View source for Welcome to Atlanta

{{refimprove|date=December 2015}}
{{Infobox song
| name          = Welcome to Atlanta
| cover         = File:Welcome_to_atlanta.jpg
| alt           = 
| type          = single
| artist        = [[Jermaine Dupri]] featuring [[Ludacris]]
| album         = [[Instructions (album)|Instructions]] ''and'' [[Word of Mouf]]
| released      = November 24, 2001<ref>{{cite web | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MxIEAAAAMBAJ&dq=Welcome+to+Atlanta&pg=PA27 | title=Billboard | date=24 November 2001 }}</ref>
| recorded      = 2001
| studio        = 
| venue         = 
| genre         = {{flatlist|
* [[Hip hop music|Hip hop]]
* [[Southern hip hop]]
}}
| length        = 3:16
| label         = {{flatlist|
* [[So So Def Recordings|So So Def]]
* [[Columbia Records|Columbia]]
* [[Disturbing tha Peace]]
* [[Def Jam South]]
}}
| writer        = {{flatlist|
* [[Jermaine Dupri]]
* [[Ludacris|Christopher Bridges]]
* [[Bryan-Michael Cox]]
* [[Whodini|Jalil Hutchins]]
* [[Whodini|John Fletcher]]
* [[Larry Smith (producer)|Lawrence Smith]]
* [[Freddie Perren|Frederick Perren]]
* Christine Yarian
}}
| producer      = {{flatlist|
* Jermaine Dupri
* Bryan-Michael Cox
}}
| chronology    = [[Jermaine Dupri]]
| prev_title    = [[Ballin' Out of Control]]
| prev_year     = 2001
| next_title    = Welcome to Atlanta (Coast 2 Coast Remix)
| next_year     = 2002
| misc          = {{Extra chronology
 | artist     = [[Ludacris]]
 | type       = singles
 | prev_title = [[Why Don't We Fall in Love]]
 | prev_year  = 2002
 | title      = Welcome to Atlanta
 | year       = 2002
 | next_title = [[Move Bitch]]
 | next_year  = 2002
}}
}}

"'''Welcome to Atlanta'''" is a song by American rapper [[Jermaine Dupri]] featuring [[Ludacris]]. It was released in 2001 as the second single from Dupri's 2001 album ''[[Instructions (album)|Instructions]]'', and appeared as a [[hidden track]] on Ludacris' second album, ''[[Word of Mouf]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/release/718204-Ludacris-Word-Of-Mouf/image/SW1hZ2U6OTIyNjM1MDI=|title=Ludacris - Word of Mouf|website=[[Discogs]] |date=26 November 2001 }}</ref> The song praises Dupri and Ludacris' hometown of [[Atlanta]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]. It interpolates "Five Minutes of Funk" by [[Whodini]] and samples "[[Do It Baby]]" by [[The Miracles]].

Dupri released an official remix of the song, "Welcome to Atlanta (Coast 2 Coast Remix)", which features, in addition to Dupri and Ludacris, three rappers from other American cities extolling their own hometowns: [[Sean Combs|P. Diddy]] (for [[New York City]]), [[Murphy Lee]] (for [[St. Louis]]) and [[Snoop Dogg]] (for [[Long Beach, California]]).

==Music video==
The music video for "Welcome to Atlanta" was directed by [[Marc Klasfeld]]. It shows a tour bus being taken around Atlanta by the duo, as well as scenes of nightlife within the city. It features cameo appearances by many notable Atlanta-based rappers, singers and athletes, including [[Lil Jon]], [[Bow Wow (rapper)|Lil Bow Wow]], MC Shy D, [[Da Brat]], [[T.I.]], [[Monica (singer)|Monica]], [[Blaque]], [[Usher (musician)|Usher]], [[Tameka Cottle]], [[Evander Holyfield]], [[Vernon Forrest]], [[Dominique Wilkins]], [[Ying Yang Twins]], [[CeeLo Green]] and [[Big Tigger]].

==Coast 2 Coast Remix and music video==
The official remix, "Welcome To Atlanta (Coast 2 Coast Remix)", features [[Murphy Lee]], [[Snoop Dogg]], [[Sean Combs|Diddy]] and [[Ludacris]] on the intro and outro. Ludacris does not appear in the video. The Music Video was directed by [[Benny Boom]]. Murphy Lee would collaborate with Dupri again in 2003 on "[[Murphy%27s_Law_(Murphy_Lee_album)|What Da Hook Gon Be?]]" & would collaborate with Diddy again in 2003 on "[[Shake Ya Tailfeather]]".

===Scene 1: Atlanta===
Filming Locations:
*2277 Cheshire Bridge Road NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30324
*241 Forsyth St. SW, Atlanta, GA 30303

It starts with Jermaine Dupri coming out from the ''Dunk N Dine'' diner mixed with flashing pictures from the highway leading to Atlanta. He is seen wearing T-shirt a drawn face of [[Lisa Lopes|Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes]], which is an obvious tribute to her (deceased in April the same year). He is joined by fellow Atlantans including [[Lil Jon]] and [[Jazze Pha]] in the parking lot of the [[Magic City (club)|Magic City]] strip club. In the lyrics and some seconds-long camera shots he refers to hometown places Fuel, Kaya, Velvet Room, Club 112, Strokers club, Ritz club, Shark Bar, and Plush Limousine Service.

