Category: Atlanta, Georgia Local News

Photograph by Perry Julien

John Oates and his band played the Buckhead Theatre in Atlanta on Saturday night. Oates, formerly part of the pop-rock duo Hall and Oates, is touring in support of his new solo album, Reunion. His show featured his new music along with several Hall and Oates classics, and Oates took time to share stories with the audience about each of the songs he performed. Here, check out the scenes photographer Perry Julien captured at the show.

Photograph by Perry Julien

Photograph by Perry Julien

Photograph by Perry Julien

Photograph by Perry Julien

Photograph by Perry Julien

Photograph by Perry Julien

Photograph by Perry Julien

Photograph by Perry Julien

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In 1991, Rico Wade was holding a job as a manager at Lamonte’s Beauty Supply store in East Point, Georgia when two teens who aspired to be rappers met him in the parking lot. Andre Benjamin and Antwan Patton became friends at Tri-Cities High School and believed that Wade could help them find a way into the music industry, an obstacle at the time considering that Atlanta lacked an infrastructure when it came to music. 

But Andre and Antwan were eager to prove themselves to Wade. So when Cameron “Big Gipp” Gipp played A Tribe Called Quest’s “Scenario” on his car’s stereo, the teens began rapping with the vigor of well-established emcees. For 10 minutes straight, Andre and Antwan would rap, thoroughly impressing Wade. 

Wade would invite Andre and Antwan to the Dungeon, a makeshift studio located in the basement of his mother’s home in the Lakewood community. It was the place where history would be made. Andre and Antwan would be known as Dre, later Andre 3000, and Big Boi. It was the place where the most successful group in hip-hop history, OutKast, was born. 

The Dungeon Family served as the creative space for Organized Noize (Wade, Ray Murray and Sleepy Brown) to craft music for OutKast, Goodie Mob, Big Rube, Backbone, Cool Breeze, EJ The Witchdoctor, Parental Advisory. 

OutKast would make history by winning the Grammy for Album of the Year in 2004 and selling over 13 million copies of Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. It stands as the biggest selling album in rap history. 

But the production trio produced for TLC, En Vogue, Ludacris, Mista, Society of Soul. TLC’s biggest hit, “Waterfalls,” was produced by Wade and Organized Noize. Wade’s cousin, Future, started his rap career with the Dungeon Family. 

The city of Atlanta became a force in music thanks to Wade, Organized Noize and Dungeon Family. For over 30 years, Atlanta has stood out as a city where Black music thrives. 

Beyond OutKast, artists in Atlanta owe Wade and his partners a nod for helping to pave a way at a time when there were no paths to success when it came to music. 

“Atlanta is the city that’s too busy to hate. That’s the truth,” Wade told me when I interviewed him in 2019. “People are too busy doing their own thing to hate. They are inspired by others who have a work ethic. It’s like, they [are] not caring about your thing. That’s why Atlanta is still going strong. People are very confident that they are special because they see the ones that came before them and how humble we’ve been with representing Atlanta.”

In a statement Wade’s family and Organized Noize said, “We are deeply saddened by the sudden and unexpected passing of our son, father, husband, and brother Rico Wade. Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the loss of a talented individual who touched the lives of so many. We ask that you respect the legacy of our loved one and our privacy at this time.” 

 

This article features an excerpt of Trap History: Atlanta Culture and the Global Impact of Trap Music

 

 

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The George Floyd Memorial Scholarship, established by North Central University President Scott Hagan during the Minneapolis memorial service for Floyd on June 4, 2020, is facing legal scrutiny from the Legal Insurrection Foundation.

At the time of the scholarship’s fruition, Hagan made a very strong push and even encouraged other universities to do the same.

“Far beyond North Central University, I am now challenging every university president in the United States of America to establish your own George Floyd Memorial Scholarship Fund, so people across this nation can give to the college of their choice,” Hagan said. “It is time to invest like never before in a new generation of young Black Americans who are poised and ready to take leadership in our nation. So, university presidents, let’s step up together.” 

