8 times Atlanta intersected with the real music world
As the FX series bows out this week, let's look back on the show's most memorable collisions with hip-hop culture
There have been several shows about the music industry, from period biopics about specific subcultures to flashy soaps that focus on the drama of the business side. The FX series Atlanta—which premiered in 2016 and quickly became the most hilarious, incisive contribution to Black TV of the past decade—shows the organic come-up of local rapper Paper Boi (Brian Tyree Henry), aided by his determined manager and terminally broke cousin Earn (Donald Glover). Created by the Community actor and Childish Gambino rapper, Atlanta serves as both a love letter to southern rap and a magnifying glass pointed toward the mechanics of the culture, digging into how artists, fans, and the industries that interact with both keep the rap game going. Fans and critics have praised the show for its authenticity, thanks in part to the several real-life artists who’ve contributed to the show and even appeared in cameos throughout its six-year run. With the November 10 series finale around the corner, here, in chronological order, are eight times that Atlanta brought the real-life players in the rap industry to the small screen.
