Home is Where the Heart Is

As a college senior in New Hampshire, sometimes my soul dies.

While this sounds horrible, it always seems to happen right when I'm about to go home and home is where my soul gets resuscitated. Atlanta is my home and if you want the truth, it's the most important city in music in the past 10-15 years.

Before I get too into the importance of the A, it's important to know that Atlanta has a sound. Listen to Jeezy. Listen to TIP and Luda. Listen to Andre and Big Boi. Even listen to the garbage Atlanta rappers like Joc and Rocko. There's something about the quality of the bass, the crispness of the high hats, the occasional snaps, hand claps, and stomps, and the heavy influence of Black high school and college marching bands. But, unlike other other areas of the country, the sound in Atlanta is versatile and can have these high hats, heavy bass lines, and hand claps occasionally coupled with acoustic guitars, xylophones, organs, whistles, and theremins.

Another quality of Atlanta is that even though occasional beefs come up between Atlanta artists (Luda and TI, Shawty Lo and TI, Me and TI), for the most part, there is very beautiful High School Musical-ish "We're All In This Together" feel. Everyone wants to rep Atlanta as loudly as possible, and as often as possible.

This ATL love fest can be often observed in music videos (see "5000 Ones" - DJ Drama) and in supersized Atlanta remixes ("Top Back (Remix)" - T.I. feat. Young Jeezy, Big Kuntry Kane, Young Dro).

Because of the strong sense of pride that exudes from the residents of this city and it's presence in the music, it isn't surprising that there is a large number of Atlanta "up and comers" trying to make it in the Atlanta (and hopefully beyond) music business.



A coalition (or a "Movement" as co-producer 7King corrected me last night) of Atlanta "up and comers" (28 to be exact -- see Cover) have come together to put out a exceptional product. Titled "The 808 Experiment: Vol 1," the compilation was put together by the threesome SMKA. By using the word "experiment" in the title, SMKA is being extremely modest. The project is less of an experiment and more of a statement. All of the diversity of Atlanta music that we have grown up on is present in this 20 track compilation. All the key puzzle pieces are present, but they're all there organically and not forced.

As I do with most albums when attempting to judge them, I burned it on a CD, got in my car, and drove around Atlanta. Within the first minute of the compilation, I am greeted with a hard hitting instrumental that mixes "Elevators (Me and You)" - Outkast and "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" - Rose Royce. I almost have to pull over. Once I get to track two, "Caddys", I had to stop myself mean mugging people every time I stopped at a stoplight. I could go on about something I was impressed by in every track, but I'll display some restraint (but I do urge you to pay attention to the piano part in "Fire in the Hole," the lyrical talents of Supreeme in "I'm On Fire," and all 4 minutes and 37 seconds of "Heartbreaker").

For an "indie" project, the production by 808 Blake and 7King is extremely crisp, which makes it sound much more like an album than any run-of-the-mill mixtape.

Bottom line, download this compilation--Right Now. You will not be disappointed. I promise.

http://www.zshare.net/download/514993816ecbfd6e/


I can't believe I've known the three members of SMKA since 5th grade. I'm filled with pride and extremely impressed. Hip Hop in Atlanta is here to stay.

Peace Up

-Rem Shady