The Legal Insurrection Foundation, a right-wing group founded by William A. Jacobson, filed the civil rights complaint on March 25 with the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights. They are alleging that the scholarship violates the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The foundation argues that the scholarship’s exclusive eligibility criteria, limited to students who are Black or African American, constitutes discrimination against non-Black students, including those of white, Hispanic, or Asian descent. They contend that this restriction violates the provisions of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibit discrimination based on race, color, and national origin in programs receiving federal financial assistance.

The scholarship, which is currently open for applications for the 2024-25 academic year, requires applicants to identify as Black or African American to be eligible. A press release indicates that the recipient will be selected by June.

Attorneys Ameer Benno and Jacobson, representing the Legal Insurrection Foundation, stated in the complaint that “we bring this civil rights complaint against North Central University for creating, supporting and promoting the George Floyd Memorial Scholarship – an undergraduate scholarship that engages in invidious discrimination on the basis of race, color and national origin.

Furthermore, the complaint also goes on to state: “We bring this civil rights complaint against North Central University for creating, supporting and promoting the George Floyd Memorial Scholarship – an undergraduate scholarship that engages in invidious discrimination on the basis of race, color and national origin. This includes, if necessary, imposing fines, initiating administrative proceedings to suspend or terminate federal financial assistance and referring the case to the Department of Justice for judicial proceedings to enforce the rights of the United States under federal law.” 

However, esteemed attorney, social justice activist and Georgia NAACP President Gerald A. Griggs offers a different perspective on the matter.

In an exclusive interview with ADW, Griggs argues that the scholarship is on solid legal footing, citing Supreme Court precedents that uphold race-based decisions in higher education under certain conditions. He emphasizes that such decisions must be narrowly tailored to a compelling government interest and subject to strict scrutiny. Attorney Griggs contends that the scholarship’s aim to increase diversity and provide opportunities for marginalized communities aligns with these legal principles.

“It’s just a very high standard that the government is making based on race has to meet. And so given the continued effort to raise marginalized communities, to have equal opportunity for higher education, I think that this particular scholarship would definitely be a compelling government interest in that it’s increasing diversity and tuition narrowly tailored to achieve that goal,” Griggs said.

Furthermore, there have been several scholarships and initiatives established with the same mission to support Black and minority groups over the decades, and they haven’t been met with this type of pushback. Attorney Griggs says the name might be the reason behind why the George Floyd Memorial Scholarship is now battling this issue.  

“I think that conservative groups have always been attacking anything associated with George Floyd, but fail to realize that they are groups primarily established to give scholarships. One that comes to mind is the United Negro College Fund, which has been around for decades. That gives money to African Americans and minorities for scholarships for higher education,” Griggs continues, “Now, granted, the mission of the United Negro College Fund primarily gives to private institutions. But I think the same argument can be made for institutional scholarships by public universities that it will withstand constitutional muster, as long as it’s narrowly tailored to achieve a compelling government interest. And it follows the rulings in the Bakke and Grutter cases. 

According to Griggs, these two cases serve as precedence for the Legal Insurrection Foundation’s legal challenge against the George Floyd Memorial Scholarship. 

“If you read the University of North Carolina case, a majority of the court reaffirms the rule that comes from the Grutter case, which the rule was initially written in the Bakke case. So it’s a regions of California versus Berkeley. Justice Lewis Powell’s opinion became the touchstone for evaluating the constitutionality of race based admissions, reasoning that diversity in a student body could be a compelling state interest, but that race could only be used as a plus in admissions and not the quota,” Griggs said. 

