Hot 107.9 celebrates its 15th year with its latest Birthday Bash

It has frequently been a showcase of the Dirty South, with many acts coming back again and again, from Ludacris and Lil Jon to Young Jeezy (left, who dubs himself "Mr. Birthday Bash") and Gucci Mane.

It is also a showcase for Hot 107.9, Atlanta’s first hip-hop station back in 1995. And though V-103 is a broader, more popular station, Hot has played many of these artists first, giving them an early leg up on their way to becoming big stars.

"It quickly went from a party to an event for me," said Emperor Searcy, the afternoon jock who began as a club DJ for Hot in 1995 and has attended every Birthday Bash. For a lot of rap stars, being on the Birthday Bash stage is a coming of age, a signal that they've been accepted as hip-hop artists. (Artists don't normally get paid to be on the show. It's more of a thank you to the radio station.)

The first party was at Variety Playhouse with the late Biggie Smalls but quickly, Hot moved to the much larger venue Lakewood Amphitheatre, then Philips Arena a few years ago. Most of the shows sold out, Searcy said.

Although Searcy wouldn't say who was poorly received at Birthday Bash, based on past reviews written in the AJC, it was apparently tougher for R&B acts such as Mya.

This year's lineup includes Travis Porter, Gucci Mane, Ludacris and Plies.

I dug through the AJC archives and found acts that played the Birthday Bash from every year except 1997:

1996: Variety Playhouse, featuring OutKast, Notorious B.I.G., Diddy, 112, Eightball & MJ

1998: moves to Lakewood Amphitheatre, featuring Jagged Edge, Mya, Cam’ron, Scarface, DMX, 69 Boyz, Three 6 Mafia, Big Pun

1999: Jermaine Dupri, Naughty By Nature, Master P, Ludacris, Youngbloodz, Cool Breeze and Goodie Mob, Slick Rick and Doug E. Fresh

2000: OutKast, Goodie Mob, Whodini, Mya, Trick Daddy, Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz, Ying Yang Twins, Ludacris

2001: Run DMC, Trina, Da Brat, Trick Daddy, Ja Rule, Lil Mo, Xzibit

2002: OutKast, Jermaine Dupri (with a surprise appearance by Jay-Z), Eightball & MJG, Trina

2003: Big Boi of OutKast, Three 6 Mafia, T.I., Youngbloodz, Chingy, Pastor Troy, Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz, Ludacris

2004: Kanye West, Lil Jon, Eightball & MJG, Bone Crush, Jadakiss, Goodie Mob, surprise appearance by T.I.

2005: Jermaine Dupri, Ludacris, T.I., Ying Yang Twins, David Banner, Young Jeezy, Three 6 Mafia, Trillville

2006: Moves to Philips Arena. T.I., Big Boi, Lil Wayne, Juvenile, Chamillionaire, Eightball & MJG, Yung Joc

2007: T.I., Ciara, Young Jeezy, the Game, Rick Ross, Lil JOn , 8 Ball & MJG, Lil Scrappy

2008: Young Jeezy, Usher, Kanye West, Gucci Mane, Soulja Mane, Plies, Ludacris

2009: Gucci Mane, Mary J. Blige, Lil Wayne, Trey Songz, Keri Hilson, Young Jeezy, Soulja Boy, Plies, Shawty Lo

IN CONCERT

Hot 107.9’s 15th Annual Birthday Bash

Philips Arena

Saturday, 7 p.m. June 19

$10.79 to $104

As of Wednesday, June 16, the best lower level seats on Ticketmaster were second-level seats available at Ticketmaster behind the stage for $59 each (plus $11.35 “convenience” charge.)

The best upper level seats were third-level seats also behind the stage at $39 each (plus $7.80 “convenience” charge.)