In only the span of six years, Darryl “Lil Scrappy” Richardson has made his mark as one of the most important artists to carry southern hip-hop on his back. Laying down the groundwork in his hometown of Atlanta, Scrappy first broke onto the national scene in 2003 after being discovered by local mainstay and producing czar Lil Jon.

And as they say, the rest is history.

Scrappy’s mix of grind and hustle pushed his monster smash, “Head Bussa,” into the sphere of mixtape bliss. The success of that hit would eventually lead Lil Jon into a successful joint venture deal with Warner Bros. Records.

But today is a new beginning for the 28-year-old MC, as he has a new record deal and another big-name artist to help push his musical agenda. After linking up with Ludacris and his Disturbing Tha Peace imprint, Scrappy is gearing up to release his third studio album, “The Grustle.” The title of the new album holds true to Scrappy’s work ethic, as his grustler’s ambition continues to grow even stronger as he strives to reach the pinnacle of musical success.