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New monument honors legendary hip hop producer Rico Wade in East Point

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Published  November 7, 2024 11:38pm EST
East Point
FOX 5 Atlanta

Hip hop producer Rico Wade honored in East Point

A lasting tribute to one of Atlanta’s most influential hip-hop pioneers will soon permanently stand in East Point, where community leaders, artists, and loved ones gathered on Thursday evening in honor legendary producer Rico Wade.

The Brief

    • A new monument is being erected in East Point to honor the late hip-hop producer Rico Wade, a key figure in the development of Southern hip-hop and the "Dirty South" sound.
    • Rico Wade was part of Organized Noize and the Dungeon Family, contributed to the hit song "Waterfalls" by TLC, and supported the rise of artists like CeeLo Green, Outkast, and Goodie Mob.
    • East Point Mayor Deana Holiday Ingraham and artists like CeeLo Green commemorated Wade's beginnings in the local neighborhood and his global influence in music.
    • The monument will be placed at the intersection of Delowe and Headland, near where Wade's childhood apartment complex once stood, with its unveiling planned for February.
    • Statements by Mayor Andre Dickens, Atlanta's Mayor, and Sleepy Brown, Wade's partner from Organized Noize, highlighted Wade's impact on Atlanta's culture and the significance of the tribute to his legacy.

EAST POINT, Ga. - A lasting tribute to one of Atlanta’s most influential hip-hop pioneers will soon permanently stand in East Point, where community leaders, artists, and loved ones gathered on Thursday evening in honor legendary producer Rico Wade.

Wade, a foundational figure in Southern hip-hop, passed away earlier this year at the age of 52 from heart failure. 

As a member of the renowned Organized Noize production team and a leader of the Dungeon Family, Wade played a pivotal role in shaping the "Dirty South" sound. 

He co-wrote TLC’s smash hit "Waterfalls" and helped launch the careers of artists like CeeLo Green, Outkast, and Goodie Mob.

"Where we are is where they were, in the basement, birthing music that actually inspired the world," East Point Mayor Deana Holiday Ingraham said, describing Wade’s beginnings in the East Point neighborhood.

The apartment complex where he grew up has since been razed.

CeeLo Green, an artist deeply influenced by Wade, reflected on the significance of the moment to FOX 5's Rob DiRienzo. 

"To be here in the flesh to honor our brother who’s passed on here in spirit," Green said. "Oh, man. He’s here to be immortalized, man, in memory and in monument. It means everything to me."

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens also spoke of the producer's impact on Atlanta's spot in pop culture.

After the ceremony, the crowd made their way to the intersection of Delowe and Headland, where the city will install the monument in February. 

City officials unveiled a rendering of the final installation and a stone marker.

This location, where Wade once worked, will soon house a tribute to his lasting legacy.

Mayor Ingraham added, "Billboard even stated that Organized Noize pioneered the Dirty South sound. Many of y'all remember Andre 3000 telling the world the South's got something to say?"

Wade’s longtime partner, Sleepy Brown of Organized Noize, shared his thoughts on what Wade might feel if he could witness the tribute. 

"I know if he’s looking down, he’s smiling up a storm," Brown said. "Like I told the folks, I told them I told you we were that group."