Jeezy, né Jay Wayne Jenkins, deserves accolades for 10 years of success in the music industry. One of the early adopters or influencers of trap music, Jeezy knows firsthand how Atlanta became and remains the Black mecca for music. The virtuoso rapper heard the “streets calling” and he answered with compelling wordplay and storytelling that amplified the voice of the white T-shirt generation.
Atlanta is the mecca for individuals who are represented by companies like BMI, whose execs know how to make dreams come true in the studios of Atlanta, but it was Jeezy at the Fox Theatre who brought together several generations of musical superstars to celebrate the heritage and embrace each other’s creativity.
André 3000 and Big Boi of OutKast are just a couple of the platinum superstars who reignited the Southern hip-hop flame of creativity and Atlanta’s dominance from rappers to producers. Creativity is the glue of the brotherhood and the voice of an everlasting chart-topping success for megastars who produce megahits.
T.I., the “King of the South,” the dynamic phenomenon who transcended rap’s stage and has added film and TV to his wheelhouse of creativity, not by chance, but out of respect for the voice and unique identity of truth that can be heard in Atlanta’s music scene. The King of the South motivated the crowd and had the respect of Jeezy to show up at the Fox Theatre to celebrate his 10th anniversary.
Even the “Queens of the South” like Monica came out to support and create a musical experience that forged genius in studios like Patchwerk and Stankonia. The Black music mecca has phenomenal producers like Rock City, who has produced and written for Rihanna, Nicki Minaj and Miley Cyrus.
Ludacris has taken the Fast & Furious franchise and made it a worldwide success. He encourages young individuals who aspire to a career in music to move to Atlanta.
It is not surprising that Jeezy brought out R&B star Usher, who came to support his brother. Recognizing that time creates ingenuity and opportunity to make moments special, all the celebrities that are from Atlanta’s creative home were there to celebrate this brother. It was recognizing the importance of knowing that courage is coming together as a community and showcasing that there is a voice in Atlanta, a spirit of continuity and creativity. We celebrate Jeezy for being the light for that moment, and for giving a vision to those individuals currently and in the future to recognize that Atlanta is the home of the most creative, passionate songwriters, producers and creators of music in the world.
How Atlanta artists stack up
Usher has sold over 65 million records worldwide.
T.I. and Ludacris both have five platinum albums:
Ludacris: Back for the First Time (2000); Word of Mouf (2001); Chicken-n-Beer (2003); The Red Light District (2004)
and Release Therapy (2006).
TI: Trap Muzik (2003); Urban Legend (2004); King (2006); T.I. vs. T.I.P. (2007) and Paper Trail (2008).
Between six studio albums and a greatest hits release, OutKast has sold over 25 million records.
