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ATL UNTRAPPED: Hip-hop for the holidays
Lil Baby, Destroy Lonely, Kenny Mason, and more lead the charge of highly anticipated year-end shows
Although many of us would probably love to mentally check out of 2022, leaving the year far behind in the rear view mirror,, the year is not over quite yet. In fact, December is loaded with a wealth of exciting shows, featuring performances from local indies like Mercury to Atlanta legends like Gucci Mane. Before you start buying gifts and presents for your loved ones, make sure you put some money aside for yourself. You’re definitely going to need it for some — if not all — of these must-see concerts happening in Atlanta this month.
Wed., Dec. 7
454, Pig The Gemini, Mercury & Woodyintl, Purgatory — Mini tours are apparently the vibe for December, and the first artist to bring their brief winter tour to Atlanta this month is 454. The rising rapper started the year as an opening act on Aminé’s The Best Tour Ever Tour, and it’s only right that he ends it with a headlining tour of his own. When 454 brings his autotune and hyperpop brand of rap to the A, he’ll be joined by the city’s own Mercury and Woodyintl. If you’re curious about how creative the new wave of Atlanta rap is shaping up to be, this is the show for you. — Joshua Robinson
$20. 7:00 p.m. Masquerade, 50 Lower Alabama Street #110, Atlanta, GA 30303. www.masqueradeatlanta.com The Masquerade
Thurs., Dec. 8
Joony, Aisle 5 — Rising artist Joony may not have been on your radar at the start of 2022, but if you listened to Brent Faiyaz’s long-awaited Wasteland album, you received a great introduction to the young Maryland-bred rapper. With a release of his own — titled Pretty In Black — also under his belt, Joony has had somewhat of a breakout year in 2022. Before the year ends, however, Joony is hitting the road for the brief Pretty In Black Tour, and Atlanta is one of only four tour stops across the entire country. Get familiar with his music and check him out when he hits Aisle 5 December 8. — Joshua Robinson
$20-$75. 8:30 p.m. Aisle 5, 1123 Euclid Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30307. www.aisle5atl.com @aisle5_atl
Fri., Dec. 9
Lil Baby, State Farm Arena — Days after his 28th birthday, Dominique Armani Jones — better known as Lil Baby — will be back in town for an epic concert at State Farm Arena. The Grammy-winning rapper is only a couple of months removed from the release of It’s Only Me, but despite the isolated nature of his third studio album’s title, Lil Baby won’t be alone for this highly anticipated show. For the special one-night event, Wham will be joined by plenty of surprise guests, making for a show that will undoubtedly be talked about for weeks to come. — Joshua Robinson
$124-$305+. 7:30 p.m. State Farm Arena, 1 State Farm Dr, Atlanta, GA 30303. www.statefarmarena.com @statefarmarena
Sun., Dec. 11
Leikeli47, Heaven — You would be hard-pressed to come across enigmatic rapper Leikeli47 when she’s not sporting her signature mask. One of Hip-Hop’s last true icons of anonymity, Leikeli47 leaves much of her identity to the imagination of her fans — from what she looks like unmasked face to her actual government name — and puts all of her energy into her music. So instead of going down a google rabbit hole to try and see what she looks like without her mask, opt for a more realistic pastime with more satisfying results — like seeing her perform in-person at the Masquerade. Shape Up, her latest LP, brings an end to her acclaimed “Beauty” album series that also consists of 2017’s Wash & Set and 2018’s Acrylic, and to celebrate the culmination of her trilogy, Leikeli is throwing three intimate concerts across the country this month. Interestingly enough, the first one just so happens to be in Atlanta, where she will be taking over Heaven at Masquerade and taking listeners on a journey through her first three albums. — Joshua Robinson
$20. 7:00 p.m. Masquerade, 50 Lower Alabama Street #110, Atlanta, GA 30303. www.masqueradeatlanta.com The Masquerade
Fri., Dec. 16
Maxwell, Jazmine Sullivan, V-103 Winterfest, State Farm Arena — For the first Winterfest since the start of the pandemic, V-103 and Audacy have tapped Maxwell and Jazmine Sullivan as this year’s headliners. R&B fanatics will have their fill with both of those acts’ performances, and while the Winterfest seems to be several acts short of a full-fledged festival at the time of publishing, those interested in attending can expect more artists to be announced in the coming days. — Joshua Robinson
$59-$156+. 8:00 p.m. State Farm Arena, 1 State Farm Dr, Atlanta, GA 30303. www.statefarmarena.com @statefarmarena
Sat., Dec. 17
Kenny Mason, Loft — For the uninitiated, Kenny Mason and pups go hand in hand. Since releasing his breakout project Angelic Hoodrat in 2020, the West Atlanta native has repeatedly shared dog-themed imagery, and he has also dropped plenty of puppy-related bars, from the Angelic Hoodrat cut “Chevron” (“I came out the coochie a K9, I roof”) to the playful dog banter of “Play Ball” (“Do you really wanna play ball?/Chasin’ my tail, trailin’ my fate, dawg”). With the release of RUFFS earlier this fall, Kenny Mason finally clarified the recurring theme on “HALOS,” rapping, “Call a nigga, ‘Pup’ ‘cause it was rough where I live.” Well, this month, the Pup himself returns to his hometown to close out his six-date Ruffs Tour. Grab your closest dawgs and get ready for one hell of a show. — Joshua Robinson
$25-$30. 8:00 p.m. Loft, 1374 W Peachtree St NW, Atlanta, GA 30309. www.centerstage-atlanta.com @centerstageatl
Wed., Dec. 21
Destroy Lonely & Homixide Gang, The Eastern — Destroy Lonely has been an underground commodity in Atlanta since the mid 2010s, when he was just a young goofy teenager. Now, the wisened and more experienced rapper is in his early 20s, and he’s already reaping the fruits of his labor. This summer, he debuted at #96 on the Billboard 200 with his No Stylist debut release on Playboi Carti’s Opium label, and just a couple of months ago, he and his labelmate Ken Carson sold out back-to-back nights at Center Stage. This month, Destroy Lonely returns to Atlanta with his headlining No Stylist Tour, and this time around, he’ll receive support from another pair of his labelmates: Homixide Gang. — Joshua Robinson
$27.50-$55. 8:00 p.m. The Eastern, 777 Memorial Dr SE Building C, Atlanta, GA 30316. www.easternatl.com @easternatl
Thurs., Dec. 22
Destroy Lonely & Homixide Gang, Eastern — Opium artists Destroy Lonely and Homixi will return to the Eastern for an encore performance. This show will mark Lone’s final show of the year, and while he will be hitting the road again in 2023, he has not yet announced any more Atlanta shows following the two-night stint at the Eastern. — Joshua Robinson
$27.50-$55. 8:00 p.m. The Eastern, 777 Memorial Dr SE Building C, Atlanta, GA 30316. www.easternatl.com @easternatl
Sun., Dec. 31
Gucci Mane, Fox Theatre — Although the infamous Atlanta Peach Drop is slated (for now, at least,) to return downtown for the first time in three years, Gucci Mane and the Fox Theatre have teamed up to further complicate your New Year’s Eve plans. Yes, the final day of 2022 belongs the influential Atlanta legend. Titled “Gucci Mane and Friends,” Guwop’s NYE bash will feature several surprise guests, from longtime collaborators to his current roster of 1017 artists. — Joshua Robinson
$55.50-$150. 8:00 p.m. Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree St NE, Atlanta, GA 30308. www.foxtheatre.org @thefoxtheatre