Georgia and Louisiana hip-hop artists joining forces when Black Outside tour comes to Athens

Andrew Shearer, Athens Banner-Herald
·2 min read
DK performs at Hot Corner Festival in downtown Athens, Ga., on Saturday, June 11, 2022. The Hot Corner Festival returned to downtown after three years due to rain in 2019 and the COVID-19 pandemic the last two years.
DK performs at Hot Corner Festival in downtown Athens, Ga., on Saturday, June 11, 2022. The Hot Corner Festival returned to downtown after three years due to rain in 2019 and the COVID-19 pandemic the last two years.

If you missed 2022 Athens Music Walk of Fame inductee Ishues' performance at AthFest last month, you'll get another chance to see the local hip-hop legend take the stage when the Black Outside National Tour rolls into downtown next week.

Ishues and fellow Athens artist DK will be featured along with southeast Georgia's Kid Arsenic for Louisiana-based MCs Alfred Banks and Marcel P. Black's show at The World Famous at 9 p.m. on July 12.

The concert is a partnership between the venue and ATHfactor-Liberty Entertainment that signals a reimagining of First Tuesdays, a monthly hip-hop music and networking showcase that ran from 2016 to 2020.

'I carried Athens on my back': How Ishues brought Classic City hip-hop to the world stage

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Banks recently completed three legs of a North American tour with fellow New Orleans musicians Tank & the Bangas, who were nominated for a Best New Artist Grammy in 2020. Black, who hails from Baton Rouge, has shared the stage with hip-hop heavyweights Common, Jay Electronica, Mobb Deep and Run The Jewels among several others.

Kid Arsenic, currently based in Athens, began freestyle rapping in his school lunchroom as 16-year-old D'Sean Owens developing his hard-hitting and introspective lyrical style. Owens' anti-bullying anthem "Birds" was featured in hip-hop publication Respect Magazine.

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South Georgia-based hip-hop artist Kid Arsenic is shown in this undated promotional image. Arsenic will join Athens artist DK for the Black Outside Tour stop at The World Famous in Athens, Ga. on July 12, 2022.
South Georgia-based hip-hop artist Kid Arsenic is shown in this undated promotional image. Arsenic will join Athens artist DK for the Black Outside Tour stop at The World Famous in Athens, Ga. on July 12, 2022.

The Black Outside Tour will next visit Atlanta and Birmingham, Ala. before circling back for dates in New Orleans and Lafayette, La., with local performers on the bill at each show. The July 13 concert at Smith's Olde Bar will feature DJ sets by Atlanta-based turntablists D. Horton, Dolla Black and Rey Morado.

DK released his latest single "Get Out" back in February. Ishues is currently working on a follow-up to his 2020 album, "The Anti-Rapper."

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This undated promotional photo shows award-winning New Orleans, La. rapper-singer Alfred Banks. Banks and Baton Rouge-based MC Marcel P. Black will perform at The World Famous in Athens, Ga. on July 12, 2022.
This undated promotional photo shows award-winning New Orleans, La. rapper-singer Alfred Banks. Banks and Baton Rouge-based MC Marcel P. Black will perform at The World Famous in Athens, Ga. on July 12, 2022.

"This will not just be a show, it will be an experience," said ATHfactor-Liberty Entertainment CEO Montu Miller, who will be hosting the July 12 concert with DJ Chief Rocka. "This event will continue to bring additional exposure to Athens-based artists, many of whom don't get recognized by mainstream Athens."

The World Famous is located at 351 Hull St. Admission price for the Black Outside Tour show is $5 at the door. Music begins at 10 p.m.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Athens and Louisiana hip-hop artists team up for Black Outside tour