Why Atlanta is SICK-- Reason #5: Music

All the previous reasons I've enumerated, reasons why Atlanta is SICK, can be viewed independently, and they're pretty damn good.

But when those reasons are seen as just a few of the various moving forces behind Reason #5, it's like Earth, Wind, Water, and Fire have just combined and Captain fucking Planet has just entered the building. Here's the breakdown:

#1: Yes, we've got characters-- and they make their contribution to ATL's musical body of work. Just like Bicycle Bob a/k/a Penis on Ponce (see Reason #1) the Ying Yang Twins conspicuously display the Atlanta tendency toward larger-than-life personae. Without the outright weirdness that is the Ying Yang Twins, would most of America have ever taken a ride-along on a Mr. Collipark beat? Also, these guys had enough intestinal fortitude to rhyme "booty" with "duty" (which they spell "dooty.")

At the risk of sounding like one of those blasted 'Keep _____ Weird' bumper stickers, and at the risk of perpetuating the myth that Atlanta is only good for club bangers, I commend the Ying Yang twins for perpetrating their absurdity on ATL and on the masses. Characters make for innovation in music and good blog fodder, so keep on doing your thing, all you strangies.

#2: ATL Spirit is the essence of the hiphop music made here. Listening to local talent, it's like you walked into an open mic at a high school pep rally, where anyone can perform, but any given performance must contain no less than four references to the mascot.

I hate to harp on New York, but, seriously... if you're thinking "I Love Atlanta," chances are you're thinking of Scrappy's F.I.L.A., whereas "I Love New York" conjures up images of this tranny-licious jezebel: Anyway, the long and short of it is that our school spirit drives our music. It also creates a certain amount of accountability to the whole hip-hop community... If you're claiming a zone on records, you can be sure that the other residents of that zone will vet your claims of legitimacy.

#3: Our mean strip game informs our music. Striphop originated here. Enough said.

#4: Its a mecca, and, as has been noted before, many hip-hoppers come to Atlanta to take advantage of the local environs so conducive to the creation of hit records (e.g., Banner, Too $hort, etc.) In 2005, Weezy F. Baby even came here just to get arrested.

#5: All these things add up to a phenomenal music scene. And, given that this is the (long overdue) last post that tries to establish ATL's credibility in the mind of the reader, I hope you believe me by now, because, as long as I'm blessed to stay here in the capital of the South, I'm going to be contributing as much fresh-to-death Southern music as I can to Whoa, Sick and trying to make the south a viable source of SICKness for y'all.

Anyway, that being said... Fuck with me.