Diving in further to the legal examination, Griggs says “In Grutter, the court adopted Powell’s viewpoint. Now, remember Powell’s viewpoint was not the complete majority yet. But in Grutter it became the majority. Saying limits to ensure race based admissions did not result in stereotyping or harm to a non minority applicant, and stating that race based programs should eventually come to an end,” Griggs said. “So in the Harvard and North Carolina case, which is the most recent case decided June 29th, 2023, reaffirmed Justice Powell’s ruling in Grutter and Bakke. So what happened in the Students for Fair Admissions (SFAA) case is that the University of North Carolina (UNC) and Harvard’s policies were not narrowly tailored to be allowed for the compelling interest of race. So they told me to go back to the drawing board.” 

Attorney Griggs also addresses the potential implications following the actions of the Legal Insurrection Foundation. 

“Conservative groups are going to sue. And they’re going to lose in the Supreme Court because the Supreme Court has three cases of precedent that says that race based considerations are constitutional as long as you meet those criteria laid out in Bakke and Grutter,” Griggs said. 

The NAACP President and advocate also points to the media as the reason behind so much misinformation circulating about affirmative action. “I think that the media needs to do a better job of reading the actual decisions of the Supreme Court before putting the headlines up there that affirmative action is dead,” He said. “Affirmative action is not dead. It is on life support.” 

As the first person in Georgia NAACP history to serve in the dual role of President of the State Conference and a branch of the Georgia NAACP. He emphasizes the need for accurate legal analysis and highlights the NAACP’s commitment to defending diversity initiatives in education.

“The NAACP has reaffirmed its position, that diversity is a compelling interest and a goal. And the NAACP, through our diversity, no matter what initiative, has already warned both public and private institutions that attempt to roll back race based considerations in admissions and scholarships, that we are the institution that overturned Plessy versus Ferguson and Brown versus the Board of Education. And we have more lawyers now.” 

As the legal battle unfolds, the George Floyd Memorial Scholarship will remain a focal point in the ongoing debate over affirmative action, diversity, and equal opportunity in higher education. Further underscoring the ongoing struggle to achieve equity and inclusion in higher education across the board.

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Atlanta hip-hop legend Rico Wade passed at 52. In the early 1990s, Wade was pivotal in helping to bring Atlanta’s music scene to the forefront. He was the founder of Organized Noize and Dungeon Family. 

Wade’s mother house served as a the Dungeon, a studio located in the family’s basement in the Lakewood community. The Dungeon served a place where OutKast, Goodie Mob would hone their skills. As a result, the crew eventually became known as the Dungeon Family. 

A.R. Shaw, author of the book “Trap History” and Executive Editor of ADW, recently shared thoughts on Wade’s impact in music and Atlanta with 11 Alive/NBC. 

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The executor of O.J. Simpson’s will said he doesn’t want the family of Ron Goldman to acquire any money from the former NFL player’s estate, PEOPLE reports.

Simpson died at 76 after he “succumbed to his battle with cancer,” his family announced on Thursday (April 11).

The ex-football player was thrust into the spotlight after his former wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Goldman, were found dead outside of her home in June 1994. Simpson had previously pleaded no contest to a domestic violence charge while he was married to Nicole Simpson and was accused of killing his ex-wife and her friend.

The case erupted as Simpson was charged with murder but refused to turn himself in and attempted to flee in his vehicle. A police chase for Simpson was televised and garnered an audience of roughly 95 million people.

A highly publicized trial resulted in Simpson being found not guilty of the two killings. However, Goldman’s family sued Simpson in 1997, resulting in the ex-NFLer being found liable for his wrongful death and battery and for the battery of Nicole Simpson. Simpson was ordered to pay $33.5 million in the case.

Decades after the lawsuit, David Cook, an attorney for Goldman’s family, told PEOPLE his clients hadn’t received any money. According to Cook, the family is now owed more than $100 million due to interest.

“He died without penance,” Cook said of Simpson. “He did not want to give a dime, a nickel to Fred [Goldman], never, anything, never.”

Malcolm LaVergne, Simpson’s longtime lawyer, was named as the executor of his will, which was filed in Clark County, Nevada on Friday (April 12).

LaVergne told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that he will fight to ensure that Goldman’s family gets nothing from Simpson’s estate.

