Nicknames of Atlanta

Last updated

"Chicago of the South" Chicago of the South.JPG
"Chicago of the South"
"Convention City of Dixie Land" Atlanta Convention Bureau Ad 1917.JPG
"Convention City of Dixie Land"

An 1859 industrial journal was among the first to note nicknames for Atlanta, Georgia: [1]

Contents

An orator claimed for it the signification of "a city among the hills" while a writer has declared that it was the opposite of "rus in urbe" ("country in the city") and proclaimed it "'the city in the woods".

Since then, the city has known numerous nicknames. As of the 2010s, ATL, and The A are the most prevalent.

Atlanta nicknames

Nicknames of other Atlanta areas

SWATS

SWATS, The S.W.A.T.S. or S.W.A.T.S. ("Southwest Atlanta, too strong") [44] [45] is, in street, hip-hop, or local contexts, Southwest Atlanta, plus territory extending into the adjacent cities of College Park and East Point.[ citation needed ] The term "SWATS" came into vogue around 1996[ citation needed ] and was initially made popular by LaFace Records groups OutKast and Goodie Mob. [46] [47] This was the same time that "ATL" became popular as a nickname for Atlanta as a whole. [48]

SWATS in Lyrics

The OutKast song "Peaches (Intro)" states: "For ... the SWATS ... Cause it ain't nuttin but King Shit, all day, err'day". [46] Another Outkast song, "Ova da Wudz" states "put the SWATS, SWATS on your car."

Goodie Mob song "I Refuse Limitation" states "SWATS G.A. by way of Cascade Heights", while their song "Goodie Bag" states "Cause in da SWAT's red hots don't drip or bleed", and in "All A's", Cee Lo Green's chorus states "But don't you dare ride through the SWATS without, at least 30 shots". [47]

Erick Sermon rapped "I'm in New York now but I represent the SWATS and A-Town.", in his song "Future Thug" from his sixth solo album 'Chilltown, New York' in 2004.[ citation needed ]

Media and artists named after SWATS

S.W.A.T.S. is the name of a 2010 web television series by Golden Street Entertainment taking place in Southwest Atlanta. [45]

S.W.A.T.S. is the name of a song by rap group 9.17 on the album Southern Empire released by Motown in 2001. [49]

Young Ju King of da SWATS is an artist featured on ReverbNation. [50]

Also referenced as location of "Gina's Beauty Shop" in the movie with Queen Latifah.

Nawf Atlanta

Nawf Atlanta, or Nawfside is, a term popularized by rap trio Migos in reference to their place of origin Gwinnett County, primarily the central portion which is located north of the city of Atlanta via Interstate 85. [51]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlanta</span> Capital city of Georgia, United States

Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, and a portion of the city extends into neighboring DeKalb County. With a population of 510,823 living within the city limits, Atlanta is the eighth most populous city in the Southeast and 38th most populous city in the United States according to the 2020 U.S. census. It is the core of the much larger Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to more than 6.3 million people, making it the sixth-largest U.S. metropolitan area. Situated among the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains at an elevation of just over 1,000 feet (300 m) above sea level, Atlanta features unique topography that includes rolling hills, lush greenery, and the densest urban tree coverage of any major city in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport</span> Airport serving Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the primary international airport serving Atlanta and its surrounding metropolitan area, in the U.S. state of Georgia. The airport is located 10 miles south of the Downtown Atlanta district. It is named after former Atlanta mayors William B. Hartsfield and Maynard Jackson. The airport covers 4,700 acres of land and has five parallel runways which are aligned in an east-west direction. There are three runways that are 9,000 feet (2,743 m) long, one runway that is 10,000 feet (3,048 m) long, and the longest runway at ATL measures 12,390 feet (3,776 m) long, which can handle the Airbus A380. Since 1998, Hartsfield-Jackson has been the world's busiest airport by passenger traffic. In 2023, the airport served over 104.6 million passengers, the most of any airport in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">State Farm Arena</span> Arena located in Atlanta, Georgia

