Southern hip-hop legends to play Civic Center

ALBANY — In the 1990s, when hip-hop emerged full-blown from the underground and became the popular music of America, it was Southern artists like the New Orleans-born dynamic duo Mystikal and Juvenile who led the revolution.

Now considered trailblazing veterans of the national music scene, that duo, along with fellow Southerners 8 Ball & MJG, Trick Daddy, Scarface and Pastor Troy, are on the road together in a filled-to-the-brim tour dubbed “The Legends of Southern Hip-Hop.”

The tour, which has already sold out shows in Atlanta and Savannah, will arrive at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Albany Civic Center.

“They started the tour last year, and it went over so well, they added a second leg,” Albany promoter Gilbert Udoto said of the Legends show. “When they extended the tour, I figured that would be a perfect opportunity to bring them here.

“These are the artists who made Southern hip-hop so big in the ’90s and early 2000s. It’s a perfect opportunity for the folks who grew up during that era to see the artists who were among the biggest stars in music then. And all of these guys are from the South, from Louisiana, Texas, Miami, Georgia.”

Indeed, joining New Orleans natives Mystikal and Juvenile on the tour are Miami’s Trick Daddy, Houston’s Scarface, Memphis’s 8 Ball and MJG, as well as Atlanta’s Pastor Troy.

Mystikal burst onto the scene with his 2000 hit “Shake Ya A**,” and over the course of 22 albums has released such popular cuts as “I Smell Smoke,” “Wild Boy” and “Here I Go.” Juvenile is best-known for hits like “Back That Azz Up,” “Bounce Back,” “Finale,” “#1 Stunna” and “Salt Shaker.”

8 Ball and MJG’s tales about thug life include “Take Notes,” “Pimp Hard” and “You Don’t Want Drama,” while Trick Daddy’s hits include “Let’s Go,” “Thug Matrimony” and “Thugs Are Us.” Scarface is known for such hits as “High Note,” “Homies and Thugs” and “Sell Out,” while Pastor Troy has kept his home state front and center with cuts like “No Mo Play in GA,” “Atlanta,” “Throw It Up” and “Champion.”

Tickets, including special VIP seating, are available at Odyssey Records, the Sandtrap 5.0, Big Daddy’s Lounge, Executive Cars or the Civic Center box office. For additional information, call (229) 436-9910.