Ever since Blind Willie McTell ambled into town in the 1920s and began crooning about “the Atlanta strut,” this city has been woven into the mythos of American music. Generations of artists have made their mark on Atlanta with sounds as diverse as the city itself.

For our music issue, we pay homage to a few of our local legends, all GOATs of their respective genres. Jermaine Dupri, Indigo Girls, Kandi Burruss, and Travis Tritt—their legacies reach far beyond Atlanta, but for us, they’re hometown heroes.

In blazing new trails, these artists made space for the countless musicians who came after, creating the sounds that carry music into the future. We asked our icons to reflect not only on their own work, but also on the artists they see as the standard-bearers for the next chapter of music.

These emerging talents—SwaVay, Equal Creatures, Rocco Gorelik, Jada Denise—mark a new generation of Atlanta music-makers who are driving the city’s creative story wherever it goes next.

By Allison Entrekin, Rachel Garbus, Christina Lee, and Mara Reinstein
Edited by Rachel Garbus