OutKast released their debut album 30 years ago: How ‘Southernplayalistic’ changed Atlanta history

Atlanta’s music scene can be divided into two eras: B.O. (Before OutKast) and A.O. (After OutKast). On April 26, 1994, everything changed.& Before OutKast hit the music scene in the early 1990s, Atlanta was culturally a forgotten city. In hip-hop, New York was the Mecca. Los Angeles and Compton always seemed close to the crown and, arguably, held it for some years. And other cities such as Houston, Bay Area, Chicago, and Miami all made listeners pay attention to their perspectives in hip-hop. Before OutKast, Atlanta’s mu- sic scene was similar to the ballplayers who could hear the game from outside of the stadium, but never good enough to go inside and play on the field. Atlanta’s early hip-hop never escaped the barrier of Interstate 285. Kilo Ali, Raheem The Dream and Hitman Sammy Sam were legends from Bankhead to Campbellton Road. But your cousins from California or New York could never relate to the feeling of hearing Kilo Ali’s “Hear What I Hear” while roller skating at Jelly Beans or Screaming Wheels on a Saturday night. At- lanta always had something to say, even when it seemed as if we were the only ones listening. OutKast forced the nation...