Crib Notes

On Sunday, in recognition of BET Hip-Hop Awards weekend, Ryan Cameron and DJ Hershey will count down the “Dirty 30″ — Atlanta’s top rap songs of all time — starting at noon on V-103 (WVEE-FM).

So we decided to make our own list to take you back.

Back to the days of MC Shy D and DJ Toomp. Back to the days of Atlanta’s first FM radio rap show “The Fresh Party” (aired every Friday night on V-103 in the mid-’80s). Back to the days of Arnell Starr’s “American Rap Makers” video show on Channel 69.

The compiled list is strictly old-school, meaning nothing released after 1999 is included. Other criteria: All songs were either regional or national radio singles and/or videos that got heavy rotation.

We linked to YouTube videos or streaming mp3s where possible. Let us know what you think we missed.

30) “Jump,” Kris Kross
29) “Cocaine (America Has a Problem)” Kilo
28) “Raheem the Dream,” Raheem
27) “The HItman,” Sammy Sam the Hitman
26) “Can’t Stop No Playa,” Da Organization
25) “Bankhead Bounce,” Diamond feat. D-Roc
24) “Shake It,” MC Shy D
23) “True Players,” A-Town Players
22) “Funkdafied,” Da Brat
21) “Nasty Dancer,” Kilo
20) “Shorty Swing My Way,” KP & Envyi
19) “Watch for the Hook,” Cool Breeze feat. Dungeon Family
18) “Fly Away,” Goodie MOB
17) “Show Me Love,” Kilo
16) “Soul Food,” Goodie MOB
15) “People Everyday,” Arrested Development
14) “Rosa Parks,” OutKast
13) “Tennessee,” Arrested Development
12) “Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik,” OutKast
11) “They Don’t Dance No Mo’,” Goodie MOB
10) “Scrub Da Ground” Splack Pack
9) “Gotta Be Tough,” MC Shy D
8) “Roll It Up,” Success N Effect
7) “Cell Therapy,” Goodie MOB
6) “Player’s Ball,” OutKast
5) “Who You Wit,” Lil Jon and the Eastside Boys
4) “Get Up, Git Out,” OutKast feat. Goodie MOB
3) “Straight From the Dec,” Ghetto Mafia
2) “The Dirty South,” Goodie MOB feat. Cool Breeze, Big Boi
1) “Elevators (Me & You),” OutKast

Honorable mentions: “Iesha,” Another Bad Creation; “Baby Baby,” Kilo; “Van Full of Pakistans,” Y’all So Stupid, “Holiday,” Witchdoctor

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These days, with an ascendant progressive hip-hop scene on the horizon, everyone’s talking about Dungeon Family and OutKast again. (Like we ever stopped.) It’s important to remember, though, that while OutKast, Goodie Mob and Organized Noize blew up, most of the crew never really had much success, at least from a sales standpoint. Some will argue that classic yet underperforming singles such as Cool Breeze’s “Watch for the Hook” are all the success you need. Yes, they may be godhead in Atlanta, but to the rest of the world they’re almost famous.

Tonight, prodigal son Killer Mike has a big show at Django, and he’ll perform with Gripplyaz, one of those hotly tipped leaders of the new school. Both will be backed by Atlanta go-go group the X.O. Band. To mark the occasion, here’s a quote from a recent Killer Mike interview with HipHopDx.com that addresses Dungeon Family’s complicated legacy.

Dungeon Family fans got the shit end of the stick for over 10 years. They’ve seen their heroes like Witchdoctor, like Cool Breeze, like Backbone, like Slimm Calhoun, slip into the abyss. They have seen factionalization, they’ve seen disenfranchisement, they’ve seen everything except a glorious comeback. And the fans deserve that.

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Witchdoctor’s alliance with Adult Swim-certified imprint Williams Street Records was an unlikely one. Accordingly, the two have come up with some wacky promotions for his recently released album, Diary of an American Witchdoctor. Below you’ll find a TV ad that pairs the rapper’s Dungeon Family funk with “Soul Train”-like visuals. For more on Witchdoctor, check out my Nov. 1 CL story here.

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