When I think about Atlanta, I think about the cultural movement of the early 2000s. In music, a movement represents a total paradigm shift where multiple artists are working together, collaborating, and hat tipping each other until the sum of the whole is worth more than individual parts. That’s when you have a “scene.”In that era, the South dominated mainstream music, upending previous hip-hop regimes from New York and Los Angeles. Atlanta became the turn-of-the-century epicenter, with artists like Lil Jon, Ying Yang Twins, Usher, Ludacris, Dem Franchize Boys, T.I. The Rubberband Man, Goodie Mob, and CeeLo Green dominating the airwaves and defining the sound. In 2003, OutKast's double album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below sold 13 millions copies in the U.S., making it the best-selling rap album of all time and completely changing music as we know it. On November 8, Outkast will reunite on stage for the first time in nearly a decade to receive their honor at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Will it be their last joint appearance? Lord, I hope not. Donald Glover’s introduction is certain to have everyone’s attention and is one of the most anticipated components of the ceremony this year.Since the early 2000s, many more stars have taken the sound and run with it. From Gucci Mane to Young Jeezy, 2 Chainz to 21 Savage; Future to Lil Yachty; Lil Baby to Young Thug; and Ciara to Latto and now Playboi Carti, tons of talents have shown that this city is not to be trifled with.Lil Jon, for his part, has had an unbelievable second rise as a leader in health and wellness. His meditation album is the real deal. Ludadcris can’t be stopped, locking in movie roles and still putting out awesome music. Usher remained at the top of his game on his recent record, killed his Super Bowl performance in 2024, and made waves with his highly coveted Vegas residency.Then there’s Jermaine Dupri, rated by Billboard in August as the Hip-Hop and R&B Producer of the century. Sure, Babyface (also out of Atlanta) might have him beat in the R&B category—and Dr. Dre might be the ultimate Hip-Hop Producer of their era—but as far as multi-hyphenates go, Billboard got that one right! JD produced for Mariah Carey, Usher, and Janet Jackson while developing artists (Lil Bow Wow, Da Brat, Kriss Kross) from scratch and helping them break through. He designed his track "Welcome To Atlanta” to be the anthem for his city and gave Atlanta’s night life a calling card.I sat down with Jermaine Dupri on the main stage of Brandweek this week. Brandweek is a massive gathering of brand marketers that is organized by influential advertising industry media publication Adweek. Brandweek always brings together the biggest and most creative brand marketers in the game.I believe that every brand needs to think like an artist, and the Southern rap movement of the early 2000s is a good example of how working together in a scene can create something powerful. This phenomena can be emulated in brand marketing.Dupri had so many amazing insights and stories. He’s seen it all, been mentored by the best, and delivers every time, whether for a Boost Mobile commercial or when he’s helping launch the next big artist in youth culture. After all of the hits, he remains extremely focused on making novel ideas come to life. He’s a free thinker with a big personality and a lot of talent, and he was the perfect booking for Brandweek this year. If a city could have an executive producer, Jermaine Dupri would be Atlanta’s.Brand’lanta was the perfect place to hold this year’s big mashup of brands and artists. It’s home to Delta Air Lines, The Coca-Cola Company (which had some amazing things to say about the relaunch of Sprite’s “Obey Your Thirst” campaign), Atmos, the CEO of AG1, Tyler Perry Studios, Chick-fil-A, the Cartoon Network, and many more. Where the Atlanta music and brand scene is going next is really exciting. For one, Brandweek announced it’s coming back to Atlanta next year, which gives this event some continuity and momentum heading into 2026. And musically, it’s still an explosive place. I found some great new music out of here and you can see there is a new generation of stars coming out of the region.Check out these young acts that are bubbling up (and really freaking good!)
Odeal | Spotify (UK act signed to LVRN out of ATL)
Mariah the Scientist | Spotify
Belly Dad Kushington | his Friend Do Remix slaps!
