The alternative hip-hop group Nappy Roots put Kentucky on the rap map when their countrified 2002 debut album, Watermelon, Chicken & Grits. • Nappy Roots formed as a group of Western Kentucky University students in the mid-1990s. They self-released 1998’s Country Fried Cess, which earned them label attention. • At their commercial peak, Nappy Roots were a sextet featuring Skinny DeVille, B. Stille, Ron Clutch, Big V, Georgia native Fish Scales, and Oakland transplant R. Prophet. • The group broke through with the organ-drenched 2002 single “Awnaw.” The single appears on their platinum-selling debut album, Watermelon, Chicken & Grits. • Their sophomore effort, 2003’s Wooden Leather, landed in the Top 10 of Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. • In 2003, Nappy Roots earned two Grammy nominations: Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for “Po’ Folks,” featuring Anthony Hamilton, and Best Long Form Music Video for “The World According to Nappy.” • For 2011’s Nappy Dot Org album, the Nappy Roots entrusted the production to Organized Noize, the legendary Atlanta team known for their work with OutKast, Goodie Mob, and others. • Following the departure of R. Prophet in 2007 and Big V in 2012, Nappy Roots have continued on as a quartet.