Young Thug has been at the forefront of Atlanta’s musical dominance for the better part of the past decade, churning out solo hits, collaborating with other homegrown artists, and paying it forward by putting on new talent.
During a sit-down at the 2021 Revolt Summit, Thugger forecasted ATL’s reign as the biggest hub for Hip-Hop extending for another 10 years, usurping New York City as the definitive cultural mecca.
“I don’t see no city taking over Atlanta,” he said when asked of what the future holds for the A. “Because we steady having new artists come from Atlanta, bruh, and we getting bigger and bigger and bigger. The biggest artists that are popping right now are from Atlanta. We gon’ keep going higher and higher. I don’t see no other city gaining the No. 1 spot again. We got it. Atlanta, fo’sho.”
Having taken numerous artists under his wing and given back to his community through charitable initiatives, Thugger discussed the importance of setting a positive example for others in the Atlanta rap scene and what inspires his focus on camaraderie and generosity. “Because you just want all of the upcoming artists that’s paying attention to you or paying attention to anybody that’s paying attention to you, you want them to see that,” he shared. “You want them to know this is the right thing to do and it’s simple. If it was me on the other shoe, I would want that help.”
Gunna, Thug’s frequent collaborator and fellow Atlanta rep, also appeared on the 2021 Hip-Hop: Homecoming panel, touching on his hometown’s impact on the landscape of rap and what the city means to him. “Atlanta is everything to me,” said the YSL Records signee. “Because I feel like as a whole, Atlanta is one of the cities that’s really known for just coming up with everything. Lingo, style to clothes to even music now. We’ve got a big impact on music. Like, we’re winning on music right now in Atlanta. And that one thing alone I feel like that we all kept it together, is just making the world better. Just ’cause we started a whole new lead of people that’s just doing music, selling clothes, and building off merch.”
Watch the full recap of the 2021 Revolt Summit 2021 Hip-Hop: Homecoming panel below.