Among the earliest pioneers of free mixtapes becoming promotional tools for himself and Southern Rap acts, DJ Drama’s prior run arguably hasn’t been repeated by any competitor since the 2007 FBI crackdown on his operation. Backstage at BET & ASCAP’s South By Southwest Music Matters showcase earlier this month, Drama took a moment to extend a show of appreciation for Rap’s comrades that helped take him to greater heights.

“The [T.I., Lil Wayne and Young Jeezy] trifecta made my career and helped put me in the position Im in now,” Drama told HipHopDX. “But it’s been a blessing to have done a record with Outkast and mixtapes or records with almost anybody who’s anybody in the Hip Hop world.”

Having also hosted tapes by Little Brother and Jean Grae over the years, DJ Drama’s more recent work has leaned towards a broader reach. The latest single from his Quality Street Music compilation “So Many Girls” features Roscoe Dash, Wale and Tyga, just one selection from the album full of today’s established and still rising stars.

Drama’s Gangsta Grillz series will continue with Compton spitter Problem’s The Separation hoping to capitalize on the West’s resurgence. As for what we can look forward to next, Drama is sticking to the same script that brought him this far as a curator turned full fledged executive. He told DX “More money, more music and more movements. Mean Street Studios is a new facility we just built in Atlanta, I’m working with a lot of fresh talent and producers to keep feeding the streets.”

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