ULTIMATE GUIDE TO EXPLORING ATLANTA AS THE CAPITAL OF HIP-HOP

Atlanta has been recognized as one of the most creative cities in the country and as the capital of hip-hop. With thousands of artists and musicians, and more than 100 music festivals each year, Atlanta has earned a place at the top of the industry.

BY DANIELA CINTRON

As we celebrate hip-hop’s 50th anniversary, it’s interesting to learn about the tremendous impact Atlanta has had on the genre.

Hip-hop icons such as OutKast, T.I., TLC, 21 Savage, Ludacris, Gucci Mane and Lil Jon have come from Atlanta. While the focus is on the artists, great producers have also been the drivers of this explosion.

On the streets of Atlanta, you can live and feel the rich culture of hip-hop, which has become much more than just a genre of music. Hip-hop has a huge influence on everyday urban life.

SHOPPING WHERE THE HISTORY OF HIP-HOP UNRAVELS

Experience this culture by visiting places like Walter’s, the clothing and shoe store in Downtown that has been mentioned in several hip-hop songs and where you can buy trendy Jordans next to hip-hop icons.

Lenox Square in Buckhead is a landmark where Antwan and André 3000 would meet up before creating OutKast and where T.I. started handing out flyers and copies of his early mixtapes. In addition to being an iconic venue, it has been mentioned in several songs by artists such as Nicki Minaj, Drake, T.I., Rick Ross, Gucci Mane and Soulja Boy. It has been an important platform for hiphop, holding promotional and meet-andgreet events. Have your camera ready because you never know what hip-hop celebrity you’ll run into there.

A Tribute To The Iconic Duo

Head over to the eclectic neighborhood of Little Five Points and visit the mural that pays tribute to Atlanta’s beloved duo, “André 3000” Benjamin and Antwan “Big Boi” Patton. The black and white mural of OutKast was created by street artist JEKS, in collaboration with WISH — the store next door — and the Outer

Space Project in Atlanta. The inspiration for the very-popular mural came from a picture of the duo taken by hip-hop artist photographer Jonathan Mannion.

The Place To Be On Wheels On A Sunday Night

Take a ride just outside the Westside and visit Cascade Family Skating Rink. This family skating rink was instrumental in the growth of hip-hop during the 1980s and 1990s. Roller skating is iconic to Atlanta, and this rink has seen some of hip-hop’s biggest artists such as TLC and Jermaine Dupri take turns during their rise in the industry. In 2006, the rink caught even more attention after being featured in the comedy-drama film “ATL,” starring Atlanta’s own T.I. and Big Boi. Even Usher has been spotted here, on wheels.

T.I.’S TRAP MUSIC MUSEUM

Your visit to Atlanta is not complete without a tour of the Trap Music Museum, also known as the Pink Trap House. With a facade that resembles the pink house from the cover of 2Chainz’s album “Pretty Girls Like Trap,” this museum is a monument created by T.I. to commemorate the trap music movement and hip-hop culture in Atlanta. This subgenre of hip-hop originated here in Atlanta and is now a worldwide phenomenon.

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