Why I Left Brooklyn for Atlanta

People always ask me with the same look on their face: "Chubb — why Atlanta?" And I understand the surprise. I am Brooklyn. My sound came from those streets. My whole identity as an artist is rooted in New York hip hop. So why leave?

Because here is what people misunderstand about Atlanta. This city doesn't erase where you came from. It adds to it. Atlanta has one of the most vibrant, competitive, passionate music scenes in the country. When I arrived, I didn't feel like an outsider. I felt like a man who'd finally found a room big enough for everything he wanted to do next.

"Brooklyn gave me my foundation. Atlanta gave me my future. A real player knows when it's time to expand the territory."

The radio opportunity was a major part of it. Majic 107.5 / 97.5 gave me a platform in the ATL that led directly to building The Chubb Rock Show and Diggin' In Tha Crates. Broadcasting in Atlanta means broadcasting to one of the most culturally influential audiences in America. What Atlanta loves, the country eventually follows.

But it was more than radio. The pace, the community, the culture, the food — I found a city that matched my energy. Atlanta hustles quietly. It builds seriously. It celebrates loudly. That combination felt like home in a way I didn't expect and couldn't ignore.

Brooklyn is always with me. You can hear it in every syllable I spit. But Atlanta is where I built the second half of my legacy. And I wouldn't trade a single day of it.

— Chubb Rock  |  The Chubbster