State Farm Arena is a multi-purpose arena located in Atlanta, Georgia. The arena serves as the home venue for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It also served as home to the Atlanta Thrashers of the National Hockey League from 1999 to 2011, before the team moved to Winnipeg, as well as the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) from 2008 to 2016 and 2019, and the temporary home of Georgia Tech basketball in 2011. It opened in 1999 as Philips Arena at a cost of $213.5 million, replacing the Omni Coliseum. It is owned by the Atlanta Fulton County Recreation Authority and operated by the Hawks, owned by Tony Ressler along with a group of investors including Grant Hill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lil Jon</span> American rapper and record producer (born 1972)

Jonathan H. Smith, better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American rapper and record producer. He was instrumental in the commercial breakthrough of the hip hop subgenre crunk in the early 2000s and is often credited as a progenitor of the genre. He was the frontman of the crunk group Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz, with whom he has released five albums. In addition, Lil Jon served as a producer for most recordings by artists of whom popularized the genre; these include Pitbull, Too Short, E-40, Ludacris, Ciara, and Usher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">T.I.</span> American rapper (born 1980)

Clifford Joseph Harris Jr., better known by the stage names T.I. and Tip, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Harris is known as one of the pioneers of the hip hop subgenre trap music, along with fellow Atlanta-based rappers Jeezy and Gucci Mane. He first became aquainted with local music executive Kawan "KP" Prather, and joined his company Ghet-O-Vision Entertainment by the late 1990s. He was led to sign his first major-label record deal in 1999 with its parent company LaFace Records, an imprint of Arista Records. His debut studio album, I'm Serious (2001) was met with lukewarm commercial reception and became his only release with the label. He then signed with Atlantic Records, where he soon reached his mainstream breakthrough and co-founded his own label imprint, Grand Hustle Records by 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demographics of Atlanta</span>

Atlanta is the capital and largest city in the state of Georgia. Atlanta ranks as the 38th-largest in the United States, and the eighth-largest city in the southeastern region. 2020 census results varied dramatically with previous Census Bureau estimates, counting a record 498,715 residents. Atlanta is the core city of the eighth most populous United States metropolitan area at 6,104,803, with a combined statistical area of 6,930,423. For the first time since the 1960 Census, the 2020 Census revealed Atlanta is no longer majority African American. Atlanta has strongly increased in diversity in recent decades and is projected to continue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">African Americans in Atlanta</span> African Americans living in Atlanta, USA

Black Atlantans form a major population group in the Atlanta metropolitan area, encompassing both those of African-American ancestry as well as those of recent Caribbean or African origin. Atlanta has long been known as a center of black entrepreneurship, higher education, political power and culture; a cradle of the Civil Rights Movement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ludwig Göransson</span> Swedish composer (born 1984)

Ludwig Emil Tomas Göransson is a Swedish composer, conductor, songwriter, and record producer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black mecca</span> Colloquialism for a location featuring high or potential Black economic prosperity

A black mecca, in the United States, is a city to which African Americans, particularly singles, professionals, and middle-class families, are drawn to live, due to some or all of the following factors:

Atlanta Black Pride started in 1996 and is one of two officially recognized festivals for the African-American LGBT community. It is held in Atlanta each year at the end of August and beginning of September. Atlanta Black Pride is the largest black gay pride celebration in the world with an estimated 100,000 people annually in attendance. Atlanta Black Pride heavily contributes to the annual $65 million economic impact on Atlanta's economy during the city's eventful Labor Day weekend most recently organized by Traxx Girls Inc & Atlanta Black Pride Weekend LLC due to the administration dissolve of In The Life Atlanta.

