ATL UNTRAPPED: New Year, New Moves
Shake up your 2024 concert calendar with these dynamic shows
January is like a Monday of months, and despite the good vibes that many of us are bringing into the new year, this first month of 2024 is just as dry as Januarys come. (No wonder some people celebrate “Dry January.” — editor) That being said, this month makes up for its low quantity of Hip-Hop shows with some pretty high quality offerings. From steadily rising local favorites to the city’s mainstream heavyweights, here are seven concert suggestions for you this month.
Thurs., Jan. 11
Reason, Oswin Benjamin & Cam The Artisan, Vinyl — The first highlighted show of 2024 belongs to TDE rapper Reason. Last summer, the Carson, California, native released his sophomore studio album, Porches, and throughout the winter, he has been promoting the album with his 14-date Off The Porch Tour. Reason’s headlining tour is set to land in Atlanta Thursday, January 11, and the weeknight concert will boast opening support from Oswin Benjamin and none other than Atlanta’s own Cam The Artisan. The latter closed out 2023 with his latest project, Art Samples Vol. II. Give it a listen and make him, Oswin Benjamin, and Reason your first concert of the new year.
$17.50-$62.50. 8:00 p.m. Vinyl, 1374 W Peachtree St NW, Atlanta, GA 30309. centerstage-atlanta.com @centerstageatl
Sat., Jan. 13
Lil Donald, Vinyl — Lil Donald may be best known for his empowering 2018 hit, “Do Better,” but over the last year, he has been on an impressive singles run. Last year, he kicked it off with “SE7EN RULES,” followed by his sharing a slew of impressive tracks, including “Do Better 2,” the Kwony Cash-assisted single “Pretti Problem,” “Still,” and “Shedeur.” This year, all signs are pointing to the East Atlanta artist building on the momentum of those singles and releasing his first project in nearly two years. In the coming weeks, Lil Donald is set to take over Vinyl with the help of Kwony Cash and Lil Jahari. Get your tickets and prepare to witness one of the most promising comebacks of 2024. VIP meet and greet tickets are also available.
$15-$50. 8:00 p.m. Vinyl, 1374 W Peachtree St NW, Atlanta, GA 30309. centerstage-atlanta.com @centerstageatl
Sat., Jan. 20
Meet Me @ The Alter, Masquerade — Meet Me @ The Alter is by no means a Hip-Hop outfit, but in an effort to untrap our collective musical interests in 2024, I am highlighting them nevertheless. The three piece femme-fatale is a rock band that consists of guitarist Téa Campbell, drummer Ada Juarez, and lead singer — and Georgia peach — Edith Johnson. In 2020, the electric girl band signed to Fueled by Ramen, and last year, they finally unleashed their major label debut, Past // Present // Future. Boasting effortless earworms like “Kool” and well-written jams like “A Few Tomorrows,” Meet Me @ The Alter’s latest album is an absolute treat, regardless of whether you’re a stalwart rock enthusiast or a casual indie or punk rock fan who only listens to Paramore. Their music shines on its own merit, but the fact that MMATA consists of three women of color makes their breakout success feel all the more sweeter. Take a chance on this non-rap show and see Meet Me @ The Alter when they takeover the Masquerade’s Hell stage later this month.
$27. 6:30 p.m. Hell at the Masquerade, 50 Lower Alabama Street #110, Atlanta, GA 30303. masqueradeatlanta.com The Masquerade
Fri., Jan. 26
Baby Tate, Vinyl — Baby Tate has become a bonafide Hip-Hop entity since I first reviewed her GIRLS album here in the spring of 2019. Nearly five full years later, she is returning to Atlanta for a homecoming show to celebrate her latest creative achievement — the release of her new EP, Baby Tate Presents – Sexploration: The Musical. The rapper-singer-songwriter’s upcoming show on Friday, January 26, was originally announced as the final date of her Sexploration Tour, but due to high demand, the tour was extended with new dates in Chicago and Washington, D.C. Regardless of where it falls in her tour route, Baby Tate’s Atlanta tour stop will undoubtedly make for an amazing time. The local scene is damn near obligated to show love to one of its rap princesses, so buy your tickets while you still can.
