In 2006, Atlanta hosted BET's first annual Hip Hop Awards at the famed Fox Theatre, an unofficially official announcement to the rest of the world that Atlanta all but cemented its place as the epicenter of rap. The nominees read like a list of local high school yearbook superlatives with Atlanta-based artists and producers present in each category, and those same artists accounted for more than half of the stage performances — with major label-backed hitmakers Jermaine Durpi, Jeezy, Ludacris, Lil Jon and T.I. all taking space, some of them appearing more than once. But it was the closing performance from an independent rapper and local party starter that appropriately stole the show: DJ Unk doing "Walk It Out."

For the VIP visitors in the crowd, who likely went from the plane to the hotel, maybe to the posh Lenox Mall, and then to the show, Unk's presence at the star-studded ceremony was among the most authentic showcases of the city they would get. Yes, Durpi and Luda performed the city's theme song, "Welcome To Atlanta," that night, and Jeezy brought Magic City poles and dancers on stage. But Unk called back to the city's rich dance and fashion histories and had dozens of people "walk it out" down each aisle, dressed in customized airbrushed and painted t-shirts, literally throwing the energy of Atlanta into everybody's lap.

On Friday, January 24, 2025, Unk, born Anthony Leonard Platt, passed away in his sleep from a heart attack at 43, leaving people who still have memories of that performance and the time it represented heart broken. A proud "Grady Baby" — the endearing term describing anyone born in Atlanta's largest hospital, Grady Memorial — Unk's rise to stardom started as a member of the Southern Style DJs, a collective that worked under the umbrella of respected indie record label Big Oomp Records, founded by street entrepreneur-turned-businessman Korey "Big Oomp" Roberson. Big Oomp released "Walk It Out" in 2006, and the song went Top 10 on the Hot 100 and achieved platinum status. On the strength of "Walk It Out" and the follow-up single "2 Step," Unk became the biggest star the label ever had, standing as the brief but beaming culmination of its efforts. Together they represented a hyperlocal grassroots movement that reflected Atlanta as well as anything else, even in shifting the national zeitgeist.

Inspired by the popular "Poole Palace" dance and produced by Big Oomp's in-house beatsmith DJ Montay, who also produced "2 Step" and Flo Rida's "Low," the synth-driven bounce of "Walk It Out" gave listeners a passport to the hoods and clubs of Atlanta, coming at a time when regionalism was still a thing in hip-hop. The blatantly Southern hip-hop track dropped in year when local scenes across the country were pushing distinctive styles and sounds; fans were still able to get a sniff of West Coast G-Funk with Snoop Dogg's 

, a raw feel for mid-Atlantic street life on Clipse's 

a taste of NYC hardcore through Mobb Deep's 

an earful of jazz-sampling soul from the midwest with Lupe Fiasco's 

 and hit of Bay Area hyphy through E-40's 

 powered by the anthem "Tell Me When To Go" (ironically produced by Atlanta's own Lil Jon). Before the immediate accessibility of the internet played a part in spreading the culture wide, and flattening it in the process, "Walk It Out" was a shining example of how a song, and music video, could introduce you to a city and what the people in it actually sound like.

Unk released "Walk It Out" into a rap scene in the middle of a balancing act. Outkast was all but closing the book on their milestone career, releasing their final project, the movie soundtrack disguised as an album, 

. (Another ode to the staying power of "Walk It Out": the song's 2007 remix is the last time both members of Outkast appeared together on record.) T.I. and (Young) Jeezy were taking the once-underground trap music genre mainstream, while Ludacris, an artist known for his cartoonish approach to rap, cut off his braids and went for a more serious tone to release his eventually Grammy-winning album "Release Therapy." While rappers in Atlanta were still making hits, and on the cusp of shifting the hub of the entire culture south, the actual "fun" element of the music was starting to wane. With its hypnotic bass and synths, "Walk It Out" came with repeated instructions that put everyone in a trance. Unk's tunes helped keep the party going while many were deciding they were becoming too cool to dance.

As the songs exploded locally and then nationally, the hits on Unk's debut album, 

, resuscitated Big Oomp Records as a model for self-sustained success. Throughout the 1990s Big Oomp set a blueprint for how independent rap labels could thrive in a city known more for major label-affiliated R&B and rap artists. They broke artists on their roster by featuring them on Southern Style DJ mixtapes that were already widely popular for their meticulously-produced remixes and added bass frequencies. These efforts were further supported by the DJs spinning the records at the many nightclubs they played, instantly connecting them with the streets. Add this to Big Oomp's direct-to-consumer model established behind various brick-and-mortar record stores and flea market vendor booths and you had a company with its own ecosystem.

After enjoying some local and regional success in the late 1990s and early 2000s — with artists like Hitman Sammy Sam, Baby D, Lil C, Loko and Intoxicated — the label all but disappeared as Atlanta's rap scene kicked into overdrive post-9/11. Much of this can be blamed on many of their artists facing legal troubles or dabbling in the streets, halting their outputs and limiting their visits to the studio. But the company stayed relevant through their Oomp Camp Live TV show on UPN affiliate Channel 69 and growing their record stores that carried Hip Hop albums, mixtapes, DVDs and magazines that you couldn't find at your local Kroger or Best Buy. So even though their label side lay dormant for a spell, the infrastructure was in place to meet Unk's dance-inspired song in its moment, helping it take off during the peak of the "snap" era. Almost 20 years later, "Walk It Out" and "2 Step" are still guaranteed party starters, evoking a specific time in Atlanta. Staying prepared for the trendy marathon that is the music industry, Unk helped Big Oomp sprint to the top of the charts by staying in their lane.

Figures like Jermaine Dupri, Ludacris, T.I., Jeezy, Gucci Mane, Future, Young Thug and Lil Baby presented themselves as rap incarnations of the city's long lineage of Black mayors, acting as a conduit between the city's music and the corporate interests looking to come in and capitalize. Visible, but not always touchable. But, as a company and crew, the always-independent Big Oomp Records was more akin to the late and beloved Atlanta activist Hosea Williams, who is often credited for creating the phrase "unbought and unbossed." Able to set their own pace and trends, Unk and Big Oomp maintained an eye-to-eye, hand-to-hand connection with the community it came from.

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Maurice Garland

The rapper and DJ, who died over the weekend at 43, was the biggest hit for the indie label Big Oomp Records. Its brief but shining moment injected fun back into a scene in transition.


Raymond Boyd/Getty Images

UNK WALK IT OUT VIDEO

Dj Unk 2 Step

Unk's 'Walk It Out' defined a fun, hyperlocal moment in Atlanta rap history

Carbon Sound stayed busy this month with its residency on Sunday nights at Berlin. Each night has featured a diverse lineup of local talent that we believe exemplify our mission. On Sunday, Jan. 19, we featured two local DJs: Stevie and D Untethered.

Drew "D" Valle (they/them) goes by D. Untethered to dignify not having stronger familial traditions or cultural roots. D. is from Ohio and moved to Minnesota in 2010. D. grew up listening to hip-hop, funk, R&B, soul, and jazz and became interested in dance music in their late teens. Although they are a discerning selector as a DJ, D. lives out the value in their moniker by not remaining fixed on a particular rhythm and tempo.

In 2024, D. wrote and performed a live hardware set in June with Ross Hutchens (AKA Lonefront), Mutual Identities, and Mike Pifer under the moniker D. Tracks.

D's musical taste is inspired by liberation spirituality, the Black radical tradition, and concepts around cultural relief and resilience through ecstatic dance experiences and sound system culture. They curate a dance night called DecaDance at the Uptown VFW and organize the People's Sound System project as a DIY community PA resource for mostly free events in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Stay tuned for new mixes on Carbon Sound every other Wednesday. If you’re a DJ and want to be considered for the series, email a mix of yours to jgreen@mpr.org.

Angelo Badalamenti - Slow Cool Jazz (demo)

Pastilla Blanca - Emblematico (Green Spice Mix)

Legion of Green Men - 21st Century Disease 

Bad Jazz Troupe - Breakdown Treat (Rework)

Dego & The 2000 Black Family - Don't Stop Let it Go

The Amalgamation of Soundz - Phuture Soundz

Rebecca Vasmant - Broken Biscuits feat. Nadya Albertsson

The Future Sound of London - While Others Cry

Charles Levine & Martin Buttrich - Festival Queen

Cook Peepl feat. Billy Love - Free (Mr. G Testify Dub)

Angelo Badalamenti - Dance of the Dream Man

Julian Green built and manages the music library for Carbon Sound and oversees content creation.  


Julian Green

A stalwart leader of the Twin Cities underground, D. Untethered laid down a tasteful, eclectic set for Carbon Sound’s residency at Berlin Minneapolis.


Daniela Buvat for MPR

Jazz, R&B, Funk and more from D. Untethered | Carbon Sound live at Berlin Minneapolis

D. Untethered at Berlin (1/19/25)

Carbon Sound has been staying busy this month with its residency on Sunday nights at Berlin. Each night has featured a diverse lineup of local talent that we believe exemplify our mission. On Sunday, Jan. 19, we featured two local DJs: Stevie and D Untethered.

Stevie is a DJ and musician based in Minneapolis. The former Radio K host spent time in the local band scene and as a member of the group Xylophone Jetty before being introduced to house and techno music—first as a dancer, then as a DJ. Whether it be funk, acid, dad rock, or dub, she draws on a wide range of influences in the process of sharing her love of music.  

Unfortunately, one of the tracks had to be cut from the mix due to copyright issues. The rest of the mix is left intact.

Liquid Liquid - Cavern (removed due to copyright)

Idiater Edwards - Loving Sweet Devotion (Sweeter Mix)

Lee Tracy & Isaac Manning - Jesus Going to Clean House

Trevor Walters - Blood's Thicker Than Water

Local rising star Stevie laid down a downtempo set of funk and electro at Berlin Minneapolis for Carbon Sound’s January Residency. Watch her full performance here.


Daniela Buvat

Funk, Electro, and Soul from Stevie | Carbon Sound live at Berlin Minneapolis

Stevie at Berlin (1/19/25)

Bump Opera

Shots of moments and performances from Carbon Sound’s Sunday night residency at Berlin Minneapolis.


Photos: Carbon Sound at Berlin

Each week, we add new music, older tracks, which are known as “Gold adds”, and tracks that might not fit our general format, but still deserve a place in rotation because they serve our mission of showing the depth, breadth, and influence of Black musical expression - These are known as “Variety adds.”

. If you make music and want it considered for rotation, 

 If you want to give feedback directly, reach out to me at jgreen@mpr.org.

Tune in to hear our host Sanni B. live on The Message from 10 AM to 1 PM Monday through Thursday!

Keep all these tracks in one place with the 

 Spotify playlist. This playlist is updated weekly with all the new adds. When that playlist is cycled with new tracks, the tracks live forever on the 

 playlist. That playlist contains all of the music that we've added since the week of July 11, 2022 in chronological order of when it was added. All of the tracks available on Spotify, at least.

All of the tracks added to rotation on Carbon Sound the week of Jan. 20, 2025.


Image for New on Carbon Sound Spotify playlist

Natalia Toledo

New on Carbon Sound

Old on Carbon Sound

New Music on Carbon Sound - Week of January 20, 2025

Hey guys. This is Julian, AKA echo, AKA Carbon Sound’s Content Director. 

We’re back with more DJ sets this year. We have some very special guests and new twists in store for you. 

We are so back. echo bangs the box with a set of groovy techno to kick off the new year.


echo bangs the box to ring in the new year.

echo (1/15/25)

John Kueppers

Groovy Techno mix from echo | Carbon Sound

Author

Carbon Sound talked with Ricky from Water Wave about the origins of Water Wave, what's to come for the brand in 2025, and much more.


Ricky from Water Wave Interview

man poses for a polaroid photo while making w's with his fingers

man poses for photo while making w's with his fingers

Ricky from Water Wave Interview: The origins of Water Wave, Minnesota artists, and mindset for 2025

Yung Gravy, BBNO$, Waka Flocka Take Over Minnesota Gravy Fest 2024

The Nate Infinity Interview | (Water Wave TV.)

What is Water Wave TV?

WAVE FEST 2024 VLOG AND INTERVIEWS!

bdifferent Talks New Album, Minnesota Love, Anthony Edwards, Olympics And More!

Interview: Ricky from Water Wave

When an artist dies, you see the totality of what they do in a way that you don’t when it’s happening. It was like that for David Bowie, for Prince, and for MF DOOM. Many fans commune with old favorites at these times. As for S. H. Fernando Jr., one of the first major journalists to tackle hip-hop as a subject, he knew he had another book to write. 

“I, like everyone else, was shocked when I heard the news on New Year’s Eve 2020, going into ’21,” Fernando recalls from his home in Baltimore. “I immediately was just enthralled by all of these DOOM tribute podcasts. That reintroduced me to DOOM—his whole life story and his whole artistry. And I was just like, ‘Wow. If anyone needs a book, it’s DOOM.’ I had just handed in a book. You’d think I want to just chill for a minute, but I just went right into it.” 

The Chronicles of DOOM: Unraveling Rap’s Masked Iconoclast

, Fernando’s new bio-study of the hip-hop icon, is as close as we are likely to get to this largely secretive but alluringly prolific artist’s story in full. It coincides with a recent reissue of 1999’s 

, which debuted DOOM’s new persona. (Previously, he’d been Zev Love X of early-’90s rappers KMD, who issued one album on a major label subsidiary prior to the death of Subroc, a fellow member and DOOM’s brother.) Also, Minnesota-based Rhymesayers put out a 20th anniversary reissue of the 2004 MF Doom album, 

In fact, Rhymesayers has become a key guardian of DOOM’s legacy. The label has long distributed his 

 imprint, and in the book, Fernando reports that Rhymesayers cofounder, Siddiq, was the rapper’s personal manager at the time of his death. In addition to the two recent reissues, the label also offers the second KMD album, 

, which took a decade to come out the first time, in 2001; and 

the 2003 DOOM album released under the moniker Viktor Vaughn.  

“Rhymesayers is re-releasing his music, repackaging it, with new artwork and extra features, so the book came at a pretty opportune time,” says Fernando. “Now, it’s like the rediscovery process. It’s amazing—a friend of mine [from] college called me and said his 14-year-old daughter is a huge DOOM fan. Could I sign a book for her? So, his fandom is getting younger and younger too. The kids are discovering him.” 

Fernando’s book offers a lot to chew on, both historically and analytically. Take DOOM’s persona—his name came from the 

villain Dr. Doom, with spin-offs like Viktor Vaughn riffing on Victor Von Doom, Dr. Doom’s birth name. In 

Fernando opens up some of the dizzying ways the series is cross-referenced in the rapper’s lyrics and

“A lot of [rappers] use the inspiration of comics, but he was the first one to really inhabit a character,” Fernando says. “I think it’s because Doom always fancies himself, not as MC, but as a writer of fiction, you can write whatever you want. “The whole mask thing—initially it was a way for him to just evade that whole fame thing. But eventually the mask took on an identity itself, to a point where he could just give it to someone else to go on stage and perform. It’s pretty wild that Dr. Doom in the comics used to do almost exactly the same thing—use Doombots as decoys and or, if he was in trouble, send a Doombot.” 

Marvel heroes and villains are never fully bad or fully good, says Fernando. They always have some human flaws. “When you actually compare the origin story of Viktor Von Doom to Daniel Dumile’s story, there’s a lot of crossover. His father was a mathematician, into science; his mother was a nurse, kind of more spiritual. He really inhabited that character, the super-villain, down to the fact that, when he put the mask on, he was literally a different person. I’ve had [people] tell me, he’s the nicest guy—and all of a sudden, he puts the mask on, and it’s like 

Another of this book’s services is its appendix, featuring not only an album and singles discography, but a complete list of DOOM’s recorded guest appearances—weeks of listening. Or a near-complete list, anyway: “I think it’s still incomplete, unfortunately,” says Fernando, “because I keep seeing new stuff on YouTube all the time. I thought I had a pretty comprehensive list, but it grows all the time. I had no idea how deep the rabbit hole went, believe me.” 

The recent Rhymesayers reissues attest to the depth of DOOM’s fan base—each accompanied by collectible gewgaws galore. For 

 (sold out), plus anniversary versions of the 

 versions with a black-and-white “sketch” version of the artwork. And for 

(please note the two dots, not three—it’s an anagram), the same—

, DOOM’s 1999 debut under that name, proved a paradigm-shifter. “DOOM, in a way, made fun of hip-hop,” Fernando says. “He made fun of how people took themselves so seriously. That was a big part of his appeal, because it’s like he finally broke down the wall. Now, all the nerds and the geeks and the misfits can come in. He stands out in the annals of hip-hop: Someone who totally went against the grain of everything, but he was still right in the cut.” 

Rhymesayers is also the third label to issue the album. 

first came out on Fondle ’Em, run by NYC hip-hop radio legend Bobbito Garcia, who issued it with little advance notice. 

When Bobbito dropped it, it just kind of dropped,” Fernando remembers. “It was still underground—it was still just the heads. But then it got a re-release a year later on Subverse. Fiona Bloom, who was actually one of the owners of Subverse, she also happens to be an amazing publicist, so she was able to plug in DOOM to all the right places: 

. Once he had exposure on that level, he was on the map.”  

As Fernando details in the book, KMD was signed to a subsidiary of Elektra, which had powerhouse distribution through Warner Bros., during a period when major labels were signing up rap acts by the gross. Two years later, the Ice-T/Body Count “Cop Killer” controversy had changed things utterly. DOOM came in for a meeting about 

and an Elektra rep handed Zev Love X a $20,000 check and explained that they wouldn’t be releasing the album, with or without the cover art. 

had achieved a lost-classic rep that was finally justified when Subverse issued it for real. “It was like one-two punch,” says Fernando. “You have the story of DOOM coming back after KMD—a great story. All of a sudden, DOOM’s on the map. He just ran with it. He never, never dropped the ball. He just kept going.” 

One of DOOM’s latter-day characteristics was his extensive use of vintage cartoon sound bites and music cues, particularly from the Hanna Barbera collection. 

 contains some wonderful testimony from Jason DeMarco, the 

producer who later hooked DOOM up doing voiceover and music work for Cartoon Network. 

“It’s amazing how much also music he’s able to squeeze from these cartoons—really dramatic music or really suspenseful riffs,” Fernando says. “He didn’t just take the vocal snippets. And he’s very intricate with these sound collages.” 

For now, Fernando has offered a definitive roadmap to a great artist whose output can still be daunting to the newcomer. The book is unauthorized, but the author got help both from the indie-label realm he knows intimately—Fernando started his own imprint, 

, in the late ’90s—and from some of DOOM’s intimates, including high school friends and DOOM’s younger brother, Dimbaza.  

Fernando didn’t speak with DOOM’s wife, Jasmine, though he has kept her abreast on the book and sent her the first copies. “I think they’ll probably understand that the book is actually really helping to cement DOOM’s legacy,” he says. “That’s really, to me, what it’s about.” 

Michaelangelo Matos

One of rap’s most enigmatic, DOOM’s legacy lives on through his life’s work.


Astra House

Behind the Mask - Author S. H. Fernando Jr. discusses new book on rap legend MF Doom

Robert Glasper - “Wake Up” feat. MMYYKK

TOMMYPHYLL - “TOBAH” (Local (Manitoba isn’t 

All of the tracks added to rotation on Carbon Sound the week of Jan. 6, 2025.


New Music on Carbon Sound - Week of January 6, 2025

Carbon Sound is partnering with North Loop’s Berlin live music bar & restaurant for a residency. Each Sunday in January, local artists and DJs will bring the proper vibes to stave off the Sunday Scaries. It’s a great excuse to get out of the house in the cold, dark month, too.

 to stay up to date with all of their events.

Carbon Sound is taking over North Loop’s Berlin on Sundays in January. Find more info about the residency here.


Stories

Unk's 'Walk It Out' defined a fun, hyperlocal moment in Atlanta rap history

D. Untethered at Berlin (1/19/25)

Stevie at Berlin (1/19/25)

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Photos: Carbon Sound at Berlin

New Music on Carbon Sound - Week of January 20, 2025

echo (1/15/25)

Interview: Ricky from Water Wave

Connect with Carbon Sound

Behind the Mask - Author S. H. Fernando Jr. discusses new book on rap legend MF Doom

New Music on Carbon Sound - Week of January 6, 2025

Carbon Sound at Berlin - January 2024

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