The ATL Report December 2006

THE ATL REPORT
December 2006
By Kandis Knight

Welcome to the second installment of the ATL Report! Of course, this month’s ATL Report is all about The Bet Hip-Hop Awards! Leading up to the BET Hip-Hop Awards weekend here in Atlanta, was crazy! One could not ignore the energy and excitement, Atlanta was fueled by star power!

However, there were mixed opinions about the way everything went down. Some Atlanta power players were really pissed off that a lot of organizations and Atlanta based media outlets were not invited to the event. Many people said VH1 Hip-Hop Honors kept it more “real”. Hopefully next year BET will step up their game.

My week started with the honor of interviewing the Godmother of Soul, Ms. Patti LaBelle. The grand diva said some poignant and timely things. I will save the political commentary for last. Ms. LaBelle gave a big thumbs up to Ms. Beyonce’ Knowles. LaBelle had a lot to say about Beyonce’ and why she believes Beyonce’ has a right to claim the title “The Hottest Chick in The Game”.



Ms. LaBelle went on to say, “Beyonce’ is a complete artist. She is a performer who truly can perform.” The Godmother of Soul said a lot of females in the industry right now can barely sing so when someone like Beyonce’ comes along who can sing, dance and perform she is definitely going to take over. Case in point. Basically, Patti is tellin’ B’s haters to step to the left, to the left!!!!!



Another interesting point Ms. LaBelle touched upon was how legends like herself, Aretha Franklin, and Gladys Knight never had to take their clothes off to sell records. She challenged young “up and coming” female artists to let their real talent be the focus.

On the political tip, Ms. LaBelle talked about the need for Barak Obama to run for office. Going on the record saying she will personally support him or someone just “like him” who is passionate about the plight of the common people.



One of my favorite female artists has always has been Lil’ Moe. I love her voice and the way she cradles her notes. Naturally I was ecstatic when Lil’ Moe agreed to an on the spot interview that lasted over 30 minutes. Lil’ Moe talked about the double standards that exist in the hip-hop industry. She talked about how record labels can really mess things up for an artist. Lil’ Moe is passionate and promised she will be coming back stronger than ever. Her energy confirmed this, she is on a mission. Wait until you hear who she has been working with!

Finally….the icing on top of my cake, was found on the top of the Buckhead Intercontinental hotel in the suite of one of hip-hop’s beloved. Of course I am talking about the Diamond Princess, Miss Trina. She is so cool to hang out with! My girl, Isis (Word On Tha Streetz Magazine), is literally the word on the streets down here in da A. Isis knows people! The interviews will be running soon.











Here in Atlanta there are several DJ cliques who get mad love and respect. One of these cliques are The Hittmenn DJs. Leading up to the BET Hip-Hop Awards, the Hittmenn Djs threw the massive Powerball Mansion Party/Kaspa’s Birthday. Yung Joc, Khao (Grand Hustle), Nephu, and Young Capone were a few of the celebrity guests. It was a packed house and we partied hard. There was an open bar and all the food you could ever want. Of course the ladies were looking fly! There were beautiful models everywhere dressed in the most ornate outfits you can imagine. This was definitely a thumbs up event!













The BET Awards were also an amazing spectacle. Did you see the DJ Unk performance of “Walk It Out”? Definitely one of my favorite personal highlights! The Monday following the BET Awards the treats did not show any sign of letting up. I got up early phone call and the next thing I know I was as the Grand Hustle Offices gearing up to go to the T.I./Grand Hustle FREE Concert at ATL’s Underground. There were thousands of fans and Grand Hustle rocked the city literally shutting down traffic for hours!!!!

Following the Free T.I. Concert, we drove to a recording studio in remote Atlanta where we met up with BET Access Granted, Jim Jones, Juelz Santana, T.I., Young Dro, and the entire Grand Hustle Family for the shooting of the Jim Jones “Ballin” Remix Video. This track is on fire!! Cuz we BALLIN’!

Wrapping up the entire week up was the Tupac Cd Release party at The NEW Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts in Stone Mountain, GA. This was a bitter sweet event of course. I fought back tears on several occasions just thinking about how much Pac’s music meant to me personally. I was honored to interview Tupac’s uncle, Shorty B. This man is one of the best authorities around to give the real scoop on Tupac, the man, the legend. Much love to Ms. Afeni Shakur for birthing Tupac into this world twice, once biologically and now through the vision of his arts center. There is a rumor that a recording facility will be added on soon so young musicians can be trained. Beautiful.

Before November ended, I had a chance to slip in one more exclusive event. The Lil’ Scrappy CD Release party. Scrappy’s party was off the chain and his new album is full of twists and turns and some bangers! The liquor was free, next time you are at a bar…..order a Crunk Bomb. We had them all night long! (Crunk Juice mixed with Patron).

There was so much star power in the city leading up to the BET Hip-Hop Awards that even the Atlanta Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce is stepping up its entertainment committee efforts. I am serving on the Fulton County lead group and if you want to play an instrumental role in shaping the entertainment industry here in Atlanta, please reach out to me. There are opportunities galore! I’d love to welcome you to the family.