que_lead
loading...

Atlanta has always been a hotbed for new talent, putting on the biggest names in hip-hop like OutKast, Ludacris, Gucci Mane and more. Now, another crop of artists are pushing through regional barriers and making their presence felt on a national level. Dubbed New Atlanta as early as 2012, the movement has only grown immensely in the past few years with more artists to watch out for.

Since the signing of Que and now K Camp to major labels, ATL’s track record is pretty good so far. To get a sense of the city's second wave, we asked eight emerging rappers/producers to describe the camaraderie of the scene, why they choose to stick together and who else we should be keeping our eyes on. Here’s what they had to say.

rich_the_kid
loading...

Rich The Kid

On The Movement Of New Atlanta:
The energy is crazy. The studio energy like all the artists from Atlanta. We all have been working for a long time. Really down together. We been all around each other working, but we ain’t never been on the level that we at now. So it just crazy to see all of us working and going crazy together.

On Sticking Together:
I knew K Camp for a very, very long time. My first time ever performing K Camp was there. It was an open mic at Marietta at this place called Mariachi. Peewee Longway he cool. We working in the studio. I got him on my new mixtape. Young Thug, we around him a lot. Whoever is in Atlanta. Metro cool. Producer-wise, London The Track. He cool too.

Migos, they knew Metro and them already because they also went to school in Gwinnett. I met up with them, Migos, later. Metro and all them, they’ve been working for a long time. When we seeing them come up, they on the production side. But we are on the artist side, so we’ve been seeing them working. It’s nothing for us to link up with them. It’s like perfect timing because they’ve been working. They’re on the production side, we are on the artist side. It’s different.

On Veterans Giving Advice To The Younger Generation:
Before I was a rapper, I used to like skateboard a little bit. I was skateboarding in the city and I had ran up and met up with Tip. This was way before I started rapping and stuff. He had told me--Tip and Dro--they were out there together. They had put on again about a lot of the industry stuff. And people in Atlanta. Cause I was just telling them that I want to start rapping before I even start rapping. They put me up on game and other rappers in Atlanta that they always support and show love. Jeezy and them, they always show love. Gucci. You know Gucci we always used to be up in his studio all the time before he got locked up. He like a big person and my boy Jose Guapo. Jose Guapo, he one of us in the little circle too.

On Who Else Is Poppin’:
Johnny Cinco, he’s an upcoming rapper. He’s actually at QC with us too. Peewee Longway. Young Thug. Of course, Young Scooter. That’s pretty much it from Atlanta right now. That’s why we try to stick together and go hard. It’s really just us right now. We the next one coming out of Atlanta. I’ve been linking up with other artists from out of different places. We stand out more, you know what I am saying? We the younger generation.

rome_fortune_3
loading...

Rome Fortune

On The Movement Of New Atlanta:
I love what's going on in Atlanta. I'm a fan of Thug, Peewee, Que, etc. With everything though, there has to be the proper balance so people won't stop appreciating what those type of guys are bringing to the table. That's where i come in. My life is different, so the platform in which i present my story has to parallel that uniqueness.

On Sticking Together:
Childish is like a brother and I'm super excited to see his ascent in the game. I'm strong on the "if ain't broke don't fix it" philosophy so that chemistry never faded. We're both currently working on separate things at the moment to highlight specific aspects of our talents but we will have more crazy material out soon. I'm working closely with quite a few dope guys like Blood Diamonds, Dun Deal, ESTA, Ethereal, Jacques Green, C4....the list really goes on. I'm working nonstop to create different but relatable soundscapes.

On Veterans Giving Advice To The Younger Generation:
Some of the best advice I've been given on the music industry thus far is hella cliche but it was to keep doing what I'm doing, and not sacrifice my integrity for acceptance. That was given by an OG so I definitely keep that in mind often.

On Who Else Is Poppin’ :
Ok. You absolutely have to watch for these people: ESTA, Alina Baraz, BC KINGDOM, SuperHumanoids.

que_1
loading...

Que

On The Movement Of New Atlanta:
It’s the sound. I feel like Atlanta [is] first then LA. Now it’s just like that’s the sound. Simple as that. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.