BEATS
Jeezy Sets Guinness World Record With 101-Piece Orchestra in Vegas: ‘This One’s for the Books … Literally’Thought you’d seen it all? Not quite. Jeezy just proved that he’s always climbing to new heights after accomplishing something that’s never been done before, earning himself a place in the Guinness World Records. (Billboard)
Finneas on Creating a New Mnemonic Intro for Apple Originals — His Shortest Music Ever, but Possibly Soon to Be the Most UbiquitousIf brevity is the soul of a hit, Finneas may be about to have his biggest hit ever. Apple commissioned the multiple-Oscar/Grammy winner to write a theme so short that it’s not even being called a theme, but a “mnemonic” — the short series of sounds that will precede every Apple Original show and film going forward. (Variety)
Streaming Flattened Music. Gaming Makes It 3D.The Daft Punk Experience in Fortnite is a blueprint for turning music catalogs into immersive, participatory worlds that build lasting fandom. (Emily White)
Justin Bieber Has Started A New Venture — Becoming A Full Time Twitch Live StreamerWhen you ask a kid what they wanted to become when they were older a decade ago, the answer would have been an astronaut, lawyer, doctor, the next LeBron James, or maybe even Justin Bieber. Somewhere along the way that switched, and now I think in unanimous fashion you'd receive the answer of "livestreamer". (Barstool Sports)
Lily Allen's 'West End Girl' proves the scorched-earth breakup album is a smart PR moveAllen's new album, "West End Girl," clearly addresses a husband character on every track, detailing the dissolution of the narrator's marriage with brutal specificity. (Business Insider)
OpenAI Reportedly Developing AI Music Generator From PromptsOpenAI is reportedly developing an AI music-generation tool that turns text and audio prompts into full tracks. Early use cases include scoring videos and adding accompaniment to vocals. Multiple outlets also cite trial work with Juilliard students annotating scores to improve training data. (Hypebeast)
Check it out A$AP: Harlem’s Ferg curated this free UGG pop-up in the Meatpacking DistrictFrom Friday to Tuesday, visitors to the Feel House can wander through immersive rooms, customize old or new UGGs, enjoy complimentary coffee and pastries, and take in artwork from the Harlemite himself. (amNY)
Nike Remakes ‘I Love L.A.’ Commercial With Kendrick Lamar Diss Toward TorontoThe “City of Angels” took a new victory lap around “The 6ix.” The Los Angeles Dodgers withstood extra innings to beat the Toronto Blue Jays in the World Series — sparking responses from Luka Doncic, LeBron James and others. But L.A.’s most famous victory collector over Toronto Kendrick Lamar entered the picture too, via a newly remade Nike commercial. (Yahoo Sports)
How Latin Artists Are Reshaping the Global Music Charts Game—Convos with Kali Uchis, Daddy Yankee and Emilio & Gloria EstefanLatin music has evolved from a niche cultural genre into one of the most dominant powerhouse forces in the global music industry today. During Billboard Latin Music Week 2025 in Miami, industry leaders and Latin legends alike reflected on how the genre’s rapid ascent continues reshaping culture, technology, and the music business worldwide. (Digital Music News)
Announcing SPIN x Beats + Bytes: One Thing You Can Count On Is Music Being A Dynamic, Ever-Changing IndustryAs an indie you have to be crafty and stay on your toes. That’s part of the reason I was so attracted to SPIN. SPIN is an iconic music magazine that encapsulates the spirit of indie culture. The impresarios and indies are the lifeblood of the music business, and independent artists are on the rise again, eating more and more of the majors’ market share. SPIN embodies what is cool about music.
BYTES
Chance the Rapper and Dissect’s Cole Cuchna sit for an in-depth, track-by-track breakdown of Chance’s new album Star Line. We dig into the meaning behind the album’s title, the symbolism of its artwork, and the historical references woven throughout - from Marcus Garvey and the Black Star Line to the Wattstax documentary and beyond.
Go inside the creative process behind one of Billie Eilish’s most intimate songs. In this Mix with the Masters session, explore how Billie and Finneas built the track from the ground up, from early demo moments to final production layers.
Live music used to be a guessing game. Concert times were posted, but exactly when the headlining performers would take the stage — let alone leave it — was often unclear. Touring artists could be expected to showcase their latest albums, but finding out which older hits they might be dusting off required deep sleuthing. Identifying rarities or covers demanded specialized knowledge.
Inside the long, meticulous process to clear rights, lift a cappellas, and craft a ’90s-leaning statement that argues for L’s place among rap’s greatest. (Rolling Stone)
This week's newsletter was carefully curated by the Nue Agency staff and our editor Rachel Meisner. If you think we missed something this week or have any suggestions/comments for next week's newsletter, let us know!