Atlanta, GA
Rich Homie Quan Is Gone. After So Much Loss, What's Next For Atlanta?
The Atlanta rap scene, like the rest of the music world, is still mourning the loss of Rich Homie Quan. Last week, the 33-year-old artist was found unresponsive in his girlfriend’s Atlanta home, leaving behind five children and an immense musical legacy. With hits like 2013’s “Type of Way” and 2015’s “Flex (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh),” there was a period where he looked like the next star out of Atlanta. By the late 2010s, label woes had stalled his climb up toward the pop culture stratosphere, and those in the know lament that he didn’t get the chance to fulfill his superstar potential.
In 2013, Quan began collaborating with fellow rising Atlanta star Young Thug. Though Rich Gang was never a formal group signed to a label, Rich Gang: Tha Tour Pt. 1 — the project they released under that name in 2014 — showcased their generational chemistry on syrupy, infectious songs like “Lifestyle” and “Tell Em.” Many agree with writer Jeff Weiss, who theorized, “If Young Thug was the rocket ship bending time and space at the speed of light, Quan operated as ground control, offering a raspy gravity and indelible counterpoint.” Even before his passing, Quan’s bond with Young Thug continued to be discussed up to this day; his last interview featured journalist Alanah Story asking him about unreleased Rich Gang music.
But as incredible as he was in Rich Gang, Quan also excelled on his own. His solo catalog, buoyed by projects like Still Goin In: Reloaded and I Promise I Will Never Stop Going In (both from 2013), demonstrated a knack for melody; feel-good, relatable themes; and ever-malleable vocals. Thanks to him, anyone could feel like the man when they “Walk Thru.” And anyone who’s watched his interviews has noticed his jovial nature and star quality. It all could have added up to a winning combination for solo superstardom.
In an interview last week about Quan’s loss, Wicked — a member of the ’90s Atlanta group Ghetto Mafia — bemoaned that he’s also still reeling from the recent death of Organized Noize producer Rico Wade at age 52. He’s not alone in grieving. Quavo posted a highly circulated Instagram story featuring a picture of himself a few years back with his Migos partners Offset and the late Takeoff, Young Thug, and Rich Homie Quan. The emojis posted over each man’s head hinted at the loss of both Takeoff and Quan, Thug’s current incarceration, and Quavo being on the outs with Offset (though they’ve since talked). His post read, “May God be with US[,] never saw this being apart of our journey.” In a fairer world, these five men, none of them older than their early thirties, would all still be dominating the charts. Instead, pictures like these evoke memories of what could have been.
Atlanta has been rap’s mecca for the better part of three decades, but now the bridge to the next generation feels unsteady, in part because of losses like these. Young Thug and YFN Lucci are both facing uncertain jail stints. And, unfortunately, there’s a long list of artists who have died: Takeoff, Bankroll Fresh, Trouble, Lil Keed, Lil Marlo, Slim Dunkin, Shawty Lo, and now Rich Homie Quan. We’ve also lost Atlanta elders like Rico Wade who still had game and insight to offer. Gucci Mane, luckily, credits his mid-2010s prison stint with waking him up before his career came to an unfortunate ending. But he’s also had trouble getting the next generation of 1017 off the ground because jail or prison terms have befallen so many of his recent signees. Atlanta isn’t losing its artistic mojo — it’s losing its talents.
Atlanta’s solidarity has been one of hip-hop’s most nationally understood facts of life for many years. Even if you didn’t know much about the city’s hip-hop scene, you knew that for the most part, those Atlanta guys stuck together and put each other on. It’s not just that Atlanta had a high concentration of talent, it’s that the artists there were accessible and intent on taking it upon themselves to help the next artist. We remember the video of a hungry Lil Keed rapping for Young Thug before he was famous. We recall the stories of Young Thug paying Lil Baby to get out of the streets, or a young Future being around Outkast in the Dungeon, or Gucci Mane putting on anyone who pulled up to his Brick Factory studio. The city attracted transplants like French Montana and even the Buffalo-based crew Griselda, who made various inroads there during their formative years. In time, the city has become a music factory, like a neo-Motown with lustrous diamonds. It was the place to be for Black musicians, and it still is. But now, with fewer beacons, there are fewer chances for the city to find its next stars.
To consider where the city is going, one must retrace the social and political factors that inspired Atlanta’s trap generation in the first place. In September 1990, the city won its bid to host the 1996 Olympics, and spent the next few years on an “urban renewal” campaign of destroying public housing, displacing thousands of residents and widening the city’s economic disparity. The first generation of trap rappers depicted the gruff realities of Atlanta’s left-behind neighborhoods, and younger artists followed behind.
Years later, Atlanta’s politicians are on a new displacement mission that has had similarly damaging cultural effects. Devin Franklin, an attorney at the Southern Center for Human Rights, told Complex in 2022 that he feels the city brass is vying to gentrify many of the areas immortalized in Atlanta rap songs, noting, “There is absolutely a desire to rid Atlanta of this element that once upon a time is what made Atlanta cool in the first place. It’s like, ‘We used it, we got popular off of it, but now we got another level that we want to get to, so we need to get you all out of here.’” Fulton County’s district attorney, Fani Willis, has been relentless with RICO prosecutions that currently have Young Thug, YFN Lucci, and RX Peso incarcerated (with Hoodrich Pablo Juan doing five years from another RICO prosecution in nearby Upson County).
As in any “law and order” city, a focus on prosecution means the negligence of other institutions that make a city healthy. Structural racism breeds violent communities and the desire for escapism, whether that’s through doing the wrong thing in search of financial freedom or falling prey to addiction. These factors are nothing new for many communities of color, but seeing them decimate a beloved music community is sobering.
There are dire consequences looming over Atlanta’s cultural depletion. The rap industry is changing exponentially. In time, 2024’s “white boy summer” could turn into a “white boy year” or “white boy generation,” with more tone-deaf rappers like Ian doing their best impressions of Atlanta’s kings. We need the progenitors alive to bring the real, or at the least retell the stories to those looking to document this great movement. And the bridge from one generation of Atlanta rappers to another needs to stay stable. But with every city-shattering death like Quan’s, one more pillar is gone too soon.
Atlanta, GA
Summerhill residents oppose plan to move Atlanta Olympic cauldron, citing community history and legacy
A proposal to move Atlanta’s Olympic cauldron from Summerhill to Centennial Olympic Park is drawing opposition from residents and community leaders who say the landmark represents more than just the 1996 Olympic Games — it is also a symbol of the neighborhood’s history and identity.
Dozens gathered Monday evening in Summerhill to protest plans to relocate the top portion of the Olympic Flame Tower, known as the cauldron, from its current location near Center Parc Stadium. The effort comes after Georgia State University announced a partnership with Olympic leaders, including Billy Payne and former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young, to move the cauldron while leaving the tower and Olympic rings bridge in place.
In a written statement, Georgia State said the project would help preserve Atlanta’s Olympic legacy while maintaining a connection to the Summerhill community.
For Sheryl Calhoun, however, the debate is deeply personal.
“It’s something that my mom was a part of,” Calhoun said. “So by means of it being here, it keeps her living in here.”
Calhoun’s mother, Mattie Ansley Jackson, spent decades advocating for residents living around the former Olympic Stadium. According to her daughter, Jackson worked on issues ranging from housing and employment to broader neighborhood development efforts.
“She helped the community,” Calhoun said. “She played a big part with summer jobs, housing, unemployment, making sure the community was okay.”
Jackson also carried the Olympic torch during the 1996 Games and remained proud of the cauldron’s presence in the neighborhood, Calhoun said.
“My mom loved this torch,” she said.
Community leaders say their primary concern is not necessarily the relocation itself, but how the decision was made.
“Georgia State called some of the community stakeholders to have a conversation about it and basically just told us what was going to happen,” said Sharon Pitchford, executive director of the Summerhill Neighborhood Development Corporation.
Pitchford said many residents view the cauldron as a lasting symbol of both the Olympic Games and Summerhill’s own story.
“It is literally infused in the culture of the area,” Pitchford said.
The controversy has also revived memories of previous development battles in the neighborhood. Calhoun said her mother spent years fighting to remain in her home as the area surrounding the former Olympic Stadium underwent significant changes. According to the family, Jackson was ultimately allowed to stay in the home for the remainder of her life.
Jackson died in 2020 at the age of 98. Today, the lot where her home once stood is under construction.
Calhoun said relocating the cauldron would feel like losing another piece of her mother’s legacy.
“They taken a piece of my mother,” she said. “They’re taking a piece of one in this community like that here and left.”
Georgia State declined an interview request from CBS News Atlanta and referred the station to its written statement announcing the relocation plans. The university said the tower and Olympic rings bridge would remain in Summerhill even if the cauldron is moved.
The city of Atlanta partnered with Georgia Power and Comcast to test high-speed digital infrastructure for the new “Atlanta Free” public Wi-Fi pilot network at Centennial Olympic Park and City Hall on June 22, 2026. (FOX 5 Atlanta)
ATLANTA – A new tech initiative is bringing free public Wi-Fi to several high-traffic areas across Atlanta, including Centennial Olympic Park.
The city launched the one-year pilot program to boost digital equity and connect residents.
Atlanta public Wi-Fi
What we know:
Atlanta officials partnered with Georgia Power and Comcast on a $263,000 agreement to fund the new wireless network. The connection is already active under the name “Atlanta Free” at Centennial Olympic Park, City Hall, and the Atlanta University Center.
The city of Atlanta partnered with Georgia Power and Comcast to test high-speed digital infrastructure for the new “Atlanta Free” public Wi-Fi pilot network at Centennial Olympic Park and City Hall on June 22, 2026. (FOX 5 Atlanta)
What they’re saying:
Mayor Andre Dickens spoke at the park to highlight the project alongside corporate representatives and city leaders.
Dickens emphasized that the technology is designed for long-term community equity rather than just a temporary perk for World Cup visitors. “Free public Wi-Fi is active here at Centennial Olympic Park, at City Hall, and at the Atlanta University Center,” Dickens said. “This is just the first phase of a city-wide effort. The goal is to create a network that will eventually help connect folks all the way from the airport to MARTA to the belt line.” To log on, users simply select the network on their device and accept the terms and conditions.
The city of Atlanta partnered with Georgia Power and Comcast to test high-speed digital infrastructure for the new “Atlanta Free” public Wi-Fi pilot network at Centennial Olympic Park and City Hall on June 22, 2026. (FOX 5 Atlanta)
Expanding city tech
What we don’t know:
Officials have not yet confirmed the exact timeline for expanding the network to future locations beyond the initial testing sites. The city has shared a goal to eventually bring the setup to the BeltLine and local fire stations, but specific next phases depend on the results of the one-year pilot.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens
For years, Wells Fargo and the Wells Fargo Foundation have invested in Atlanta with a clear focus: helping communities thrive by supporting financially resilient families, vibrant small businesses, and affordable places to call home. That commitment continues to show up across metro Atlanta through partnerships with nonprofits, civic organizations, and economic development leaders working to expand opportunity for residents and entrepreneurs.
This year, Wells Fargo and the Wells Fargo Foundation deepened that work by announcing new philanthropic grants supporting both small business development and housing stability across the region. The latest investments include $550,000 for Invest Atlanta’s BizLabs Technical Assistance program and $2.25 million to the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta to advance neighborhood investment and housing stability. Together, the grants reflect a broader strategy to strengthen the foundations of economic mobility.
Strengthening Atlanta’s Small Business Ecosystem
Small businesses are central to Atlanta’s identity and economic future. Through its support of Invest Atlanta’s BizLabs program, Wells Fargo is helping entrepreneurs access expert guidance, technical assistance, and opportunities to grow a long-term presence in the city. The investment also supports activation of downtown storefronts, including pop-up retail opportunities that can help local businesses gain visibility, test ideas, and connect with new customers.
The newest funding builds on Wells Fargo’s previous $20 million Open for Business Fund grant announced in 2022 to support a collaboration between United Way of Greater Atlanta and Invest Atlanta aimed at helping Atlanta small businesses grow. These investments show a long-term approach to entrepreneurship: not one-time assistance, but sustained partnership designed to help business owners build resilience and remain rooted in the communities they serve.
Investing in Housing Stability and Neighborhood Strength
Housing stability remains one of metro Atlanta’s most urgent challenges, especially as housing costs continue to outpace wages. Wells Fargo’s $2.25 million grant to the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta will support efforts to stabilize housing and expand access to opportunity across the region.
The investment will help address persistent barriers to long-term stability and strategies to preserve affordable housing. The Community Foundation has already helped mobilize more than $220 million in investment and supported the creation or preservation of more than 6,000 homes across the region, and Wells Fargo’s support encourages that momentum.
A Shared Vision for Atlanta’s Future
Mayor Andre Dickens described Wells Fargo’s substantial and consistent investment in the Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative as a meaningful commitment to the city and its people – noting that support for housing stability and small businesses helps build more resilient neighborhoods and a more inclusive local economy. Jason Rosenberg, Wells Fargo’s head of Public Affairs, also shared “Wells Fargo’s continued long-term commitment in Atlanta reflects our investment in the community.”
Wells Fargo and the Wells Fargo Foundation have now surpassed more than $40 million in philanthropic support in Atlanta since 2021 – emphasizing a sustained commitment to the city’s residents, neighborhoods, and nonprofit partners.
About Hope Atlanta
There is strong alignment between Wells Fargo’s philanthropic priorities and Hope Atlanta’s mission as we work with our clients to secure stable housing and support them on the journey to self-sufficiency.
Hope Atlanta provides case management for all clients, in which collaborative planning establishes goals for the client and a plan to reach those goals. Workforce development, healthcare navigation, and access to other resources are all a part of this care. By equipping our clients with full wraparound support, we can affect lasting change for our clients through increased income and greater opportunities for improved economic mobility.
To learn more, visit: hopeatlanta.org
This is sponsored content.
RELATED POSTS
-
Oregon3 minutes agoFireworks on sale in Oregon until July 6
-
Pennsylvania7 minutes agoPennsylvania company builds goals for US Soccer, FIFA World Cup matches
-
Rhode Island15 minutes agoEthics Commission denies Shekarchi’s motion to dismiss high court bid ethics complaint
-
South-Carolina17 minutes agoInside TCMU’s new SC 250 exhibit
-
South Dakota23 minutes ago“This Is Our Event” – Local news, weather and sports from Pierre, South Dakota
-
Tennessee30 minutes agoTennessee Aquarium, Chattanooga Lookouts team up to teach fans about waterway trash
-
Texas30 minutes ago8 convicted of terrorism charges in Texas immigration center shooting sentenced to decades in prison
-
Utah37 minutes agoUtah Jazz’s Direction for the No. 2 Pick Is Becoming Clear