On Sticking Together:
[New Atlanta rappers] stick together more than the older generation. That’s one thing I can say. Everybody has their own beliefs and they do what they do but they stick together. That’s like the most noticeable thing in the younger generation.

k_camp_1
loading...

K Camp

On The Movement Of New Atlanta:
Man, cause there is a lot of artists out here. Atlanta is a Black Hollywood musically. It’s just a lot of artists, a lot of shit that go on. There’s a lot of music being made out here. We hot right now. It’s where it is at. 2 Chainz. Future. Rich Homie. K Camp. Thug. Everybody else that poppin’. Que. T.I. Jeezy. The legends. OutKast. That’s why. We just keeping the legacy going. That’s all that is.

On Sticking Together:
We was all around here at the same time. The ones that’s poppin’ right now been putting in work for years. Everybody just tuning into them, they been out here. Either doing groundwork, just doing clubs. It’s good to see that shit. Everybody getting what they deserve. The grind paying off.

On Veterans Giving Advice To The Younger Generation:
I got plenty of advice from different cats. Really, the same shit. Stay humble. Keep working. Keep grinding. Keep going. Stay humble.

On Who Else Is Poppin’:
Que my dog. I salute him and his campaign. Got the “O.G. Bobby Johnson” going crazy.

dun_deal
Photo By: Cam Kirk
loading...

Dun Deal

On The Movement Of New Atlanta:
Yeah, there's definitely a movement out here. You know, they say it perfectly, that when one person makes it, we all make it. This is just a circle of people that have known each other and have been working together, so it's easy to put someone on when you're hot.

I think that their talent has matched their maturity and music, and it's finally all starting to come together. Some people had the musical talent to make it, but not the mental to take it to the next level. So I think that people's work ethic started to come together, and people started to really work together.

On Sticking Together:
I started producing for Rich Kidd, Future, Ca$h Out, Young Thug, Franchize Boyz. And this was like six, seven years ago. I had a studio downtown, and there was an employee who worked down at the front desk who was related to, I think, either one of the Rich Kids. He told everybody to come in and check me out, and from there I started working with everybody. I met Thug when he was 16, 17 years old. He's always been super talented; he's been rapping for a long time.

On Veterans Giving Advice To The Younger Generation:
Gucci loves people making it. Gucci, whenever he hears something that's new, he gets really excited about it. So when I talk to Gucci about it, he's really excited about the new talent that's happening, all the new styles, people coming out.

On Who Else Is Poppin’:
I've been working with a lot of the producers behind a lot of the stuff that Detail does. Working with Rich Homie Quan, Young Thug of course, K Camp, Que. You know, running the Atlanta circus. Me and Cap-1 just did some stuff, about to get back in with 2 Chainz, too.

childish_major_1
loading...

Childish Major

On The Movement Of New Atlanta:
A couple months ago I would have told you it was more separated but now it’s coming more together. There were two scenes, there was your street Atlanta scene and you have your, I don’t want to call it your hipster scene, your more of an introspective rapper, it’s not necessarily trap. So you have those scenes. You have your Two-9s, your Rome Fortunes. Then you have your trap where you have your Young Scooters, your Guccis. Your Young Thugs. Rich Homie Quans. But they’re coming together right now. Atlanta is really getting more unified. It’s about to get really good.

On Sticking Together:
I’m around Two-9 all day every day. And they be up on everything and be up in the studio just playing a bunch of Young Thug songs or Migos or whatever it might be. It’s a respect. Everybody has a respect for each other.

I remember a conversation I had with Scotty ATL and he was telling me how everybody kind of grew up with each other or became friends in ATL and attended events together. Everyone is friends and there are events from things all over. Sometimes people just have parties. Like I might invite somebody over in the studio and they might know someone else, etc. It’s definitely a friendly vibe.

On Veterans Giving Advice To The Younger Generation:
Don’t be behind the scenes. As a producer you’re an artist too and DJ Toomp told me I need to step out. Don’t just make beats, be the artist, be the face.

On Who Else Is Poppin’:
EarthGang, they are a bunch of odd balls [Laughs]. Nah, we’ve been working together a lot I love those guys. But their show, to me, they have the best show in ATL. They actually take the time to put the show together not let me go on stage and rap these lyrics to you. It is entertaining. I sat through a show a while back and it was cool watching other artist perform, but their energy is crazy.

