Real recognize real. When it comes to the debate over who built trap music, T.I. has always said the foundation was laid right here in Atlanta — and he is giving credit where it is due, naming Gucci Mane and the late Shawty Lo as pioneers of the sound that is now running the whole music industry. FreddyO was there as Tip broke it all down.
Tip speaks from experience. With albums like Trap Muzik, Urban Legend and King, his Bankhead story helped carry the trap from the streets of Atlanta to the top of the charts. But as he explains in the clip, he was never the only one putting in work — Gucci was building the East Atlanta side of the movement with his own run of tapes and street anthems at the very same time, and the two of them pushed each other and the city forward.
Shawty Lo’s name still rings bells in this city. As the voice of D4L and the man behind “Dey Know,” the Bowen Homes rapper gave Bankhead a soundtrack and put his neighborhood on the map long before trap became a household word. Since his passing in 2016, the love for Lo in Atlanta has only grown, and Tip makes sure the world does not forget what he contributed to the culture and to the Westside that raised them both.
Hearing one Atlanta legend salute two others is what the culture is all about. Press play, hear it from T.I. himself, and then tell us — when you think about the pioneers of trap music, whose names have to be on that list?
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