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Two Sides of the Same Coin
Pastor Troy and DMX are more alike than we admit.
“Oh Father, come and take me, I surrender, I’m ready!” Pastor Troy
When we mention rap greats, there are a host of names that come to mind from Pac, Biggie, Nas, Jada, Eminem and Redman. Others like 50 Cent and DMX usually straddle the fence, praised for their dominance but ultimately left out of the convo because of how soon they fell out of contention. Now and then a few Southerners like Andre 3000 or Scarface are given their proper due with T..I. usually garnering an honorable mention. However, there remains a tier of emcees who are omitted all the time, emcees whose influence on the game can’t be understated but whose commercial success proved elusive.
Crunk music is overlooked by rap aficionados and relegated to a period in time rather than honored as an influential trend that shaped music. It’s for that reason that Three-6 Mafia will never get their just due. When Atlanta is mentioned, however, there is one man whose name consistently fails to get his props and that is Pastor Troy.
His first album We Ready I Declare War, released independently in 1999, ignited a movement in Atlanta, giving Atlanta a makeover at a time where it sorely needed it. Southern bass music dominated Atlanta’s musical identity, but Troy brought the edge. True…
