Q&A with Scotty ATL

Atlanta up-and-comer, Scotty ATL, was all over the map at A3C this month, hitting up the BET Music Matters, Leaders Of The New Cool showcase and Five Points showcase to perform, along with shooting some hoops at the A3C celebrity basketball game. This Southern spitter has grown a lot in the past year, and says that he has seen his hometown hip-hop festival do the same.
HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE SO INVOLVED IN THIS YEAR’S A3C FESTIVAL? It feels great. I’ve been working hard this year. Last year, I really wasn’t as involved; I was just here and there. But this year, it’s good to feel like you’re recognized in your own city.
WHAT IS IT LIKE FOR YOU AS AN ARTIST TO HAVE SO MUCH LOVE FROM YOUR OWN CITY? It’s dope. That’s one of my goals and that’s why, when I dropped the project, FAITH, forever Atlanta in the heart, the whole concept behind it was, ‘I want to have my city behind me before I go anywhere else.’ In Atlanta sometimes, we are known for gimmicks and that type of music, so people that have lyrics go out and get other cities behind them before they conquer their own home or before the city behind them. So for me, it means everything to have your city. When you go out and you’re a star, and you come home, you want to be able to perform and have everybody come out.
SINCE YOU’RE FROM ATLANTA, HAVE YOU SEEN THE FESTIVAL GROW WITH YOUR CAREER? My first time going to A3C, was in 2011 and I was in a cypher. And since then, I’ve seen it go from the Masquerade to a little bit bigger and now we are all over the city of Atlanta. It’s definitely a good change. I was talking to one of the guys from A3C and asking him about it and he said it was really just about them trying to give people who come to the city more of the city so they can see the different clubs and venues and make you feel like you are a part of Atlanta, instead of just being in one location. So, that’s dope.
WE’RE AT BET MUSIC MATTERS, WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE SOMETHING LIKE BET POWER A SHOWCASE AT A3C? This is powerful. A lot of artists strive to be on a level of BET or MTV and this is a platform that is one of the biggest in the world. To have them staff an event like this, just makes it all the way official.
WHAT IS NEXT FOR YOU? I’m about to drop a project with DJ BurnOne called Spaghetti Junction, so it’s been a lot of craziness and business since my last project and this is like a representation of that. Spaghetti Junction is a spot in Atlanta, it’s a highway, it’s crazy. When you get through it, you’re on your way to where you want to go and that’s what this project represents for me. I’ve got that coming. I just dropped a video with Lecrae earlier this week called “Fuss N’ Fight” so we’re working.

Meek Mill at BET Music Matters

There were levels to this show, as A3C and BET brought the Music Matters showcase to Atlanta featuring an all-star line up and headliner Meek Mill at Terminal West on day two of the hip-hop festival.
Buttah Man, the host of BET Music Matters, introduced the talented line-up to the Terminal West stage, which included artists like Problem, Lecrae, Young Dro, Scotty ATL and of course, Meek Mill.
“This line up is hot, I think it’s a good combination of new artists, people who are on the verge and then you have somebody like Meek Mill who is on top of the game right now so we also have representation from all over the country so it really represents what A3C is all about. It’s a lot going on,” Buttah says, taking a break between sets backstage. He was an entertaining host that involved the crowd by letting a few artists near the front spit a verse into the mic and made fun of some of their favourite artists, joking that Kanye needs a hug and Drake needs to stop crying, which made the wait between sets less painful.
Bennie Bates, a young artist who recently signed to MA$E took the opportunity to attend the event in order to network and check out the artists on the bill. “A lot of artists popped off from BET Music Matters so it’s a real event where you can get your shine on,” he says.
Highlights of the night included a surprise performance of “F.D.B,” by Young Dro, wild sets from Lecrae, female emcee Rapsody, who brought out Scotty ATL, and a hype set by Problem, who performed his verse of “Function”. The venue was completely full with festivalgoers, who wanted a part in the iconic event series and cheered on each act.
Meek Mill, who headlined the event, came out dressed in black with his chains glimmering off the stage lights as a sea of camera phones snapped the Philly rapper spitting “I’m A Boss”, “House Party” and ending off with “Lil N*gga Snupe” before he left the stage. The house DJ began to play “Levels” when Meek turned around and came right back on stage saying, “How could I forget this one?” The crowd screamed along and artists like Problem and Young Dro were spotted in the crowd getting just as turnt as the fans. Meek’s set was very short, but the talented bill from top to bottom made the A3C BET Music Matters event a smash.