Atlanta is the center of hip-hop’s spellbinding universe. While New York City and Los Angeles led the way in introducing rap to the masses, Atlanta reinvigorated the genre. Few cities have dominated the landscape as thoroughly as Atlanta, which has held down the title of hip-hop capital for close to 30 years.
Since André 3000′s 1995 manifesto, “The South got something to say,” the South – by way of Atlanta – has been at the forefront of the genre’s innovation and creativity.
From Mojo to Lil Baby, Atlanta’s mix of mainstream success and deep underground acts – winding down Campbellton Road through a stew of soul food, homecoming parties, Freaknik and the Dungeon – has created a unique sound and style that is both familiar and distinct.
To pay tribute to Atlanta’s impact on hip-hop, the team behind Unapologetically ATL has curated a list of the 50 greatest rappers from the city, from the early pioneers who toiled their craft at talent shows and skate parties, to the new school, who sell out arenas and make million-dollar music videos.
This unranked list includes solo rappers and rap groups who have shown, and are still proving, that Atlanta is a global epicenter for hip-hop. (Warning: some of the music and videos linked in this article contain explicit lyrics.)
But a few rules:
To be considered for this list, artists had to be born and/or raised in Atlanta and its surrounding cities and represent it in their music and/or claim it as their hometown.
So you won’t see artists like Bow Wow, Rick Ross, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes or Da Brat because while they rose to mainstream prominence in Atlanta and later moved here, they’ve touted other cities as their home.
Artists in popular rap groups who’ve established dominant solo careers for decades are listed separately.
As André 3000 so eloquently reminded us, the South, and Atlanta, still have a lot to say.
