Why Hot 107.9’s Birthday Bash remains an Atlanta staple, 30 years later
Beyonce Alowishus vividly remembers her first “OMG moment” while working Hot 107.9’s Birthday Bash as if she were recounting her favorite reality TV show — or a thriller.
It was 2004 at Lakewood Amphitheatre (then known as HiFi Buys Amphitheatre). T.I., fresh from a jail stint, performed his second of what would become many Birthday Bash appearances. He dedicated some of his set to dissing Houston rapper Lil’ Flip, who was slated to perform later that night. Lil’ Flip was born Wesley Eric Weston Jr.
On stage, T.I., whose legal name is Clifford Harris, described Lil’ Flip as a “leprechaun” and “punk” before rapping a previously unreleased diss track against him, invigorating the crowd. The threats sent Alowishus and her team into a spiral.
“I was trying to get ahold of my program director, asking, like, ‘What do we do?’” Alowishus said. “Everyone’s on the walkie talkie (saying) we can’t bring out Lil’ Flip after this. So the lights went dark at Lakewood. It was pitch black, and we had to announce that the show was over. It was done.”
But for Alowishus, who serves as a producer and artist liaison for Birthday Bash, that scene doesn’t resonate as entirely negative. Instead, it stands as a testament to the annual concert’s status as an Atlanta staple — yielding countless memories that are just as vital for the city as they are for hip-hop.
On Sunday, the show will celebrate 30 years — and T.I. will perform again.
“It’s the history of Atlanta music,” Alowishus said.
Creating Birthday Bash
Launched in 1995, Hot 107.9 is Atlanta’s first hip-hop station. It’s one of four under the Urban One Atlanta conglomerate (which also operates Classix 102.9, Praise 102.5 and Majic 107.5/97.5).
Birthday Bash “really started off as the radio station’s annual birthday celebration because they wanted to highlight the artists in Atlanta and those that we played,” said Alowishus, who began working for Hot 107.9 as an intern in 1998.
The first bash was hosted at Variety Playhouse. Outkast, Notorious BIG and Diddy were among the performers. What started as a small celebration swiftly evolved into the definitive rap concert of Atlanta — shifting sites to Lakewood Amphitheatre and later to State Farm Arena.
Kanye West, Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, Drake, Jeezy and Cardi B are other notables who have performed at the show. Birthday Bash is where Latto made history as its first female headliner (2024) and where Pastor Troy fired up the stage after Master P attempted to exclude him from the show (1999).
“Birthday Bash was that once-a-year experience where, if you’re from Atlanta, you had to be there; … you always grew up as a kid wanting to be old enough to be able to go to the concert,” Alowishus said.
This year’s lineup is a reflection of “old Atlanta,” Alowishus said. Headlined by T.I., the show will include Gucci Mane, 2 Chainz, Pastor Troy, Kilo Ali, Soulja Boy and newcomer YK Niece.
Goodie Mob will receive the Rico Wade Game Changer Award. In 2024, Hot 107.9 established the honor, named after the late Dungeon Family founder, to highlight those shaping Atlanta culture.
“It’s not necessarily (about) who has the hottest song two or three months before Birthday Bash,” Alowishus said about selecting artists for the concert. “It’s about planning ahead to see, hey, who can really hold down a 40-minute set in front of 20,000 people.”
Planning for this year’s show began last fall. Gil Jones, director of marketing and promotions for Urban One Atlanta, said Birthday Bash preparation “takes me out of the first and second quarter of the year.”
Jones has produced the show since 2018 and works closely with a core team of a dozen Hot 107.9 staffers to execute each iteration. He said planning the show while managing his other duties can be difficult — especially considering the concert has no external promoters.
Yet he’s already thinking about the bash’s future, which could include a three-day festival or a move to Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
“We’ve been approached, trust me, by a lot of folks who let us know that they want to be a part of the Birthday Bash brand, and take some of this work off us,” Jones noted. “And we have declined every time because we take pride in it being a fully produced radio show.”
Only resale tickets are available for Sunday’s concert. Tickets from the original seller sold out in March, Jones said. He added that producing Birthday Bash includes a $1.5 million to $3 million investment from the station.
Although the station declined to share how much revenue the show yields each year, it affirmed it remains a priority for Urban One.
“If it were not super profitable, it would not continue to happen,” said Pamela McKay, vice president and market manager of Urban One Atlanta.
Given the challenges facing the radio industry (including shrinking staff and declining ad revenues), McKay said Birthday Bash remaining independently run adds to its success.
“On one side, it’s a give back to the community,” she said. “On the other side, it’s a great business enterprise for the company. So it’s a win-win, honestly.”
A ‘benchmark’ for artists
Snap music pioneer Fabo, of D4L fame, is another rapper on Sunday’s lineup. He compared Birthday Bash to Atlanta’s version of Christmas — a space where artists can offer hometown love just as deeply as they receive it from fans.
And for veteran acts like himself, he’s grateful for that love.
Birthday Bash “lets people know that you’re still here, you’re still rejuvenated, and you’re still working,” Fabo said.
Headliner T.I. described Birthday Bash as a “benchmark” for artists, noting Sunday’s show will be his “final lap”— given that he’s slated to drop his retirement album, “Kill the King,” this year.
“To be sitting at home listening to the radio, listening to them promote Birthday Bash and dreaming for an opportunity to be a part of it — to go from that kid to being featured on that stage to headlining that stage to now celebrating the blessings of an illustrious career on the same stage, that’s God given,” he said.
As for T.I.’s performance, he wants attendees to “expect the unexpected.”
“It’s gonna be my thank you to all the fans for supporting my dream,” he said.
IF YOU GO
Hot 107.9’s Birthday Bash
7 p.m. Sunday. $133-$460 (only resale tickets are available). State Farm Arena. 1 State Farm Drive, Atlanta. 404-878-3000, statefarmarena.com.
About the Author
DeAsia is a music and culture reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She focuses on the intersection of arts, culture and diverse communities, as well as how emerging social trends are being expressed through the lens of the Atlanta aesthetic. DeAsia's work can be seen in Pitchfork, Essence, Teen Vogue, Elle and more.
