Best Urban Music Club

No other venue captures the sonic and cultural diversity of Atlanta like SUGARHILL, an urban hang suite where underground legends, Blackberry professionals and occasional pop stars shake their groove thangs to 4 a.m. Sugarhill reminds us that soul has always been a Southern thing, as a new generation of crooners and sexy sirens gets funky and free during Tuesday night jam sessions hosted by soul mama Joi, featuring Little John and the Chronicle. An all-star lineup of DJs (Kemit, Salah Ananse, Jamad) offers a sweaty good time raising the roof with an alluring array of house, soul, dance and hip-hop. Beyond the music, the mixed-use venue also hosts poetry nights, comedy and fundraisers with a signature home-grown flair. less...

It's under-utilized, hard to find and impossible to reach by phone, but this quiet warehouse at the corner of Memorial and Central avenues in downtown hosts some great urban-music parties, from Chocolate Soul and Atlantis' Urban Symposium to a variety of raves, radio-sponsored dance parties and hip-hop promotions. Not only large enough to accommodate a band stage/dance floor and a traditional DJ/club area, Studio Central also boasts a kitchen that often serves chicken wings and other delectables that help the crowd stay crunk. less...

One thing is true about Atlanta's urban music aficionados: We love clubbin'. In the ever-changing world of Atlanta's nightlife, Kaya has remained a constant for the past six years, consistently drawing the celebs (from Lennox Lewis to Goodie Mob) and the common man, with lines usually stretching out the door and down Peachtree. Set lists rotate depending on the night, but the schedule is available online at www.kayaclub.com. less...