It all started off as an impulsive post on the hyperlocal social networking service Nextdoor.com. In the early days of following COVID-19’s entrance into the U.S. with all day job work and all gigs cancelled to promote my band Surround Sound’s new album, I wrote the following on a whim—not really expecting much to come […]
Some folks seem to be born with a knack for networking and marketing themselves. You know the type. Those extroverted communicators who can talk to anyone, anytime, online or in person. The right words just seem to flow out of them, effortlessly. They listen, interact and make personal connections one right after the other. Many […]
Illastrate, the founder of Atlanta’s Working Class Music record label, discusses his production, key collaborators, and refining his musical voice among the thriving Atlanta underground scene. This “Midwest Kid” hailing from Ft. Wayne, IN has been making genuine hip-hop down South for almost 2 decades. Armed with a mini disk player and a head full […]
When Beat Studies set out to produce our debut album Abstract Architect, I knew I wanted a distinct sound that was consistent throughout the track list. I started off with a jazzy Rhodes piano loop on almost every track to set the tone for the album. I’ve been playing piano for over 30 years, and […]
It all started when a young and inspired 16-year-old Ozy Reigns from Columbia, South Carolina was walking through Atlanta’s Lenox Mall with his friend and former rap partner Tweet. They became starstruck as they ran into Outkast, Ice-T and Tracey Lee. “I’m moving to Atlanta!” he said to himself. Two years later, he enrolled at […]
As the 20th century—and the golden era of the record industry—was drawing to a close, the door was slammed on it with the advent of file sharing sites and MP3’s rise in popularity; where sonic quality and artistic packaging took a back seat to convenience and (free) cost. It’s hard to compete with that in […]
Awareness is essential to activism, but how can one build a tangible resistance to things that they KNOW in there heart is wrong… by themselves? The answer is easy. They can’t. Atlanta has certainly realized this during the past year as local music fans become more involved with community activist organizations who use their art […]
Five years ago, my wife and I hired a property manager and put our Grant Park home up for rent. We sold or gave away half of our possessions, put the family in the car, and headed west hoping for the best. No job awaiting. No fixed idea on where we would end up. All […]
