How Memphis made its mark in the hip-hop world

In the years since hip-hop originated in New York, many other cities have fueled its global success. Memphis, Tennessee, is one of them. It’s brimming with talented musicians and storytellers who have innovated rap to reflect the city’s own history and culture.

Regional dialects, lingo and specific musical characteristics have always been central to the genre as it's evolved. Zandria Felice Robinson knows that personally; she’s a native of Memphis, a writer and associate professor at Georgetown University.

"Place histories shape what we listen to,” she says. “It shapes how the music is made."