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 memo.
