Northern Irish singer-songwriter Foy Vance takes a deep dive into the sounds of Atlanta, Georgia, from the city's gospel heritage to its most recent musical export: trap.
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00:00 My name's Foy Vance. I'm a singer-songwriter from Northern Ireland and I've toured all over the world
00:05 But there's one place where the music keeps pulling me back for more, the USA
00:09 So I'm on a journey to visit different cities across the country to experience the best music, food and culture that's on offer
00:16 This is Notes from the USA
00:24 Today I'm in Atlanta, Georgia, a city famed for its world-class restaurants, festive nightlife, thriving hip-hop scene
00:32 and prominent role in America's civil rights movement
00:35 Atlanta is one of the fastest growing cities in the US, thanks in part to its art, film and music industries
00:42 So I've come to investigate just why this city has such a strong creative influence
00:47 My first stop is at Big Bethel AME Church, a notable venue in Atlanta for gospel music performances
00:53 A style of Christian music that is both inspired and drawn from popular music
00:58 After the service, I catch up with Minister of Music at the church, Nate Fisher
01:21 That was a great service
01:23 It was? I'm glad you enjoyed it, I did as well
01:25 You know, we sang from the soul of our feet to our abdomen
01:29 And here in Atlanta, it's thriving
01:32 Yeah, I think it's been the rock bed of so many, most of the music that I love anyway
01:36 We can find that in any genre of music, country, R&B, Mama's Kitchen, To the Backyard
01:42 Most artists that we know are popular, are favorite artists, they start their beginning here in the church
01:49 The church here has impacted the entire world, if you think of MLK
01:53 Our John Lewis saw a huge John Lewis mural
01:56 Yeah, it's a mural, right there
01:57 Super awesome
01:58 The civil rights movement, the march, was led by music
02:01 Matter of fact, Dr. King, many of his meetings were in the basement of this church
02:06 So it doesn't matter where you go in Atlanta, you're going to find a church that's going to serve you good music
02:11 85% of that service is music, from the top to the bottom
02:15 It doesn't matter what religion or what denomination it is, because if it's from the heart, it's going to reach the heart
02:21 [applause]
02:26 [music]
02:33 It was amazing to hear from Nate about the storied history of the church
02:36 And afterwards, as I walked the colorful streets of Atlanta, I couldn't help but feel energized
02:42 Understanding more about the musical heritage of this city
02:45 After a quick bite to eat along the way, I make it to my next stop, the Trap Museum
02:51 One of Atlanta's newest experiences, that is entirely dedicated to this city's latest musical export, trap music
02:59 [music]
03:02 I catch up with museum manager CJ Williams to learn more
03:05 And where exactly are we, tell me?
03:07 We are at Atlanta's own Trap Music Museum
03:10 The only one of its kind, documenting the art, the culture, and the music of the trap sound
03:15 I feel like I only heard the term like 10 years ago, but it's been around since the 90s or something
03:19 The term trap music is first coined on record by T.I. on his album, Trap Music
03:26 That was 2003
03:28 Trap music is of course a sub-genre of hip-hop, and it basically tells the stories of what a trap is
03:34 Being an area where you're going to have to hustle, grind, and survive
03:39 So when people hear the term trap music, it's really telling a story of our experiences
03:44 And how we've used art and music to elevate not only our state of mind, but our state of life
03:51 [music]
03:54 This is one of our most recognizable exhibits
03:58 This car is from the house on Howell Mill Road, used to promote 2 Chainz's 2017 album
04:05 Pretty Girls Like Trap Music, which featured other Atlanta native artists like Gucci Mane and Migos
04:12 This whole exhibit was set up with a big pink house, we can see a photo here, and it was used to promote that album
04:19 [music]
04:21 We are in Granny's room
04:23 What's the upside of trap music, the hope in it?
04:25 The idea that no matter where I'm from, I can take this music, this sound, this message, this story that is my story
04:33 Somehow, someway, putting it on top of a track
04:37 It doesn't matter from where you begin, what matters is where you see yourself
04:41 That's really what the Trap Music Museum represents
04:44 Giving our customers an opportunity to hear those stories that lie under the music
04:49 [music]
04:53 We have some of the biggest names in music that are from Atlanta
04:57 We've got Migos, we've got 2 Chainz, we've got Future, Gucci, Jeezy, Lil Baby, you know, the list goes on
05:05 If you love music, Atlanta is definitely a place to come
05:09 If you love creativity, if you love a vibrant city, if you love art, Atlanta is one of the best places to come to in the United States
05:16 The South got something to say
05:18 [music]
05:28 A visit to the Trap Museum is a great way to really get under the skin of the genre
05:33 And though I've only been in Atlanta for a short amount of time, it's clear to see that creativity in all its forms can be found everywhere here
05:41 To learn more about it, I head to Foody's Paradise, Ponce City Market, to meet with Nicole Guston
05:46 Founder of Bite Line Tours, a tour service that offers visitors a fun way to explore Atlanta's burgeoning restaurant and street art scenes
05:55 [music]
06:00 So this is the Atlanta Beltline
06:02 This is a walking, biking, jogging trail, it used to be a railroad that ran through Atlanta
06:08 So when it's finished, it will form 22 miles around the city
06:12 Wow, 22 miles?
06:13 Yeah, it's phenomenal for this city
06:15 Wow, so it'll be a circle around the city, and you'll be able to walk and look?
06:18 You will literally be able to walk or bike or scooter your entire way around the city through all 46 neighborhoods
06:25 It's unheard of
06:26 When we walked out of here, we saw that community art space
06:28 Yeah
06:29 And then when we got to the door, there's someone doing a podcast, a live podcast
06:32 And people get, like, is that something that happens here a lot?
06:35 So the Beltline brings out everybody
06:37 So you have street artists, you have performers, musicians
06:42 Sometimes you'll see somebody playing a violin, sometimes there's this guy named Kermit who plays the drums on the Beltline
06:48 I love it
06:49 Yeah
06:50 Any gigs in the city?
06:51 Yeah, exactly
06:52 It's kind of like a testing ground for artists
06:54 And it's a nice way to see the city, to see all this great street art
06:58 And to really get a sense of Atlanta
07:01 But this is where you see how Atlanta really is
07:04 [Music]
07:24 With its musical heritage and abundance of attractions and events
07:27 It's no wonder that Atlanta is known as one of the centers for entertainment in the American South
07:33 It feels like even the streets themselves are a stage for artists and musicians
07:38 There's creativity on every corner in this city
07:41 And with the Beltline making everything so accessible
07:44 The buzz of Atlanta is easier to explore than ever before
07:48 [Music]
07:56 [Music]
07:58 [BLANK_AUDIO]