On this day in Hip Hop history, 25 years ago, Memphis underground legends Three 6 Mafia released their fourth studio album, When the Smoke Clears: Sixty 6, Sixty 1. Ironically debuting at #6 on the Billboard 200, the album marked a turning point for the group as they edged closer to mainstream visibility with their dark, horrorcore-driven sound. Continuing the post-apocalyptic themes from their previous records, the album title symbolized the crew’s belief that “when the smoke clears,” Three 6 Mafia would still be standing strong.
One of the defining elements of this 2000 release was its high-profile guest features. Southern stalwarts UGK, Insane Clown Posse, Twiztid, Big Gipp, Mr. Serv-On, and Fiend all contributed, adding range and energy to an already intense body of work. The album also birthed some of Three 6 Mafia’s most enduring tracks—“Sippin’ On Some Sizzurp” and “I’m So Hi”—both of which helped shape the identity of Southern rap in the early 2000s.
Commercially, When the Smoke Clears was a breakthrough. Selling over a million copies within its first year, the album gave the group the push they needed to take their cinematic vision to the screen with Choices, and helped solidify their growing national audience.
In the years that followed, Three 6 Mafia would go on to release six more studio albums, star in two films, and eventually make history by becoming the first rap group to win an Academy Award—for Best Original Song with “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp” from the Hustle & Flow soundtrack.
Celebrating its 25th anniversary, When the Smoke Clears remains a defining moment not only in the legacy of Three 6 Mafia, but in Southern Hip Hop’s rise from underground cult status to a dominant cultural force.