I grew up in rural Virginia, and still get back there from time to time. I've never seen Deliverance, but I can tell you that there're alot of really mean rednecks in the countryside. They'll walk right on your private property during hunting season, and if you say anything about it, they don't hesitate to point a gun at you and vandalize your property when you're not around.
Whether this is related to the hip hop thing, I couldn't say, it makes sense that it would be, I'm inclined to think you are right in what you say. OTOH, I remember that mean rednecks were around when I was a kid, too. However, you're probably right that they are worse now.
I've got plenty of theories as to why our society is degrading, but I guess this thread is not the place for that discussion.
My point...more precise.
I live in Nashville....approximately 1.5M metro pop.
The white underclass youth here have melded almost completely with the black underclass youth in all manners...dress, ebonics, ass exposed droopy jeans, menacing attitudes, crime, fatherless children etc.
I consider that to be an abysmal failure of our colorblind diversity appreciative society.
As for rural white rednecks of lore, I cannot speak with authority on that. I have never lived in rural America nor have I had the misfortune (or bad luck) to be a member of the underclass.
I assume Nashville is not alone with this menace though I have had folks...including Yankees for Gawdsakes...proclaim they have never seen so many racially confused white boyz as here.
So much for the sterotype of the poor white redneck who hates blacks....these peckerwoods ARE black for all intensive purposes....sadly they have not chosen the more desirable aspects of black culture to mimic.
Also if confronted, they will defend themselves as though their adopted thuggery is some sort of altruistic appreciation of "da black man".....it defies rational definition.
At least here in Music City.