Jermaine Dupri has been Atlanta’s musical ambassador for decades. Throughout his career, the mega-producer, songwriter and music executive has ensured that the sound of Atlanta reached a mainstream audience. Ahead of Saturday night’s “The South Got Something to Say” set, which Dupri curated, at Essence Festival of Culture, he told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution representing his hometown on the world’s biggest stages is part of his purpose.
“I’m trying to do the best, and as much as I can, for the city,” Dupri said. “Every day, I am hearing more and more people say they moved to Atlanta because of what I am doing. For the last 30 years, I have been doing mayoral work.”
Such was the case during his roughly hour-long long production showcasing Atlanta’s rap legacy during the 29th annual Essence Festival, which celebrated the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. Dupri’s set encompassed the center of the city’s rich impact throughout the three-day festival — one that proved that Atlanta and, by extension, the South, is the pulse of hip-hop’s past, present and future.
Credit: Ryon Horne / Ryon.Horne@ajc.com
Credit: Ryon Horne / Ryon.Horne@ajc.com
Dupri opened Saturday’s set with Dem Franchize Boyz, who performed their snap classics “I Think They Like Me,” and “Lean wit It, Rock wit it.” New Orleans rapper Curren$y was next to grace the stage. He and Dupri released a joint EP titled “For Motivational Use Only Vol. 1″ earlier this year. Atlanta rap legends Big Boi and Sleepy Brown, dressed in long fur coats, performed a selection of OutKast hits and Big Boi’s own solo tracks while the crowd joined in for the chorus of “Int’l Players Anthem (I Choose You)” as if it was 2007 all over again.
Gucci Mane and T.I. showcased just why and how trap music will always be relevant during their performances. Judging from the boisterous crowd response to the latter, maybe he should have been the set’s closing act. Lil Jon and Ludacris shared the stage to remind the audience of their early 2000′s dominance while giving Essence Festival fans a taste of the R&B music they’re used to.
The set proved that hip-hop’s legacy cannot be discussed or even considered without mentioning Atlanta.
Credit: Ryon Horne / Ryon.Horne@ajc.com
Credit: Ryon Horne / Ryon.Horne@ajc.com
The festival also featured electrifying performances from Atlanta-bred and Atlanta-based artists like Jagged Edge, Monica, Bone Crusher, Janelle Monáe (who, in true Monáe fashion, flashed her breast during her set) and even headliner Missy Elliott whose futuristic set design ended with her walking in the crowd to truly welcome the audience to Planet Missy.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens attended Saturday night’s concert. He spoke on a panel for the festival the next day to address crime, public safety and economy with other Black mayors of metropolitan cities.
“Atlanta has a lot to say, and the culture around the world is noticing all the things that Atlanta brings to the table — from music, tv, film, entertainment but also our culture of civil rights, human rights as well as just how to be a business-minded city, but with cultural connections and community focus,” he said.
Credit: Ryon Horne / Ryon.Horne@ajc.com
Credit: Ryon Horne / Ryon.Horne@ajc.com
Stanzel Jackson and Bryan Chatman own Fruition Hat Company in downtown Atlanta. They pride themselves on “finding the hat that truly fits who (their clients) are,” Jackson said. This year marked their third time as a vendor for the festival.
“(Essence Festival) means to be a part of a Black culture to showcase our stuff,” Chatman said. “I love it because you get to see other brands and we’ve become longtime friends with them. If we didn’t have Essence, we wouldn’t have made all of these connections.”
B.L.A.C.K. (Bases Loaded Authentic Clothing and Kaps) was another Georgia-based business featured during the festival. The company specializes in licensed apparel that nods to the legacy of Negro League Baseball, Buffalo soldiers and the Tuskegee Airmen. It’s located within the New Black Wall Street Market in Stonecrest
Kimberly Greene, the owner of the shop, said B.L.A.C.K. also has an educational partnership with museums and other organizations.
“We want to make sure that people recognize the importance of our Black history and it’s relevant to not just back in the day but also currently as well as making sure that those organizations are compensated financially.”
The shop has been a vendor at the festival since 2009.
“It’s about the importance of circulating that Black dollar, not just in our neighborhood, but trying to do it everywhere and what better way to do it than here at Essence.”
The South’s influence on culture blared throughout Essence Festival. On the day his viral NPR Tiny Desk Concert premiered, New Orleans rap pioneer Juvenile performed and had everyone bouncing to his classic “Back That Azz Up.” Lil Wayne, the biggest rapper to come from New Orleans, made a surprise appearance and Houston’s hot girl-in-chief Megan Thee Stallion closed the festival with her rump-shaking set. If this year’s Essence Festival made anything clear, it’s that hip-hop wouldn’t be anywhere without the South.
Flo Milli, emerging Alabama rapper, credits the South for her rise in being one of the most exciting and charismatic rappers in today’s hip-hop landscape. She performed on the Coca-Cola stage on Saturday afternoon.
“I feel like (Southern rap) is kind of like our medicine to express ourselves,” she told the AJC. “It influenced me with my resilience. I feel like being from the South, we know what the history of that is, so I feel like it just made me who I am today. The attitude I have to just be myself comes from the strong character that I know Southern women have.”
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