“I was like, ‘Yo, man. You guys have to recognize he’s been killing it,’” Austin said. “He’s been beating everybody else, and I don’t think that they’re associating him with being from Atlanta.”
Austin played a video montage at the homecoming event of legendary Atlanta hip hop figures; from the days of LaFace Records, the Dungeon Family and So So Def to current-day Quality Control. After the event, he said it’s important to spotlight everyone from the city and not just the typical bass-heavy, melodic and repetitive sounds associated with the south.
“I feel like when I started in Atlanta, I wanted to [make] a difference,” Austin said. “Us doing Joi, Fishbone, even the Goodie Mobs and stuff that pushes the envelope? That’s what Atlanta’s about.”
Austin went on to defend Lil Nas X’s creative legacy in the city.
“It started with us, with Another Bad Creation and [Jermaine Dupri] with Kris Kross, Speech from Arrested Development and then it just kept going on with us pushing envelopes,” Austin said. “[Lil Nas X] is a product of that same environment. I feel like it was a good homage with him beating out Drake for most Spotify streams, being number one, it’s phenomenal.
“You can’t ignore it because you’re mad at this or you’re mad at a video or you’re mad at that.”