$20-$22+. 8:00 p.m. Vinyl, 1374 W Peachtree St NW, Atlanta, GA 30309. centerstage-atlanta.com @centerstageatl
Sat., Jan. 27
Playboi Carti, Ken Carson, Destroy Lonely & Homide Gang, State Farm Arena — For an artist who hasn’t dropped since 2020, Playboi Carti’s influence and hype has not faltered in the slightest. For practically the entirety of the three years following the release of his gnarly pivot of a sophomore album Whole Lotta Red, Carti went without releasing new solo music and only starred on a small number of guest features. Save for five tracks — Trippie Redd’s “Miss The Rage,” Abra’s “Unlock It,” Pi’erre Bourne’s “Switching Lanes,” The Weeknd’s “Popular,” and Travis Scott’s “FE!N” — the enigmatic rap sensation has largely gone radio silent. Nonetheless, Playboi Carti’s energy has been channeled through the success of the artists from his young blooded, Atlanta-based record label, Opium. Destroy Lonely, Ken Carson, and Homixide Gang have all been making strong impressions on the new generation of rap fans, and over the next two months, the rising Atlanta artists will aim to elevate their brands even more by joining their labelhead on the road as openers for the 2024 Antagonist Tour. With Carti having just unleashed a barrage of new YouTube-exclusive tracks to build anticipation for his long-awaited third studio album, now is the perfect time to see the future of music when Plaboi Carti and the Opium boys hit State Farm Arena at the end of this month.
$79-$465+. 7:30 p.m. State Farm Arena, 1 State Farm Dr, Atlanta, GA 30303. 404-878-3000. https://www.statefarmarena.com/
Mick Jenkins, Terminal West — Patience is a virtue, and it’s also the central theme of Mick Jenkins’s phenomenal 2023 studio album, The Patience. With just 11 tracks and a sizeable, yet carefully curated selection of guests featured — including the likes of Atlanta’s own J.I.D. — the album is a noticeably pithy and elevated offering from the veteran Chicago emcee. To support this critically acclaimed and fan-favorite record, Jenkins is hitting the road this winter for the continent-spanning Thank You For Waiting Tour. Joining him for the 21-date trek is TOBi, a Nigerian-Canadian act who is also starting the new year fresh off the release of an impressive new album. Spend some time with TOBi’s Panic and Mick’s The Patience, then secure your tickets so you can hear them both live later this month.
$25. 8:00 p.m. Terminal West, 887 West Marietta St. NW Studio C, Atlanta, GA 30318. terminalwestatl.com @terminalwest
Tues., Feb. 6
Khamari, Masquerade — Once again, January remains a considerably dry month as far as concerts go, but with a look ahead to February, you’ll see that there is a lot to look forward to in the coming weeks. As a sneak peak into next month’s concert calendar, I’ve decided to highlight rising artist Khamari’s upcoming show at the Masquerade. The Boston-bred singer-songwriter-producer credits Frank Ocean, Stevie Wonder, Mac Miller, Kid Cudi and The Beatles as some of his key inspirations, and you can definitely hear his distinct taste through his music. Velvety, soulfuly, and even at times heart-wrenching, Khamari’s latest project — 2023’s A Brief Nirvana — is an half-hour run of incredible contemporary R&B, and his early February show in Hell is the perfect opportunity to hear it live. You’re early to the Khamari party — you might as well take advantage of it by seeing the promising multi-hyphenate in a great ,intimate venue.
$20-$24. 8:00 p.m. Hell at the Masquerade, 50 Lower Alabama Street #110, Atlanta, GA 30303. masqueradeatlanta.com The Masquerade