When Atlanta native Andre 3000 stepped onstage at the 1996 Hip Hop Source Awards, it was obvious that the crowd didn’t consider him and fellow Outkast member Big Boi worthy recipients of the “Best New Artists” award they were there to accept. In the midst of the current  east coast, west coast calamity, Andre 3000 murmured one of the most memorable statements known to the hip hop community to this day: “The south got something to say!” 

Those simple words sparked the beginning of a musical revolution that was rooted in the south. Almost instantaneously, Atlanta became a hip-hop haven. Still to this day, many consider it the music mecca.

Back in 2004, Georgia native Jabari Graham had an idea to showcase art and music in a setting that would draw a younger, more urban audience. He realized a city known for breaking molds in music should have been producing events like this for years now.