“It’s my hope that the Goldmans get zero, nothing,” LaVergne said. “Them specifically. And I will do everything in my capacity as the executor or personal representative to try and ensure that they get nothing.”

LaVergne said the court never issued an order forcing Simpson to pay the civil judgment and he “can’t make a predication right now as to what the value of the estate is.”

The Black Information Network is your source for Black News! Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HERE to tune in live.

Atlanta United hosted the Philadelphia Union without its leading goal scorer, one of its best defenders and a player that has scored three goals in the past two matches. It wouldn’t matter however, because there were plenty of players remaining on the roster that could provide the necessary firepower during the 2-2 draw.

“For me, this was kind of a playoff game,” Atlanta United manager Gonzalo Pineda said during his post-match press conference.

Giorgos Giakoumakis, Derrick Williams, Jamal Thiare joined Xande Silva and Stian Gregersen among the players that were not on the active roster for Sunday afternoon’s match against Philadelphia. Along with Noab Cobb and Tyler Wolff, Daniel Rios was in the starting lineup. Sunday was the first start for Rios, a forward that’s new to the club and was playing in his first match for Atlanta United and it would become a special day for the

In conjunction with the opening events for the new exhibit, “More Than Brave: The Life of Henry Aaron,” at the Atlanta History Center, Hall of Fame Chairman of the Board Jane Forbes Clark announced plans to unveil a bronze statue of Aaron at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown on May 23.

By Stacy M. Brown
NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Fifty years ago, the sports world watched in awe as Hank Aaron shattered baseball’s most hallowed record, cementing his place as one of the game’s greatest legends. To celebrate the anniversary of that historic moment, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum plans to immortalize Aaron’s legacy with a monumental tribute.

In conjunction with the opening events for the new exhibit, “More Than Brave: The Life of Henry Aaron,” at the Atlanta History Center, Hall of Fame Chairman of the Board Jane Forbes Clark announced plans to unveil a bronze statue of Aaron at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown on May 23. The statue honors Aaron’s remarkable contributions both on and off the field.

“Hank Aaron’s impact transcended the game of baseball,” Clark stated. “His philanthropy, advocacy for youth empowerment, and trailblazing achievements as an executive have left an indelible mark on society. We are privileged to safeguard his legacy and are honored to unveil this statue as a lasting tribute to an American hero.”

Elected to the Hall of Fame in 1982 after a 23-year career with the Braves and Brewers, Aaron’s legacy extends far beyond his monumental 715th career home run, which surpassed Babe Ruth’s record on April 8, 1974. A 25-time All-Star, Aaron still holds records for the most career RBIs and total bases.

Just how good was Aaron? Even if all his 755 career home runs were removed from the record books, he would still boast over 3,000 hits. The slugger, who died in 2021, made the All-Star team 25 times, established a record with 2,297 RBIs, 1,477 extra-base hits, and 6,856 total bases.

Officials displayed Aaron’s Hall of Fame plaque during a Truist Park ceremony before this week’s Atlanta Braves game against the New York Mets. The statue’s creation was made possible through a generous gift from supporters Jane and Bob Crotty, with the guidance and approval of Aaron’s widow, Billye. The statue will debut during the Hall of Fame Classic celebration over Memorial Day Weekend, coinciding with the May 25 Legends game featuring numerous former big leaguers at Cooperstown’s Doubleday Field.

“Henry would be as thrilled as I am to see his statue at the National Baseball Hall of Fame,” expressed Billye Aaron. “His life embodied hope and perseverance, inspiring generations to pursue their dreams despite obstacles. This tribute is a testament to his love for the game and his desire to inspire young boys and girls everywhere.”

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum has remained dedicated to preserving Aaron’s legacy, including the exhibit “Hank Aaron: Chasing the Dream,” unveiled in 2009. Additionally, Aaron pledged his entire personal collection to the Museum in 2010, with many artifacts now on loan to various exhibitions, including the one at the Atlanta History Center.

