Artists, family members and fans shared their condolences on social media for Organized Noize founding member Rico Wade, whose homegoing services are being held today at Ebenezer Baptist Church.
The Southern hip-hop architect and founder of the artist collective The Dungeon Family died on April 13 from heart failure. He was 52 years old.
On the evening before the funeral, Grammy winner Killer Mike shared a video of himself in a recording studio, reciting a lyrical tribute to Wade.
Dee Dee Hibler-Murray, Organized Noize’s first manager and the voice of “Peaches,” the first voice heard on “Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik,” shared a sepia-toned headshot of the producer behind classics like TLC’s “Waterfalls” and En Vogue’s “Don’t Let Go (Love)” on Instagram. She says in the post that Wade fulfilled his vision in music while he was alive.
“You did EVERYTHING with EXCELLENCE and now your mission here on this planet is complete,” she said. “You impacted many lives in a powerful, positive, and unforgettable manner. You will be tremendously missed by all of us.”
Goodie Mob member Khujo Goodie expresses his thoughts on telling people you love them while they’re alive on Instagram. He paired his statement with an instrumental to “The Struggle.”
“Time is the greatest gift you can give to someone,” Khujo said. “Because it’s like giving a portion of your life that you’ll never get back. Remember the value of it and give wisely.”
To commemorate Outkast’s debut album, “Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik,” which was released 30 years ago today, several posts acknowledged Wade’s contributions to the careers of the best-selling rap duo of all-time.
For a generation of hip-hop lovers, the album was a warning signal that rappers from the south were part of a new vanguard in music. It was part of the soundtrack for many lives who were coming-of-age in the early to mid-1990s.
Doctur Dot of Earthgang paid respect to the Dungeon Family architect by retweeting a post from hip-hop magazine XXL recognizing the Outkast debut album anniversary.
“I was just jumping off the porch when this hit,” The Mad King said on X. “This one changed the game. R.I.P. to the legend responsible Rico Wade.”
Kennesaw State University professor and author Regina Bradley, who taught a course in previous years around OutKast’s fourth studio album, “Stankonia,” chimed in.
“Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik is 30 today and STILL. RIDE,” she said. “...a testament to the longstanding genius of #RicoWade and Organized Noize.”
Writer Alex Gonzalez acknowledged Wade’s loss as a blow to Atlanta’s music community in a tweet.
“The recent passing of Rico Wade of the production collective Organized Noize has shaken the ATL hip-hop world,” he said. “But the dirty south sounds of ‘Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik’ lives on.”
The AJC’s Gavin Godfrey, reporting from Ebenezer Baptist Church where Wade’s funeral was held at 11 a.m., posted a widely shared video of Clark Atlanta University’s marching band performing songs produced and inspired by Wade outside the historic house of worship in Atlanta.
Wade was also a key voice in “The South Got Something To Say,” AJC Films’ 2023 documentary which told the story of Atlanta’s rise to hip-hop dominance — something for which Wade, Organized Noize and the Dungeon Family are heavily credited.
Fans like Christopher Smith shared their memories of Wade’s impact. Captioning a GIF from Outkast’s “B.O.B.” video, Smith acknowledged how Outkast’s “Git Up, Git Out” reaffirmed Andre 3000′s memorable statement during the 1995 Source Awards.
@Drodian_Pryme said in a tweet he’s taking the entire day to commemorate Organized Noize’s music.
X user @kiloAlpha12 admitted being shocked to learn of Wade’s demise.
Omega Level Mutant said in his post that Wade’s presence in Atlanta’s music scene set the tone for changing the pop music landscape.
“Rico Wade is the heartbeat of Atlanta man,” he said. “He will live on through each and every ATLien that grew up on OutKast, Goodie Mob, TLC, or so many other artists.”
Artist and producer Tunji expressed his appreciation for Wade’s vision with the prayer emoji in his caption.
“Thank you Rico Wade changed music forever,” he said. “God speed.”
