Influencer: Atlanta
- Jul 24, 2017
- 4 min read
Photo by: Joey Kyber
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Skrrrrrt, changing it up this week and shouting out the best, the baddest, my hometown: Atlanta, Georgia. ATLiens everywhere, rejoice, because this playlist sounds like home.
Atlanta will go down in history among the greatest meccas of hip-hop music, equal (if not exceeding IMHO) the influence of L.A. and New York. From funky (Outkast) to crunk (Ludacris) to trap (Gucci Mane) to radio hits (6LACK) and back to funky (Childish Gambino), the ATL sound is constantly evolving.
This week's edition is organized by producers, as Atlanta's producers have had a heavy hand in both creating and curating the city's signature sound. Heads up: in all good hip-hop, expletives are to be expected and used generously. Just so you know what you're getting into here (sorry, mom).
1. Organized Noize
Organized Noize help put Atlanta on the map by creating a sense of musical identity in the South not attributable to any other city. They produced Outkast's first album Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik in 1994. The production trio helped develop Outkast's signature funk "Dirty South" sound that was nothing like the New York or L.A. groups that were hugely popular at the time. They don't use samples like many other hip-hop producers; rather, they rely on live sounds like electric guitar and deliciously groovy bass lines.
During the height of the East Coast/West Coast battle at the 1995 Source Awards, as they were accepting awards for Best New Artist, Andre 3000 said, "The South got somethin' to say." Atlanta rapper T.I says that moment was the first time people began to take southern rap seriously."Without them there would be no you"said Rich Homie Quan. But without Organized Noize, there would be no Outkast as we know them today.
Here's three Organized Noize-produced tracks to kick off this ATL playlist that define the genesis of Atlanta hip-hop.
"Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik" by Outkast
"Cell Therapy" by Goodie Mob
"Saturday (Ooh Ooh)" by Ludacris
Honorable mentions:
2. Lex Luger and Southside of 808 Mafia
Working with Atlanta mainstays like Waka Flocka Flame, Gucci Mane, Future, 2 Chainz, and Young Thug, 808 Mafia are responsible for evolving trap music from a feisty subgenre to mainstream radio. Southside, who takes his name from the southside of Atlanta, and Lex Luger, an Atlanta transplant, are each known for their gritty, high-energy, emotionally-charged beats. With "Ex Calling," we hear a softer side of Southside (especially compared to "Hard in Da Paint"), but the introspective lyrics mixed with the booming bass that gets into your bones is signature Southside.
"Hard in Da Paint" by Waka Flocka Flame
"Danny Glover" by Young Thug
"Ex Calling" by 6LACK
Honorable mentions:
3. Mike WiLL Made-It
With arguably one of the most recognizable tags in music, Mike WiLL Made-It is undoubtedly one of Atlanta's most influential producers of all time. Though he's worked with acts like Miley Cyrus, Mike Will has solidified Atlanta as the epicenter of hip-hop. His beats are catchy but not kitschy, hip-hop forward yet radio friendly. Even though he's worked with every major hip-hop/rap artist in the game, he maintains his ATL roots.
"No Lie" - 2 Chainz
"First Day Out Tha Feds" - Gucci Mane
"Saturday Night" - 2 Chainz
Honorable mentions:
4. Metro Boomin
Metro Boomin has arguably the second most recognizable tag in music. Though not Atlanta-born (Metro moved from St. Louis, MO in high school to attend Morehouse College in Atlanta), the city has adopted him and his sound wholeheartedly.
“I plan on making my mark on the legacy of hip-hop, period, but also in Atlanta production because there’s a lot of history there,”Metro told Forbes.
“I love [Metro’s] young energy, that drive,” says Organized Noize producer Sleepy Brown who helped shape the sounds of Outkast. “I love that young ear—nothing is boxed in because you’re hearing everything.”
Metro's propensity to use instrumental melodies with heavy-hitting bass lines guarantees every track he's on is perfect for driving around windows-down through ATL.
"Mask Off" - Future
"No Heart" - 21 Savage ft. Metro Boomin
"Bad & Boujee" - Migos ft. Lil Uzi Vert
Honorable mentions:
5. Childish Gambino
Stone Mountain's own Donald Glover (aka Childish Gambino) is the perfect cherry on top to round out this week's playlist. As a producer and an artist, he's given fans the trap they've come to expect from Atlanta's artist, but with his recent album Awaken, My Love!, Gambino has come full circle back to the Atlanta funk of Organized Noize and Outkast.
Not only is he a talented artist/producer, Gambino created, co-wrote, and starred in the FX series "Atlanta." Glover told NPR's Terry Gross, "You look at, like, I think people that we kind of based [Paper Boi] off of, whether it's like Jeezy or Gucci Mane or, like, you know, those kind of dudes, they're not in it really trying to glorify. You know, like, they're just talking about what's actually happening.
"Redbone" - Childish Gambino
Honorable mentions bc this playlist took a really long time and I can't mention every single ATL producer/artist so don't be like "HOW COULD YOU HAVE LEFT OUT": Jeezy, Zaytoven, Childish Major, Raury, Sonny Digital, Rome Fortune (personal fave), Trinidad James.
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