Late Atlanta music producer Rico Wade to be honored at weekend festival

Dungeon Family legend KP the Great will lead a set honoring the late Atlanta producer and Organized Noize.
A weekend event called The Sesh will pay tribute to music producer Rico Wade and Organized Noize. (Special to the AJC/Kevin Keister) 10/95

Credit: KEVIN KEISTER

Credit: KEVIN KEISTER

A weekend event called The Sesh will pay tribute to music producer Rico Wade and Organized Noize. (Special to the AJC/Kevin Keister) 10/95

A musical tribute honoring Rico Wade on the wheels of steel is set for this Sunday.

Dungeon Family member and longtime Atlanta musician and executive KP the Great will headline an Organized Noize tribute set in honor of the legendary producer and visionary who recently died at the age of 52.

The set will be part of a two-day music festival known as The Sesh, happening April 20 and 21 in downtown Atlanta. The 420-themed event features performances by CeeLo Green, Bun B, 8 Ball and MJ, Fabo, Rocko, and T.I.’s Pimp Squad Click (P$C), as well DJ sets from Bryan Michael Cox, DJ Mars, DJ Yung Fro, DJ E-Clazz, DJ Kno It All, DJ Bluetooth and DJ Tephlon.

Baby Jade and Big Bank from the “Big Facts” podcast will serve as hosts for The Sesh, which is in it’s third year. Previous headliners have included Goodie Mob, Big Boi and Killer Mike. Dubbed an “immersive Atlanta experience,” The Sesh also includes food trucks, meditation, card games and live art.

According to an Instagram post from Atlanta music industry veteran Hannah Kang, there was already a push to have CeeLo Green be a part of this year’s edition, but news of Wade’s passing called for an update to the rundown.

Kang’s marketing agency MusicBusinessPolitics, Gashouse and Rich Foundation are producing the event.

“I wanted to be in music because of them. I wanted to be creative because of them. I was proud to say I am from Atlanta because of them. We going up. RIP Rico Wade yall changed the sound. Yall made us cool. Yall made us believe the SOUTH GOT SOME TO SAY,” she wrote in a post.

Since news of Wade’s death over the weekend, there’s been a flood of well wishes and condolences on social media. At Headland and Delowe, the legendary East Point intersection where Wade met OutKast, a small memorial is taking shape.

There have been no announcements for a memorial or funeral arrangements. A source told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution a potential memorial will likely happen next week.


IF YOU GO

The Sesh

2 p.m.-midnight. April 20-21. $75-$2,000. 183 Forsyth St. SW. theseshatl.com.