Drake has crowned the city of Atlanta as "the most important place in rap music."
During the first of two shows at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, on Monday, Drizzy gave ATL its flowers for all the city has done for hip-hop culture in the last 20-plus years. According to Drake, the natives of Atlanta should revel in the honor of being the center of the hip-hop world.
"Where would any of us be without Atlanta," Drake said. "All the love that you show, all the musicians that you've birthed, all the contributions that you give. This is hands down the most important place in rap music. You should be very proud of yourselves."
He continued, "All the artists that I've done the greatest work with, all the artists that I love, all the artists that inspire me, the majority of them come from right here in Atlanta. So, y'all make some noise for yourselves tonight. We celebrating you."
Drake has an affinity for Atlanta as he's collaborated with several artists from the city, some he's very close with, including 21 Savage, Young Thug, and Future. He's also collaborated with the likes of Gunna, Lil Baby, Gucci Mane, Migos, and more.
Last June, Complex published an article ranking the top 10 cities in hip-hop right now, and the ATL took the top spot. Cities like Philadelphia, Chicago, New York, and Memphis made the cut, but none have had an effect like Atlanta.
In the past year alone, the city has produced No. 1 albums, including Gunna's DS4Ever and Lil Baby's It's Only Me. Notably, this year Latto garnered a Best New Artist Grammy nomination, her success a welcomed reprieve in the city's male-dominated rap history.