===Scene 2: New York===
Filming Location: 4 Penn Plaza, New York, New York 10001

P. Diddy is standing on the top of the [[Madison Square Garden]] entrance roof. Cut to scenes of other parts of the city, including [[Yankee Stadium (1923)|Yankee Stadium]] are seen throughout. It has cameo appearances by [[Loon (rapper)|Loon]], [[Fabolous]], Paul Cain, [[Maino (rapper)|Maino]], [[Black Rob]], Stack Bundles [[DJ Clue?]], [[Swizz Beatz]] and [[Jermaine Dupri]]. Mention is made about the [[September 11 attacks]] during the outro of the New York segment when Diddy boasts "we're still here...and we building [[World Trade Center site|four more new towers]]!"

===Scene 3: St. Louis===
Filming Location: 250 Stadium Plaza, St. Louis, Missouri 63102

The members of [[St. Lunatics]] ([[Murphy Lee]], [[Nelly]],  [[Ali (American rapper)|Ali]], [[Kyjuan]] and Slo'Down) are gathered in the [[Busch Memorial Stadium]] accompanied by 2002 season's [[St. Louis Cardinals]] player [[Fernando Viña]] and [[St. Louis Blues]] hockey goaltender [[Fred Brathwaite]]. Murphy Lee dressed in a [[Spirits of St. Louis]] jersey speaks about his loyalty expressed throughout his tattoos and jewelry. The St. Lunatics also dance outside of the stadium next to the statue of [[Stan Musial]].

===Scene 4: Long Beach===
Filming Location: 1014 East Pacific Coast Highway, Long Beach, California 90806

Snoop Dogg invites the whole LBC to have a party with him at the same spot where they had one 9 years earlier in the square in front of the World Famous [[Motown|V.I.P. Records]] store, where Snoop performs his verse mounting the top of the building, like he did during the "[[What's My Name? (Snoop Doggy Dogg song)|What's My Name]]" video shoot. He also presents his ''Snoop Deville'' lowrider car, which was later used in the "[[From tha Chuuuch to da Palace]]" music video. Some of Snoop's entourage show up on the set, including [[Soopafly]] and Uncle Junebug.

==Other remixes==
*The [[Total Nonstop Action Wrestling|TNA Wrestling]] [[pay-per-view]] [[Bound for Glory (2007)|Bound for Glory 2007]], which took place at the [[Arena at Gwinnett Center]] near Atlanta, used a [[Heavy metal music|metal]]-influenced instrumental cover of the song as its main theme.
*A remix called "Welcome to L.A". is done by [[Warren G]] where he presents his town. It appeared on the mixtape of ''DJ Felli Fel Featuring Snoop Dogg–[[Alexander & Catalano|The Heavy Hitters]]'' in 2002.
*[[Pitbull (entertainer)|Pitbull]] did an additional version of the song called "Welcome to Miami"
*[[Kardinal Offishall]] and Ones Project did a remix track entitled "Welcome to Toronto"
*[[Lil Boosie]] did a freestyle of the song entitled "Welcome to da Boot."

==Charts==
{{col-start}}
{{col-2}}

===Weekly charts===
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|-
! scope="col"| Chart (2002)
! scope="col"| Peak<br />position
|-
{{single chart|Billboardhot100|35|artist=Jermaine Dupri|rowheader=true|accessdate=March 2, 2021}}
|-
{{single chart|Billboardrandbhiphop|15|artist=Jermaine Dupri|rowheader=true|accessdate=March 2, 2021}}
|-
{{single chart|Billboardrapsongs|3|artist=Jermaine Dupri|rowheader=true|accessdate=March 2, 2021}}
|-
{{single chart|Billboardrhythmic|7|artist=Jermaine Dupri|rowheader=true|accessdate=March 2, 2021}}
|}
{{col-2}}

===Year-end charts===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|-
! scope="col"| Chart (2002)
! scope="col"| Position
|-
! scope="row"| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2002/hot-r-and-and-b-hip-hop-songs|title=Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 2002|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=March 2, 2021}}</ref>
| 48
|}
{{col-end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20020606014752/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1453916/20020510/dupri_jermaine.jhtml?headlines=true JD on ''MTV News'']
*[http://www.mvdbase.com/video.php?id=9186 The video data on ''MVDB'']
*{{YouTube|4w6iOL8VQ8s|"Welcome to Atlanta" Official music video}}

{{Jermaine Dupri}}
{{Ludacris singles}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Welcome To Atlanta}}
[[Category:2002 singles]]
[[Category:Jermaine Dupri songs]]
[[Category:Ludacris songs]]
[[Category:Murphy Lee songs]]
[[Category:Music videos directed by Marc Klasfeld]]
[[Category:Sean Combs songs]]
[[Category:Snoop Dogg songs]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Jermaine Dupri]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Bryan-Michael Cox]]
[[Category:Songs written by Jermaine Dupri]]
[[Category:Songs written by Ludacris]]
[[Category:Songs written by Bryan-Michael Cox]]
[[Category:Songs written by Freddie Perren]]
[[Category:Songs about Atlanta]]