Killer Mike Talks Underground Atlanta, And OutKast

The self-proclaimed “King Kong” of Rap, Killer Mike spoke recently to HipHopDX to provide some pre-release details on his forthcoming compilation, Underground Atlanta. One of the south’s most respected emcees also revealed for the first time publicly that the group that ushered Mike into the Rap Game, OutKast, may never appear on another “Killa Kill” recording.

Due in August, Underground Atlanta is Killer Mike and his Grind Time Official’s first foray into compilation releases. U. A. is a uniquely varied assemblage of songs representing all of ATL’s different stylistic movements, featuring artists ranging from Andre 3000-inspired alternative acts to the trap rappers inspired by the likes of T.I., Young Jeezy, and even Mike himself.

“This record really kinda shows you a few of the different Atlanta’s that make this a place … a real – I hate to say melting pot, but it really is a gumbo of what’s going on in young, urban America,” Mike explained to DX of the diversity in his city that spawned this release. “What I did was, I knew that there had been other [Atlanta-based] compilations. I knew So So Def had did a Bass All-Stars, that dealt with like the club crowd and the street crowd. And I knew that Big Oomp had done his compilation, which is like an example of what’s going on in the Atlanta streets … And you know the Dungeon Family had did a record together, but nobody’s ever took all these different [styles] and said for the first time what we’re gonna do is put all this on one record, so people can see all of Atlanta. … I’m very proud to be the catalyst for that. Because a lot of people could’ve done it, but I think that because a lot of self-interest has been involved over the years I think that a lot of people never did it. So I’m glad to be the guy who did.”

continue reading from source by Paul W. Arnold