Ray Vaughn

CRITIC’S PICK:
Sat., July 12
Ray Vaughn, Vinyl — Alongside his labelmates Doechii and Alemeda, Ray Vaughn has been working tirelessly to put on for Top Dawg Entertainment’s post-pandemic crop of artists. Following a highly publicized and entertaining rap beef with Joey Bada$$ that reignited the competitive spirit of the 1990s’ East Coast and West Coast Hip-hop rivalries, Ray Vaughn is now focusing his energy on his own output. At the tail end of April, the Long Beach native delivered his long-awaited full-length debut on TDE with his impressive “The Good, The Bad, The Dollar Menu” mixtape, and — just like his senior labelmate Ab-Soul — he’s kicking off a truncated, intimate venue tour right here in Atlanta in July. On July 12, Ray Vaughn is set to open the Drive-Thru Dreams Tour at Vinyl, and if you’re just now getting familiar with him, this is the perfect environment to check him out live for the first time. — joshua robinson