Peewee Longway is super underrated, he’s one of the coldest. I don’t even want to call him a trap rapper because it’s disrespectful. This nigga can rap. He has flows, his references, Peewee is the shit. He’s a rapper, he’s a MC, and he’s not a club record guy. You can just listen to his shit.

Bando Jonez is that nigga, dude is talented too. I heard he plays keys and everything. I only met him once. Johnny Cinco, WARA From The Neighborhood. He’s originally from NY but he’s Atlanta based.

sonny_digital_1
loading...

Sonny Digital

On The Movement Of New Atlanta:

It’s actually a little more fun to me. It is kind of like a person like me who has been in it for the last couple of years, the new cats that’s just coming up, I feel like I’m still new to it, I just got a three-two year jump on it though. But I mean it is pretty fun. The only reason why I say it is fun though ‘cause you still got your creative space. [It’s] nothing like working with a person that’s been in the game. I don’t want to say they feel like they know everything, but they not too open to take opinions from people just now getting in versus like the new cats who want their opinion and they want all the input.

To me, working with the new Atlanta, it’s just a lot more fun and it is like working with people my age and everybody doing it for fun. So it is like it’s really there. I don’t wanna say there’s no job to it, it is more like fun right now cause we all still young.

On Sticking Together:
Personally, like artist-wise, the only artist I can say that is really like a friend and a brother of mine is Que. He kind of new right now. That’s my brother or whatever. I’m not real big on hanging with artists and everything. I stick to my community and just hang with the producers. And all the new producers too and even the older producers too. We got a relationship though but it ain’t like on some everyday call type of relationship. It’s like a working relationship.

On Veterans Giving Advice To The Younger Generation:
I mean, when I actually sit down with people I tell them exactly what it is. The greatest advice I can give you is as a produce, get your own artist. If you can get your own artist and mold them into what you want them to be, then you will really be saved. It’s almost kind of like insurance for your producer career. Just in case your production career don’t work out, you can always fall back on your artist if you make ‘em hot enough. They go hand-and-hand.

On Who Else Is Poppin’:
I feel like all the labels are trying to revamp their rosters and shit. Get an updated roster of what’s going on. I feel like everybody wants a piece of Atlanta in some type of way though. A lot of labels, they don’t really got too much shit going on. Everybody figuring out what they doing on their own. Really, these labels really sucking our dicks and shit. Given us what we want. I’m pretty sure Young Thug can go to any label right now and get anything he wants right now. Like I said, they need us. I feel like even with the Migos and stuff, I felt like the labels they was mad. Not mad, but more disappointed because they did all that stuff independently and nobody can get on their money except for them. Labels is trying to get whatever they want.

metro_boomin_1
loading...

Metro Boomin’

On The Movement Of New Atlanta:
It’s like another movement. It's not even really like a new movement. I guess the way we starting to look because the way we doing it is more organized now. But we have been that way.

All the same people that everybody discovering [is] what we all been doing. It’s just with more people getting successful together, people see people together and they noticed the affiliation and things are a little more organized now. So now people are realized that. But before, even when it was unorganized, you knew people around the city for being hard. They were still hard but now it’s coming together. They [are] on their shit.

On Sticking Together:
Everybody been linked up. The affiliations have been there. It’s not like "Aight, I’m rocking with you because we rappers and I make beats.” It’s like, “Nah, man it’s been there.” People won’t even understand how crazy the affiliations are. This guy is this guy's cousin or we used to go to school together or this and that. Its crazy man, everybody been rock with everybody.

For example, when I had first stop going to college, I had started before I had got my house and everything, I had lived with Sonny Digital and Que. We had all lived together. So we were making songs back then, at Sonny’s house. Sonny’s still there at his house. The Migos would be there every day. Sonny had been known them from back at school and we weren't even really making music like that. We would just be going to the club together, we went to L.A. all for the first time. That’s just one example too.

On Who Else Is Poppin’:
Man it's crazy, I don't want to leave no one out. Peewee pop but he way hard then what niggas need to know. I know he going to turn up a whole lot harder in the next couple of months. My boy Wicked, he rap with Peewee and Thug and them. He been hard. Chip, he been hard. He had a deal but he had just started back. He had a little deal situation and was waiting for that to blow over. He’s getting back into it.

More From XXL