The U.S. Postal Service announced that it will issue a commemorative Forever stamp to celebrate Aaron’s life and career further. The stamp art will feature a digital painting of Aaron as a member of the Braves, with the selvage showcasing him watching the ball he had just hit for his record-breaking 715th home run on April 8, 1974.

USPS said in a statement, “The selvage showcases a digital painting of Aaron watching the ball he had just hit for his record-breaking 715th home run on April 8, 1974.”

The revelation is crucial as America heads toward the all-important November general election between Democratic incumbent Joe Biden and the twice-impeached and four-times indicted former president Donald Trump.

By Stacy M. Brown

NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

@StacyBrownMedia

An eye-opening report titled “Surfacing Missing Voters: Addressing Data Systems, Tools, and Engagement Models that Invisibilize Black and Brown Communities,” authored by Miriam McKinney Gray for the Democracy & Power Innovation Fund (DPI), has unveiled a concerning reality: Nearly 25 million Black and Latino eligible voters are effectively absent from voter databases, making them virtually unreachable by traditional outreach methods. 

The revelation is crucial as America heads toward the all-important November general election between Democratic incumbent Joe Biden and the twice-impeached and four-times indicted former president Donald Trump.

Drawing from U.S. Census data and a recent Stanford study, the report estimated that approximately 24.76 million Black and Latino voters are either missing or inaccurately listed in databases sold by vendors.

The disparities revealed in the report are stark, with 40 percent of Black and Latino individuals missing from voter outreach efforts, compared to only 18 percent of white individuals. The paper-thin margins seen in recent crucial races serve as evidence that such glaring disparities in representation could significantly impact the results of future elections. During the 2020 election, Biden beat Trump in the popular vote by approximately 81.2 million to 74.2 million votes, or a 51.3 percent to 46.9 percent margin.

“For instance, almost half of eligible Black and Latino voters won’t be seen or contacted by traditional campaigns. This is a five-alarm fire for our democracy,” said Miriam McKinney Gray, founder and CEO of McKinney Gray Analytics, who analyzed the data based on U.S. Census records and a Stanford study.

“The only way many people will learn about the election is through independent power-building organizations. Groups like Voces de La Frontera in Wisconsin and Detroit Action are using friends-and-family organizing to find missing voters and manually rebuilding lists of voters who have been wrongly purged from government voter rolls.”

Twenty-five million Black and Latino people “are invisible to the very campaigns that want their support. From our research on Black values, we know who they are and the tools needed to reach them,” said Dr. Katrina Gamble of Sojourn Strategies. “It’s not too late to change course, but that takes breaking barriers that campaigns have blindly accepted for decades. We think democracy is worth it, and so are the people who have been excluded.”

Gamble is conducting groundbreaking nationwide research into the differences in values and political behavior of the Black electorate and analyzing clusters or segments of Black voters for the first time.

All involved said the report spotlights the systemic marginalization of Black and brown communities within the ostensibly inclusive, data-driven digital systems of voter engagement prevailing in the United States. It identifies aggressive voter purges and biases inherent in vendor-generated models appended to voter files as key factors exacerbating this invisibility.

According to the Democracy & Power Innovation Fund report, “One serious consequence of missing or incorrect data in purchased voter databases is that it distorts the algorithms that assign vote propensity scores to individual voters.”

“Traditional campaigns regularly and intentionally leave out people with low vote propensity scores, deeming them not worth the investment. To put it plainly, this approach is wrong,” stated Ranada Robinson, Research Director for New Georgia Project.

Similarly, Prentiss J. Haney, Senior Advisor to the Ohio Organizing Collaborative, highlighted the limitations of relying solely on political industry databases, noting that such dependence leads to the exclusion of millions of Black and Latino voters and inaccurate race modeling.

To address these disparities and ensure a more equitable electoral process, the report proposes philanthropic investments in community-based data collection, support for antiracist modeling efforts, and adopting broad relational organizing strategies.

