He doesn’t want his impact to be overlooked. That’s why he’s especially concerned with how he’s perceived in hip-hop. Hip-hop has, for some time, been under attack when it comes to the law and how we present it to the world.” It’s definitely an attack on freedom of expression and the art. Hip-hop is the only art form where lyrics are used against artists in the court of law. Right now, it feels like hip-hop is under attack. “It’s a city that normally shines and has a lot of love and dopeness (to) come out of it, so hopefully there’s a rainbow at the end of the tunnel. “It’s been a tough past couple of years for Atlanta, and it’s in a space where it’s probably never been,” he said. Drama and Cannon weren’t prosecuted for the charges. charges in 2007 for distributing illegal mixtapes in a police raid that ultimately altered the course of mixtape culture - halting its business model. Explore Takeoff's death another blow for Atlanta's hip-hop sceneĭrama, along with his longtime music partner and Generation Now co-founder Don Cannon, faced his own R.I.C.O. And Young Thug, arguably the most influential rapper to emerge from Atlanta since Andre 3000, remains in jail while awaiting trial for R.I.C.O. Since February, two influential mainstays in Atlanta’s nightlife and music scene - Michael Gidewon and Clay Evans - have also died. Since last May, prominent Atlanta rappers Trouble, Takeoff and Lil Keed have died. ![]() ![]() I can’t imagine what hip-hop would be without this city.”īut he admits that the city’s music scene needs to be re-energized. “Atlanta is the mecca for hip-hop, and to have a label based here, to come up from the mud and watch so many movements happen here and to be a part of so many things, Atlanta really changed my life. “Obviously, I’m from Philly, but I’ve been in Atlanta longer than I was in Philly at this point,” he said. He’s also planning on signing new artists for Generation Now, the Atlanta-based record label that includes artists like Lil Uzi Vert and Jack Harlow. He hopes to create future projects with De La Soul and Black Thought. Since then, he’s hosted Gangsta Grillz projects for Dreamville, Kash Doll, Symba and more. From that, I really think it sparked a resurgence of what mixtapes used to be and people having me host their projects and just breathing a new life into Gangsta Grillz.” Him pretty much making his album a Gangsta Grillz mixtape and it winning a Grammy was dope. For us to win the Grammy, it was full-circle. I definitely knew going into the project that it was going to be something special. We’ve always had a great rapport, but working with him on that project was really dope to see how his genius works, how his creativity works and his mind works in being an instrument. “I’ve been a fan of Tyler for a long time,” Drama said. Tyler appears on “Legendary,” the opening track for “I’m Really Like That.” Last week, Tyler, the Creator dropped a deluxe edition of the album titled “ Call Me If You Get Lost: The Estate Sale,” which features Vince Staples, A$AP Rocky and YG. It also motivates me to continue to put out dope projects.”ĭrama’s career received a major boost from younger generations of rap fans after he hosted Tyler, the Creator’s Grammy-winning album “Call Me If You Get Lost” in 2021. But overall, I definitely feel celebrated, especially more recently. There have been times when I’ve been considered the underdog, but I also thrive in that space. “I definitely feel like I receive my flowers at times. ![]() ![]() He approached the creation of “I’m Really Like That” with the same hunger he felt roughly 20 years ago as a budding DJ in Atlanta. Drama’s Gangsta Grillz mixtape series, which spans nearly 20 years and counting, is adorned with skits, braggadocious shout outs and high-energy performances from the hottest rappers of the moment. The Clark Atlanta alumnus is widely regarded as one of the most important voices in hip-hop whose mixtapes revolutionized the sound of rap and skyrocketed the careers Jeezy and T.I. The album fuses a mesh of regional sounds - from southern trap to the subdued, melodic stylings of west-coast rap - showcasing Drama’s mastery of recruiting talent from any coast to fit his Gangsta Grillz flair.Īhead of the album’s release, the 44-year-old posted social media clips of him recreating scenes from the 1992 cult classic “Juice.” He revealed that the film inspired him to become a DJ. The 14-track project, which dropped on March 31, boasts star-studded features from Jack Harlow, Lil Uzi Vert, Nipsey Hussle, Rick Ross and more. On his latest album, “I’m Really Like That,” the Atlanta-based DJ and music executive wants listeners to understand his legacy in hip-hop, though he acknowledges that he has more work to do to push the genre even further.
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