Amid the chaos in downtown Atlanta Friday night, two of the city’s most visible advocates, Killer Mike and T.I., joined Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms to speak directly to their native city.

“If we lose Atlanta, what else we got? We lose an ability to plot, to plan, to strategize, to organize and to properly mobilize,” said Killer Mike (aka Mike Render). “I want you to go home. I want you to talk to 10 of your friends. I want you guys to come up with real solutions.”

Killer Mike also advocated for the return of a “community review board” with the Atlanta Police Department. “We need to get ahead of it before an office does some stupid ****…Let’s get ahead of it and let’s give them power.”

T.I. (Clifford "Tip" Harris) joined his longtime friend and business partner to speak passionately about Atlanta, drawing on the names of Dr. Martin Luther King, Maynard Jackson and Ambassador Andrew Young as examples of those "who paved the way for us."

“Atlanta has been here for us. This is Wakanda,” T.I. said, invoking the fictional country from “Black Panther.” “It’s sacred. It must be protected.”

>> RELATED: Violence rocks Atlanta as peaceful protest ends in flames

>> PHOTOS: Atlanta rally against police violence draws hundreds, turns violent

>> COMPLETE COVERAGE: Atlanta protests 

Another prominent Atlanta hip-hop figure, Big Boi, retweeted the video of Killer Mike talking at the mayor's press conference.

Earlier in the evening, Jermaine Dupri posted a video to his social media accounts, urging people to vote in the June 9 primary and specifying the ways to do so.

“I see people furious and I see people saying Trump will win again #timeforsomeaction,” he tweeted.

>> RELATED: Buckhead stores, restaurants clean up after a night of riots and looting

>> FULL TEXT: Read Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms' plea for her city

>>MINUTE-BY-MINUTE: Peaceful protest turns violent

Also providing social commentary was Lecrae, whose hip-hop music carries a spiritual leaning. He posted on his Instagram account:

Buildings are burning, blood is on the leaves, people are upset. My son asked me last night "what did we do to be hated so badly?" Now I know where my mind and heart can go so I'm protecting my sanity. I'm staying proactive, training my kids for a cruel world, praying, lamenting, reading, and consoling my hurting brethren. Love somebody well today. Sacrifice your time, talents, and treasures for a hurting soul. #georgefloyd

Conserve your mental and emotional energy. This is a marathon not a sprint.

Follow the Atlanta Music Scene on Facebook and Twitter.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Greg Street (center), hip-hop DJ and radio personality, takes a selfie with fans Melinda Bailey (left) and Janice Bonner at Hobnob Neighborhood Tavern before an Atlanta Falcons pep rally at Atlantic Station, Friday, September 5, 2025, in Atlanta. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Featured

Fulton DA Fani Willis (center) with Nathan J. Wade (right), the special prosecutor she hired to manage the Trump case and had a romantic relationship with, at a news conference announcing charges against President-elect Donald Trump and others in Atlanta, Aug. 14, 2023. Georgia’s Supreme Court on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, upheld an appeals court's decision to disqualify Willis from the election interference case against Trump and his allies. (Kenny Holston/New York Times)

Credit: NYT