The report called for concerted efforts to rectify the systemic biases ingrained within existing data systems and engagement models. The author asserted that a failure to address these issues risks perpetuating the disenfranchisement of marginalized communities and undermining democratic principles.

“The people unseen by voter files are still capable, if organized, to make moves and wield their latent power,” added Joy Cushman, Senior Advisor to DPI. “People deemed ‘low propensity’ by models and the political industry are defying the odds and still turning out to vote. And many are doing even more than that: they are becoming active members and leaders in power-building organizations, mobilizing their friends and family to vote as well.”

A Miami pastor was stabbed to death in his church by a man he allowed to live on the property, according to police.

On Saturday (April 6), 41-year-old Antwane Lenoir, a pastor at Westview Baptist Church, was found with multiple stab wounds to the neck, the Miami-Dade Police Department said in an arrest report per PEOPLE.

According to police, Lenoir had requested a locksmith change the church’s locks on the day of the fatal stabbing. The pastor had also gotten into a verbal with James Dawkins, a man Lenoir had temporarily allowed to live at the church, at one point during the afternoon.

Police said Dawkins stabbed Lenoir multiple times “without any provocation.” Dawkins fled the scene on foot but was later arrested on charges of first-degree murder.

Yovonka Bryant, Lenoir’s cousin, described the pastor as “a very nice man” who “would give you the shirt off his back,”

“He was so generous and so kind to a lot of people,” Bryant said.

The victim’s wife, Bree, said Lenoir is survived by her and their four children.

“He was a very good example of a selfless individual, a joy-filled person,” Bree said. “He always smiled, even if things were looking kind of grim or dreary, you wouldn’t know it by his countenance.”

The Black Information Network is your source for Black News! Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HERE to tune in live.

Black Maternal Health Week is once again bringing awareness to the experiences of Black mothers and birthing people.

Held April 11-17, the annual, week-long event, founded and led by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, aims to advocate for Black birthing people, who are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than white women.

The official​ theme for Black Maternal Health Week 2024 is “Our Bodies STILL Belong to Us: Reproductive Justice NOW!” The Black Mamas Matter Alliance is spotlighting how widespread restrictions on abortion care access and rising cases of criminalization due to pregnancy loss are disproportionately affecting Black mothers.

Keep scrolling to find out more about the week-long campaign and how you can show your support in a city near you.

What Is Black Maternal Health Week?

Black Maternal Health Week aims to tackle the racial disparity in maternal mortality by spreading awareness and providing resources for Black birthing people before, during, and after pregnancy. The founding organization especially highlights Black Midwifery care and full-spectrum Black-led Doula care as sound, evidence-based solutions to tackling pregnancy-related deaths that incorporate the true needs, wants, and desires of Black women and birthing people.

BMHW is intentionally held during National Minority Health Month and begins on April 11th, which is recognized by dozens of global as International Day for Maternal Health and Rights. The gatherings, activities, and conservation held throughout the week highlight the values and traditions of the reproductive and birth justice movements. ​

Policy

The Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021 was introduced in the House and Senate to provide “historic investments that comprehensively address every driver of maternal mortality, morbidity, and disparities in the United States,” according to the Black Maternal Health Caucus.

The Momnibus includes 13 individual bills that aim to increase funding in community-based organizations and programs working to improve maternal health, make investments in housing, transportation, nutrition, and other social determinants that influence maternal health, diversify the perinatal workforce, improve data collection to better understand the causes of the maternal health crisis, and more.

The measure is being supported by hundreds of organizations and Representatives as well as dozens of Senators.

Local Events

Below is a list of local events you can attend to support Black Maternal Health Week.

Atlanta, Georgia

“Black Maternal Health Walk & Block Party” – Saturday, April 13th from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Los Angeles, California

“Black Mamas Birthing Tour” – Friday, April 12th from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Baltimore, Maryland

“Black Maternal Health Week Meetup” – Thursday, April 11th from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Washington, D.C.

“Birth Planning Virtual Workshop” – Thursday, April 11th from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Brooklyn, New York

“Brooklyn Birth Expo” – Saturday, April 13th from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Miami, Florida

“Birth Justice Movie Night” – Saturday, April 13th from 4:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

“BMHW 24 Kick Off” – Thursday, April 11th from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Click here to check out more events in your area.

The Black Information Network is your source for Black News! Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HERE to tune in live.

Atlanta was the final tour stop for the U.S. leg of Offset’s “Set it Off” tour. It was the former Migos’ first solo international tour and an appropriate finale for the Georgia-born rapper who helped pioneer an iconic sound that forever changed the Atlanta rap scene.

As confetti floated down from the raptors of the Coca-Cola Roxy on Wednesday night and the sounds of the hit Migos record, “Bad and Boujee” petered off to close out the concert, the energy in the venue continued to hit a crescendo. The concert was jam-packed with hits from Offset’s second solo album, “Set It Off;” and tracks from “Without Warning,” a compelling collab with producer Metro Boomin and rapper 21 Savage, and hits created as one-third of the Migos. 

Each transition journeyed into his career that has spanned over a decade and kept the crowd hype and singing along, signaling a sought-after longevity that has carried him from a trio act to a solo artist. It’s a transition that only so many have been able to carry out successfully, especially when coming from iconic groups — just look at Beyoncé and Justin Timberlake. But Offset’s masterclass in reinventing himself as a solo artist has leaned on showmanship and challenging himself creatively.

In 1991, Rico Wade was holding a job as a manager at Lamonte’s Beauty Supply store in East Point, Georgia when two teens who aspired to be rappers met him in the parking lot. Andre Benjamin and Antwan Patton became friends at Tri-Cities High School and believed that Wade could help them find a way into the music industry, an obstacle at the time considering that Atlanta lacked an infrastructure when it came to music. 

But Andre and Antwan were eager to prove themselves to Wade. So when Cameron “Big Gipp” Gipp played A Tribe Called Quest’s “Scenario” on his car’s stereo, the teens began rapping with the vigor of well-established emcees. For 10 minutes straight, Andre and Antwan would rap, thoroughly impressing Wade. 

Wade would invite Andre and Antwan to the Dungeon, a makeshift studio located in the basement of his mother’s home in the Lakewood community. It was the place where history would be made. Andre and Antwan would be known as Dre, later Andre 3000, and Big Boi. It was the place where the most successful group in hip-hop history, OutKast, was born. 

The Dungeon Family served as the creative space for Organized Noize (Wade, Ray Murray and Sleepy Brown) to craft music for OutKast, Goodie Mob, Big Rube, Backbone, Cool Breeze, EJ The Witchdoctor, Parental Advisory. 

OutKast would make history by winning the Grammy for Album of the Year in 2004 and selling over 13 million copies of Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. It stands as the biggest selling album in rap history. 

But the production trio produced for TLC, En Vogue, Ludacris, Mista, Society of Soul. TLC’s biggest hit, “Waterfalls,” was produced by Wade and Organized Noize. Wade’s cousin, Future, started his rap career with the Dungeon Family. 

The city of Atlanta became a force in music thanks to Wade, Organized Noize and Dungeon Family. For over 30 years, Atlanta has stood out as a city where Black music thrives. 

Beyond OutKast, artists in Atlanta owe Wade and his partners a nod for helping to pave a way at a time when there were no paths to success when it came to music. 

“Atlanta is the city that’s too busy to hate. That’s the truth,” Wade told me when I interviewed him in 2019. “People are too busy doing their own thing to hate. They are inspired by others who have a work ethic. It’s like, they [are] not caring about your thing. That’s why Atlanta is still going strong. People are very confident that they are special because they see the ones that came before them and how humble we’ve been with representing Atlanta.”

This article features an excerpt of Trap History: Atlanta Culture and the Global Impact of Trap Music

 

 

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