late Takeoff—burst onto the mainstream national scene in 2013 with hits like “Versace.” The track introduced the wider world to their signature triplet flow, relentless ad-libs, contagious hooks, and deep connection to Atlanta’s culture.
While the trap music of the ‘90s and early 2000s were drenched in soul and funk, Migos—who spent their early years working out the Brick Factory with Gucci Mane—helped bring the subgenre to the future, crafting contagious songs featuring punchy 808s and massive synth sounds. They also were always on the scene, flooding the market with mixtapes—including the classic No Label II—while being one of the feature kings of the 2010s, with everyone from Fall Out Boy to Katy Perry calling them up for verses.
They transitioned from street legends to commercial icons when they released the world-stopping 2016 smash “Bad & Boujee,” a song so monumental it cemented their status as one of the all-time great hip-hop groups. Even as they achieved commercial success, the strength of Migos’ songs and performances didn’t wane. Their power lay in their brash rap style, flamboyant material, and ability to turn street trap into anthems that could energize any party. With Takeoff’s untimely passing in 2022 and Quavo and Offset pursuing solo careers, we can look at Migos’ run in the past tense: They stand as one of the greatest groups to emerge from Atlanta, elevating the city’s trap sound to a new commercial stratosphere. —DeAsia Paige
1. OutKast
Why They Belong on This List: The definitive Atlanta rap group of all time, pushing the genre to new creative and commercial heights
Commercial success: Over 20 million records sold, including 5 top 5 albums and 1 No. 1 on Billboard 200; 19 songs on Billboard Hot 100, including 4 top 10s and 3 No. 1s
Important Songs: “Elevators (Me & You)”; “Ms. Jackson”; “B.O.B” (“Bombs Over Baghdad”)
Looking back at OutKast’s transcendent run, it’s incredible how much they accomplished in such a short amount of time. In just a decade, they evolved from a baby-faced duo influenced by Souls of Mischief into genre-breaking global superstars with genuine artistic vision.
It wasn’t only their output—essentially releasing an album every two years—or their consistency, becoming one of the few rap acts to release four consecutive classic albums, that makes them the greatest Atlanta rap group of all time. It was also their ability to push the boundaries of rap music, having the foresight to see the road that contemporary hip-hop was going down and gunning it the other way. In 1996, when hip-hop was dominated by fake mafia dons, OutKast soared to the stars, embracing afrofuturism on ATLiens. Two years later, when Master P was getting heavy burn on Atlanta radio with bouncy, uncomplicated anthems, OutKast crafted a meticulous, soulful, and dense album with Aquemini. And in 2000, when hip-hop was busy flipping somber ’70s soul records, OutKast went to the year 3000 with Stankonia, a hyperactive, electronic album that sounded light years ahead of the pack.
It’s rare for the most commercially popular rap music to also be the most brain-melting and critically acclaimed. Yet, OutKast managed to fit in that intersection. It helped that they were perfect MCs—André 3000, the sometimes wise, sometimes mischievous eccentric, paired with Big Boi, the traditionalist with dense wordplay and a slippery flow. Their partnership is why, even after all these years, fans still frequently ask about a potential reunion. Unfortunately, they haven’t rapped together on wax since “Royal Flush” in 2008, where Big Boi delivered the now-ironic line: “I laugh when you think that you have seen the last/ But it’s only the beginning, my nigga, don’t be so fast.” But luckily they leave an almost unparalleled catalog to pick apart—one that still sounds ahead of its time. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo
