Following the celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop in 2023, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution made a documentary titled, “The South Got Something to Say”, depicting the rise of Atlanta’s hip-hop scene and the monumental impact hip-hop’s culture and music had on Atlanta. The 50th anniversary of hip-hop was celebrated all over the world last year as it was a monumental milestone for such an impactful genre. Hip-hop is not only a music genre, but it is also a culture that has made its mark in not just America but around the world. “The South Got Something to Say” sheds light on this impact while focusing on Atlanta’s contributions to hip-hop.
Award-winning filmmakers Ryon and Tyson Horne directed and produced this feature-length documentary. The documentary premiered in November 2023 and is now available for streaming on the Atlanta Journal-Constitution website.
“The South Got Something to Say” provides an intricate exploration of the rise of Atlanta’s hip-hop scene, following its origins back to the 1995 Source Awards, a significant moment in hip-hop’s history when OutKast’s Andre 3000 made an iconic statement.
The documentary provides a deeper look at Atlanta’s hip-hop culture and includes interviews with several public figures who have greatly influenced the industry. The film contains adult images, themes and language. On their website, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution lists below the film, “Atlanta’s impact on hip-hop is undeniable. From chart-topping artists and viral dance crazes to the city’s social, economic and political influence – Atlanta may not be the birthplace, but we are now the cultural center of the movement.”
Leading up to the premiere of “The South Got Something to Say ”, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution posted articles and features about the significance of hip-hop. On November 2, 2023, the day of the premiere, there were various speakers and panels about how Atlanta hip-hop has grown and how it has a direct impact on everything around it.
Over 60 interviews were conducted for the film by the directors and Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporters DeAsia Paige and Ernie Suggs. They spoke with hip-hop legends, music producers, politicians and more to get to the root of Atlanta hip-hop’s influence throughout the world. Interviewees include Jermaine Dupri, Goodie Mob, Jeezy, Raphael Warnock and Andre Dickens.
The directors of “The South Got Something to Say”, Ryon and Tyson Horne, spoke with Rough Draft Atlanta before the premiere. “The inception [of “The South Got Something to Say”] was it being the 50th year of hip hop anniversary. Andrew [Morse], the new publisher … he had just made a mention of, maybe we should do a story on DJ Kool Herc, who has been attributed as being one of the founding fathers of hip hop.”
“We were like, okay that’s cool, because he’s from New York, and we’re actually from New Jersey. But then we said, no. We’re in Atlanta,” Tyson said. “We’ve been here for a long time now, and Atlanta has been very instrumental in the music industry and in everything else. So we were like, maybe we should do it from the Atlanta perspective.”
The documentary also had a lot of focus on women that made an impact on hip-hop and that paved the way. The film includes various women hip-hop artists such as Baby Tate and Kaliii. Along with the documentary, the film’s webpage contains an article that highlights female rappers who have made a great contribution to the industry. Women such as Cindy Campbell, City Girls, Megan Thee Stallion, Rasheeda Frost and Silk Tymes Leather were all mentioned.
When asked by Rough Draft Atlanta about the women who paved the way in the industry getting the credit they deserved, Tyson said, “Our co-writer, DeAsia Paige, when she came on board, that was one of the things that she brought to the table as far as just making sure [there was an] emphasis on, a spotlight on female artists in the industry, on the mic and in the executive rooms.”
For more information about the documentary and the hip-hop scene in Atlanta, visit https://www.ajc.com/hiphop/. The website includes the documentary, featured articles about the significance of hip-hop and a timeline of Atlanta hip-hop milestones.