SWATS, The S.W.A.T.S. or S.W.A.T.S. is, in street, hip-hop, or local contexts, Southwest Atlanta, plus territory extending into the adjacent cities of College Park and East Point. The term "SWATS" came into vogue around 1996 and was initially made popular by LaFace Records groups OutKast and Goodie Mob. This was the same time that "ATL" became popular as a nickname for Atlanta as a whole.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlanta United FC</span> American professional soccer team

Atlanta United FC is an American professional soccer club based in Atlanta. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London on da Track</span> American record producer (born 1991)

London Tyler Holmes, known professionally as London on da Track, is an American record producer, rapper, and songwriter. He is a frequent collaborator of fellow Atlanta rapper Young Thug and has also worked with Kodak Black, Nicki Minaj, Juice WRLD, Birdman, Lil Wayne, Lil Baby, Rich Homie Quan, Gucci Mane, Giggs, Drake, Post Malone, T.I., 21 Savage, 50 Cent, Sfera Ebbasta, Summer Walker, Roddy Ricch and Ariana Grande, among others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Killer Mike</span> American rapper (born 1975)

Michael Santiago Render, better known by his stage name Killer Mike, is an American rapper and activist. He made his recording debut on Outkast's fourth album Stankonia (2000), and later appeared on their Grammy Award-winning single "The Whole World" from their greatest hits album Big Boi and Dre Present... Outkast (2001). He signed with Big Boi's Purple Ribbon Records and Columbia Records to release his debut studio album Monster (2003), which received critical acclaim and peaked at number ten on the Billboard 200. He followed up with the independent albums I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind (2006) and I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind II (2008); he then signed with T.I.'s Grand Hustle to release his fourth album Pledge (2011), and later Williams Street Records to release his fifth album, R.A.P. Music (2012). His sixth album, Michael (2023) was met with continued acclaim and won three awards at 66th Annual Grammy Awards, including Best Rap Album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russ (rapper)</span> American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer

Russell James Vitale, known mononymously as Russ, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. After eleven self-released albums, Vitale signed with Columbia Records to release his twelfth studio album, There's Really a Wolf (2017). Met with critical and commercial success, the album received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and spawned his first Billboard Hot 100 entries—"What They Want" and "Losin Control." His thirteenth and fourteenth albums, Zoo (2018) and Shake the Snow Globe (2020) both peaked at number four on the US Billboard 200; the latter spawned his highest-charting single, "Best on Earth". Outside of his solo career, he is part the Atlanta-based hip hop collective Diemon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trouble (rapper)</span> American rapper (1987–2022)

Mariel Semonte Orr, known professionally as Trouble, was an American rapper from Atlanta, Georgia. He released eight independent mixtapes until receiving recognition for his guest appearance alongside Migos on YFN Lucci's 2016 single "Key to the Streets," which received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The following year, he signed with Mike Will Made It's EarDrummer Records, an imprint of Interscope Records to release his debut studio album Edgewood (2018), which entered the Billboard 200 and was supported by the single "Bring It Back". In 2020, he entered a joint venture with Def Jam Recordings to release his second album, Thug Luv in April of that year, which failed to chart. He was shot and killed on June 5, 2022 during a home invasion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King Von</span> American rapper (1994–2020)

Dayvon Daquan Bennett, known professionally as King Von, was an American rapper and gangster from Chicago, Illinois, that was affiliated with the Black Disciples gang. He is widely considered one of the most preeminent figures of the drill genre.

Tobechukwu Dubem "Tobe" Nwigwe is an American rapper, singer and actor.

The soundtrack for the 2022 American superhero film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the sequel to Black Panther (2018) based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, is produced by Marvel Studios and consists of an original score composed and produced by Ludwig Göransson. He has worked as the composer for Ryan Coogler's previous films. Göransson, who confirmed his involvement in the film in September 2021, also produced and curated most of the original songs for the album.

References

  1. Bow, James Dunwoody Brownson De; Burwell, William MacCreary (1859). DeBow's Review. J.D.B. De Bow. p.  464 . Retrieved October 15, 2017 via Internet Archive.
  2. "Only in the A". OnllyInTheA.com. Archived from the original on May 1, 2019. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  3. "The Indispensable A". TheIndispensableA.com. July 23, 2019. Archived from the original on July 23, 2019. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  4. "Aboutn". StraightFromTheA.com. August 19, 2007. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  5. ""Because we're the only city easily identified by just one letter"". Clatl.com. November 23, 2011. Archived from the original on November 26, 2011. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  6. "Love it or loathe it, the city's nickname is accurate for the summer". Atlanta Journal-Constitution . June 16, 2008. p. C1.
  7. U.S. City Monikers, Tagline Guru website, accessed January 5, 2008
  8. "Tyler Perry Studios, the house 'Madea' built, becomes a landmark for black Hollywood". Los Angeles Times . October 2, 2019. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  9. Lisa Respers France (November 20, 2019). "Tyler Perry Studios reshapes Hollywood from Atlanta". News4jax.com. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  10. Severson, Kim (November 26, 2011). "Stars Flock to Atlanta, Reshaping a Center of Black Culture". The New York Times . Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  11. "IS ATLANTA BLACK HOLLYWOOD?". Luxekurves.com. Archived from the original on June 14, 2021. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  12. "Atlanta the new mecca for black gays". Advocate.com. August 16, 2005. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  13. "'Got Something To Say:' How ATL Became the Black Gay Mecca". Cassiuslife.com. June 8, 2018. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  14. "Black, Lesbian And Muslim In The South". Wunc.org. August 22, 2014. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  15. "A CHAMPION FOR ATLANTA: Maynard Jackson: 'Black mecca' burgeoned under leader", Atlanta Journal-Constitution, June 29, 2003.
  16. "the city that calls itself America's ' Black Mecca'"; in William Booth, "Atlanta Is Less Than Festive on Eve of Another 'Freaknik'", Washington Post, April 18, 1996.
  17. "'The Black Mecca' leads the nation in numbers of African American millionaires; at the same time, it leads the nation in the percentage of its children in poverty"; in Robert D. Bullard, The Black Metropolis in the Twenty-first Century: Race, Power, and Politics, Rowman & Littlefield, 2007, p. 151.
  18. "The new south: all roads lead to Atlanta, Georgia, city of black power". the Guardian. February 25, 2016. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
  19. EndPlay (July 22, 2011). "Atlanta May No Longer Be 'The City In A Forest'". WSB-TV. Archived from the original on October 28, 2014. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  20. Snyder, Karen K. (2007), Frommer's Atlanta, page 3
  21. 1 2 "The Democrats Atlanta: A City of Changing Slogans - TIME". October 18, 2007. Archived from the original on October 18, 2007. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  22. ""Could 'Empire City of the South' play host to 2024 summer games", s". 11Alive.com. Retrieved October 15, 2017.[ permanent dead link ]
  23. McManus, John (January 11, 2016). "Taylor Morrison, Acadia Deal: What it Means". Builder. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
  24. "Florida city America's sex capital?". Fort Myers, Florida: WBBH. July 18, 2012. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
  25. "How Atlanta became the Hollywood of the South". The Washington Times . August 29, 2015. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
  26. "Atlanta: The Gay Capital of the South". Nostraightnews.com. July 15, 2020. Archived from the original on September 17, 2021. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  27. "Atlanta still LGBTQ capital of South, but Census reveals decline in households". SaportaReport.com. October 13, 2019. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  28. "Gay Atlanta : The Essential LGBT Travel Guide". Queerintheworld.com. November 15, 2019. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  29. King, Michael (July 3, 2018). "Atlanta named 'Running City USA' because of AJC Peachtree Road Race". WXIA-TV . Retrieved November 24, 2018.
  30. "'Silicon Peach': Atlanta surging up lists of top startup cities". Bizjournals.com. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  31. Harriot, Michael (February 19, 2019). "Atlanta Is the Real Wakanda". The Root. Retrieved April 7, 2019.
  32. Stafford, Leon (February 18, 2018). "'Black Panther': Five things to know about the movie's ties to metro Atlanta". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved April 7, 2019.
  33. Breihan, Tom (January 18, 2019). "Watch Killer Mike Talk Trigger Warning, Starting His Own Religion, & Why Atlanta Is Wakanda On Colbert". Stereogum. Retrieved April 7, 2019. I'm a black kid that grew up in Atlanta. In Atlanta, everything is possible for black kids, right? So I never really had a box to keep me in my imagination… …because Atlanta is Wakanda, for real.
  34. ""Our Quiz Column", Sunny South, p.5". Archived from the original on December 18, 2014. Retrieved January 8, 2012.
  35. Rebecca Burns (2009), Rage in the Gate City: The Story of the 1906 Atlanta Race Riot , University of Georgia Press, ISBN   0-8203-3307-7.
  36. Sources documented on Barry Popik's Big Apple blog:
    • 5 October 1872, Appletons' Journal of Literature, Science and Art, pg. 376: "Marvellous tales are told of this antique period in the history of the present 'New York of the South,' concerning acres upon acres of land, near the heart of the city, selling for fifty cents per acre, but which now are worth a snug little fortune. Such was Atlanta less than three decades ago."
    • 17 June 1879, Daily Constitution (Atlanta, GA), pg. 4: "...the future New York of the south,France of Britain- as it was predicted at the opening of the Port Royal railroad in 1873."
    • The Mother Of Continental Parliaments
    • 6 July 1881, The New York Times, pg. 4: "The New-Orleans Democrat says that that city is the New-York of the South, and yet has no public library."
    • 29 January 1884, Atlanta Constitution, pg. 4: "The New York of the South. From the New York Tribune: THE ATLANTA CONSTITUTION draws a sad picture of its environment. "Within one hundred yards of the officer," is its plaintive mean, "wagons are literally up to the hub in mud. Part of Ellis street, in a quarter mile of the depot, is literally impassable." Assuming that our contemporary's account of these wagons and this streets is literally correct, it looks as if Atlanta was likely to be known as the New York of the south."
    • 12 November 1891, Atlanta Constitution, pg. 4: "Atlanta is a grand city. It is the New York of the south, and henceforth it can get the finest attractions produced, for its patronage is sufficient to make the very best and most expensive show a financial success."
    • 21 October 1892, Atlanta Constitution, pg. 5: "Work will cease altogether and the New York of the south will pay honor to the brave navigator, who in spite of the hardships he had to endure, pointed out a new land to the ignorant people of the time."
    • 19 January 1895, Atlanta Constitution, pg. 4: "Cedartown Standard: Atlanta aspires to be the New York of the south - in fact, she is, and so it is perfectly natural that she should follow New York in having the big police scandal and investigation that is now on hand
  37. Underwriters, National Association of Life (October 15, 1893). "Proceedings of the Annual Convention" . Retrieved October 15, 2017 via Google Books.
  38. Cooper, William J. Jr.; Terrill, Thomas E. (January 16, 2009). The American South: A History. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. ISBN   9780742564503 . Retrieved October 15, 2017 via Google Books.
  39. Still, Bayrd (October 15, 1974). Urban America: a history with documents . Little, Brown. Retrieved October 15, 2017 via Internet Archive. chicago of the south.
  40. History Archived 2011-12-27 at the Wayback Machine , on City of Atlanta website
  41. Ron French, Atlanta: Black-white gap shrinks, The Detroit News, January 28, 2002
  42. "Whatever Happened to Georgia's Downtown Hotels?", Georgia History Today
  43. International, Rotary (June 1, 1916). "The Rotarian". Rotary International. Retrieved October 15, 2017 via Google Books.
  44. Group, Vibe Media (July 22, 1998). "Vibe". Vibe Media Group. Retrieved November 22, 2021 via Google Books.
  45. 1 2 "SWATSATLTV" . Retrieved October 15, 2017 via YouTube.
  46. 1 2 "Lyrics Mania". Lyricsmania.com. Archived from the original on January 28, 2013. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  47. 1 2 "The Original Hip-Hop (Rap) Lyrics Archive". ohhla.com. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  48. Hess, Mickey (November 22, 2009). Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide. ABC-CLIO. ISBN   9780313343216 . Retrieved November 22, 2021 via Google Books.
  49. "Southern Empire". Rhapsody.com. April 24, 2001. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  50. "Young Ju Prince of da SWATS" on ReverbNation
  51. "How Migos Claimed Atlanta's Northside For The Trap". Uproxx.com. February 8, 2018. Retrieved March 31, 2018.