Atlanta is many things to many people. Musically, the A has given us everything from iggety-underaged rappers with their clothes worn backwards to hard-ass trap music, mindless stripper jams, and all kinds of experimental shit in between. On Killer Mike’s latest project, the double-disc album Underground Atlanta, that releases today, the Grand Hustle rapper brings artists from all sub-genres together to showcase the full range of talent in his hometown. Complex caught up with the big homie to get his thoughts on 10 new and emerging Atlanta artists that you should be up on. Most of them are on his album, so cop that and see what the hell he’s talking about!

GRIP PLYAZ
Killer Mike says: He is a skinny jean wearin’, Vans shoe rockin’, Basic cigarette smokin’, different type of dude. He’s not a hipster, he’ll tell you he’s not a hipster, he’s just hip to shit and he lives in his own world. His style is kinda awkward and nerdy and still dirty and street at the same time, like a hipster with the same street savoir-faire and dare I say swag of a Sean P from the YoungBloodZ.
Key tracks: “Fuck Dat Hipster Shit”
Myspace: www.myspace.com/cumgitslum

———————————————————————————————————————————————————–

YUNG RALPH
Killer Mike says: He calls himself the Jugg Man, which has trap rapper implications, but he really has an everyman worker’s voice that’s inspiring. “I Work Hard” best exemplifies that. Everybody talks about robbin’, stealin’, killin’, ballin’, rappin’, trappin’, and snappin’, but nobody’s talkin’ about working hard and enjoying the very simple parts of your life that everybody can relate to. I can listen to Ralph with the young men I mentor because his message, albeit street, is less about “I serve this much work” than “I work,” even if it is servin’ work.
Key tracks: “I Work Hard”; “Oh Yeah”
Myspace: www.myspace.com/yungralph

———————————————————————————————————————————————————–

RICH KIDS
Killer Mike says: They’re what Atlanta classically was, ABC and Kriss Kross, but these kids are a lot more neighborhood and a lot less suburban. Their music is jookin’. They’re doin’ music that feels sonically like it’s for the skating rink and middle school girls—my own daughter is crazy about ‘em—but the subject matter is edgier and it’s hood. It’s got that accessible pop element without sellin’ out. They just make hood pop for everybody. And they put on a good show. Everything about them is just right.
Key tracks: “Wasup”; “Partna Dem”
Myspace: www.myspace.com/richkidspartnadem

———————————————————————————————————————————————————–

PRYNCE CY HI
Killer Mike says: It’s dope ’cause most people try to tell you how G they are, but he really speaks on his trappin’ experience very matter of factly. You can tell there’s a level of thought to his stuff, and lyrically, he’s solid. He does some harmonies in his hook, and dare I say his hooks are as passionate as DMX, but just not with the aggression. His stuff has the realism of blues music.
Key tracks: “Can’t Go Outside”; “Sweet Georgia”
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/dapryncehoodlum

———————————————————————————————————————————————————–

TRAVIS PORTER
Killer Mike says: They make comparable music, in terms of the way it feels, to the Rich Kids, but they’re wilder. By behavior, by dress, and by overall zaniness, they feel like something out of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off mixed with early Blink-182 mixed with the Beastie Boys, like they just wanna party, have fun, hang with as many girls as they possibly can. I would advise people to go check them out on Youtube and just watch ’em. The music that they make, it’s irreverent, it’s funny, it’s thoughtless, and it’s jammin’. It’s like having three Fresh Princes in a group except they got the Carlton Polo swag down.
Key tracks: “Freaky Girls”
Myspace: www.myspace.com/whoistravisporter

———————————————————————————————————————————————————–

BOBBY CREEKWATER
Killer Mike says: Not only is he an incredible MC, he’s a dope-ass beat-maker. To me, he could be an Andre 3000 had Dre rode all the way through with Southernplayalistic, staying ingrained in the street culture of hip-hop, and where that would’ve taken him. Creekwater brings that amount of skill and thoughtfulness to street subjects. He don’t just talk about the trap, he talks about the social and mental dilemmas, over his beats that are jammin’. He has an amazing voice also.
Key tracks: Anthem to the Streets (Mike wants you download the whole damn mixtape!)
Myspace: www.myspace.com/bobbycreekwater

———————————————————————————————————————————————————–

PILL
Killer Mike says: Pill is like a machine gun on tracks. He’s just amazing with his lyrical dexterity, being able to tackle subject matter. He’s a true student of rap and a real star in a neat little package with dreadlocks and a Newport hangin’ out his mouth. I knew he was amazing when I first heard him at 17 years old and he’s been riding with Grind Time ever since.
Key tracks: “Trap Goin’ Ham”; “Back Outside”
Myspace: www.myspace.com/gangstapill

———————————————————————————————————————————————————–

SL JONES
Killer Mike says: He’s from Little Rock, Arkansas but he’s been in Atlanta for years. If you could imagine someone who has the subject matter of a west coast gang lifestyle, the harmony and the ability to use melody like a Drake or a Dre 3000, and the lyrical ability of a Fabolous, if you marry all that together, you still would only have 50% of how good Jones is. Get the C.O.L.O.R.S. mixtape and see for yourself.
Key tracks: “Sags and Flags”; “Mind Blowin”
Myspace: www.myspace.com/sljonesy

———————————————————————————————————————————————————–

YELAWOLF
Killer Mike says: He’s a white kid from Alabama that’s up here on the Atlanta scene. He’s a hybrid of the Dungeon Family and Lynyrd Skynyrd—and there is nothing more southern than those two experiences. This kid is truly what a country musician is—not country music, but an artist from the country. They have to the ability to come to places, affect themselves, take those experiences, reinterpret them, and put them back out into the world as beautiful art. There are a lot of great live performers here and he’s one of the best I’ve seen. He doesn’t miss a beat, controlling the chaos of his shows. He’s dope as shit.
Key tracks: “Kickin’”; “Come On Over”
Myspace: www.myspace.com/yelawolf

———————————————————————————————————————————————————–

BIG KUNTRY KING
Killer Mike says: He’s from P$C, that big nigga with the good hair he don’t deserve. Big Kuntry got heat, I can’t even bullshit you. Being over at Grand Hustle, I probably done learned more about how to make a club jam watching him than from hangin’ around clubs for a year straight. He has his finger directly on the pulse of the clubs in Atlanta. When you hear “I Do,” you got a fifth of tequila and the prettiest girl in the club, and you rockin’.
Key tracks: “I Do”; “I’mma Fool Wit It”
Myspace: www.myspace.com/bigkuntryking

Tune in to Complex.com every morning at 8 AM for your daily “Wake N’ Watch” video.

Killer Mike isn’t from Bankhead, but he reps Adamsville, another area on the Westside. On his new joint “2 Sides,” the former OutKast affiliate turns Lo’s memorable line into an anthem for the entire A, calling out folks for falsely claiming the Eastside, Southside and Northside as well. With Atlanta going through a boom lately, attracting out of towners from all over, keeping sight of the real ATL seems more important than ever. This joint is rumored to be on Mike’s upcoming album I Pledge Allegience To The Grind II. Listen after the jump.

Killer Mike f/ Shawty Lo “2 Sides”

from I Pledge Allegience To The Grind II

Related: Shawty Lo’s “Dunn Dunn/Foolish” Video

[REZIDUE]