Although themusic scene of Atlanta is rich and varied, the city's production of hip-hop music has been especially noteworthy, acclaimed, and commercially successful. In 2009,The New York Times calledAtlanta "hip-hop's center of gravity",[1] and the city is home to many famouship hop,R&B, andneo soul[2] musicians.
In the 1980s and early 1990s Atlanta's hip hop scene was characterized by a local variant ofMiami's electro-driven bass music, with stars likeKilo Ali, MC Shy-D,Raheem the Dream, andDJ Smurf (laterMr. Collipark).[1] MC Shy-D is credited with bringing authentic Bronx-style hip-hop to Atlanta (and Miami), such as 1988'sShake it[3] produced byDJ Toomp; Jones was signed to controversialSouthern hip hop labelLuke Records, run byLuther Campbell aka "Uncle Luke".Arrested Development won aGrammy Award in 1992 with "Tennessee", whileKris Kross won with their hit song "Jump". The groupTag Team released their debut platinum certified albumWhoomp! (There It Is) on July 20, 1993, spawned by theirhit single of the same name.[4] However, Organized Noize andDungeon Family "cornerstone"Rico Wade, who even produced albums for Outkast, Goodie Mob andFuture, was considered to be a major architect of Atlanta hip hop.[5][6] Numerous aspiring musicians and artists would in fact record music in the studio which was located in the basement of Wade's mother, and which became known as the "Dungeon."[5]
By the mid-1990s, the rise ofLaFace Records artistsOutkast,Goodie Mob and the production collectiveOrganized Noize led to the development of theDirty South style of hip-hop and of Atlanta gaining a reputation for "soul-minded hip-hop eccentrics", contrasting with other regional styles.[1] While Atlanta-area hip hop artists were from the suburbanDecatur area, their prominence was eclipsed by music associated with these artists from "The S.W.A.T.S." ("Southwest Atlanta, too strong"),[7][8] i.e.Southwest Atlanta, plus territory extending into the adjacent cities ofCollege Park andEast Point. The term "SWATS" came into vogue around 1996, initially made popular by Outkast and Goodie Mob.[9]
From the late 1990s to early 2000s, record producerLil Jon became a driving force behind the hip hop subgenre known ascrunk, known for its upbeat and club oriented hip hop sound.Record producersL.A. Reid andBabyface foundedLaFace Records in Atlanta in the late-1980s; the label eventually became the home to multi-platinum selling artists such asToni Braxton,TLC,Ciara. It is also the home ofSo So Def Recordings, a label founded by Jermaine Dupri in the mid-1990s, that signed acts such asDa Brat,Jagged Edge,Xscape andDem Franchise Boyz. The success of LaFace and SoSo Def led to Atlanta as an established scene for record labels such as LaFace parent companyArista Records to set up satellite offices.[10]
In 2009The New York Times noted that after 2000, Atlanta moved "from the margins to becoming hip-hop's center of gravity, part of a larger shift in hip-hop innovation to the South." Atlanta hip-hop's pop breakthrough—everyone from Jermaine Dupri to OutKast to Lil Jon—involved the blend of various distillations of hard-core sounds from the West, bass beats from Florida, and styles and images from the North.[11] ProducerDrumma Boy called Atlanta "the melting pot of the South". Producer Fatboi called theRoland TR-808 ("808") synthesizer "central" to the Music of Atlanta's versatility, used forsnap,crunk,trap, and pop rap styles.[1] The same article named Fatboi,Shawty Redd, andZaytoven the four "hottest producers driving the city".[1]
Atlanta hip-hop has influenced other mainstream forms of media. The television showAtlanta, which chronicles the lives of two cousins as they navigate the hip-hop world, exemplifies this broader impact. It has earned two Golden Globe awards and two Emmy awards. A number of Atlanta-based artists, includingKiller Mike andJermaine Dupri, have also become involved in local and national political movements.[12]
Local multi-platinum artists includeLudacris,[13]Ciara,[14]B.o.B,[15]Outkast,[16][17]T.I.,[18] andJeezy.[19] The following hip-hop, rap, R&B, and soul artists have had #1 or #2 albums or singles on the U.S. Hot 100 chart:
