ATLANTA — In August 2006, Atlanta was becoming a different kind of music city. The sound coming out of the city was rapidly spreading across the country. So were the slang, fashion, dances and personalities that made Atlanta feel like Atlanta.
Popular Atlanta hip-hop artist, philanthropist and entrepreneur Young Dro was right in the middle of it.
Twenty years later, Young Dro, whose real name is Djuan Hart, is looking back on the era and the debut album that helped define his career. He recently stopped by KISS 104.1 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of “Best Thang Smokin’,” released August 29, 2006.
The album introduced audiences to an artist with a style, vocabulary and cadence unlike any other.
Young Dro says the fan response to hits like “Shoulder Lean,” featuring his close friend and fellow hip hop icon T.I., and “Rubber Band Banks” has made the anniversary feel almost like a revival.
“I feel revived,” Young Dro said. “The love that I’m getting right now from ‘Shoulder Lean’ and ‘Rubber Band Banks,’ ‘Shoulder Lean’ especially, it’s almost like this record just came out.”
The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and went multi-platinum.
Prominent hip hop historian Larry “NuFace” Compton, who was at the album’s release party at Visions, says “Best Thang Smokin’” arrived at an important time for Atlanta.
“Young Dro represented Atlanta in a very authentic way. He wasn’t trying to sound like anybody else,” NuFace said. “He had his own vocabulary, his own cadence, his own fashion and his own personality.”
NuFace says the album is more than a collection of songs.
“It’s not just an album. It’s a time capsule,” he said. “You can hear what Atlanta felt like in that moment.”
One of the clearest examples is the smash hit “Shoulder Lean,” which quickly became part of Atlanta’s everyday culture.
“You heard it in the clubs, at parties, on the radio, in the streets, everywhere,” NuFace fondly recalled. “And then you started seeing people actually doing the Shoulder Lean. That’s when you knew something special had happened.”
Young Dro also took time to appreciate all of the people behind the music who helped bring “Best Thang Smokin’” to life, including Jazze Pha, Nitty, Kayo and Lil C. He says their contributions were a vital part of the sound that helped make the album.
Young Dro and T.I. were immersed in Atlanta’s dance culture, but Young Dro admitted they weren’t exactly dancers themselves. Instead, they created a move that fit who they were.
“We can groove, but like knowing how to dance and what the culture in Atlanta was really on, we just really didn’t know,” Young Dro said. “That’s where I said, ‘I can shoulder lean, I don’t know how to dance though.”
The connection between Young Dro and T.I. runs much deeper than music. The two have known each other for more than 30 years, dating back to when they were teenagers in Atlanta.
Their connection has continued decades later.
Young Dro appeared twice on T.I.’s “Kill The King” album released in June, including on tracks “See What I’m Sayin’” and “Represent a Time,” and says being part of what T.I. described as his final album was an honor.
“To be on the Kill The King album, which is his quote unquote last album, was an honor,” Young Dro said.
Young Dro is recreating pieces of the era for the milestone anniversary. He cut off his dreadlocks to return to the low cut look from the original album cover and is releasing three new videos for songs from “Best Thang Smokin’” that fans told him they wanted to see.
The milestone album celebration continues Saturday at the world renowned Trap Music Museum, where fans can sign up to attend. He also has a Young Dro and Friends concert planned for October with special guests. The celebration is not only about reflection. It is about community coming together.
Young Dro says he’s working on new music with rap group P$C that fans can look out for and is also working on new music with T.I.
He also expressed his deep appreciation for NuFace and his vital role in preserving Atlanta’s hip hop history.
“NuFace got all the artifacts. He got everything that ever went on, man. It didn’t happen if NuFace wasn’t there,” Young Dro said. “I appreciate NuFace for always keeping the artifacts and keeping the history. I hope that throughout this journey here, this 20 years, that I can give NuFace something to take with him that he can document.”
His powerful story also extends beyond music. Young Dro recently celebrated five years of sobriety and spoke to KISS 104.1 about his recovery and his desire to inspire others.
NuFace lauded Young Dro as a pillar in the community.
Young Dro is a renowned community advocate who partners with his close friend Dr. Ciara Elle through the organization It Still Takes a Village. He frequently hosts events around Georgia, including panels with teenagers and anti violence efforts, while sharing his personal sobriety journey in hopes of inspiring others.
“He’s not just somebody who made records about Atlanta. He’s somebody who has continued to be a part of Atlanta,” NuFace said. “And 20 years later, that means something.”
As Young Dro reflects on two decades since “Best Thang Smokin’,” he says he is simply taking in the moment and appreciating the people who helped him reach it.
“I’m just soaking it all up, man, and I appreciate all the support from everybody that I am getting and that I have gotten,” Young Dro said.