Finished with his media interviews for the day, an Atlanta rap icon says hi to a few fans and finally makes it to his seat for his first Atlanta United match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. His entourage sits down and relaxes as the players begin to warm up on the field in front of them, but Jeezy is still standing. When asked why he’s come out for his first match, he looks out over the field.
“I kept hearing about the new wave here.”
A professional soccer team is still relatively new for Jeezy’s hometown of Atlanta. It’s the city that helped mold him into one of the pioneers of trap music, the Southern style of hip hop that exploded in the early 2000’s. But he says in just a few short years the team has already come to represent the hustle and drive that makes Atlanta unique.
“Atlanta is about the drive to succeed,” Jeezy says, “just being around so many entrepreneurs and self-made people pushes you to perfection.”
“This was just somebody’s idea,” he says, pointing out to a packed supporters’ stand. “Arthur Blank said there was going to be a soccer stadium in Atlanta with 50 to 70 thousand people at the games. It started with an entrepreneur who had an idea. That’s what Atlanta is about.”
Soccer is not new to Jeezy. He says his tours through Europe and Africa opened his eyes to the beautiful game, so he – like so many others in Atlanta – has welcomed the Five Stripes with open arms. He cheers for every team in town, but says soccer brings a new dimension that the city didn’t have before.
“It’s just a different type of energy. Soccer is continuous for 45 minutes at a time. To have that same energy I saw in Europe is amazing. It’s just a different pace to the other sports. This is getting up out of your seats, adrenaline pumping, beer-drinking –– It’s a different energy, it’s non-stop.”
And most importantly, he says, Atlanta United is bringing new eyes to a city he’s called home his whole life.
“I love meeting people around the world who tell me they’ve been in Atlanta before. Or they come for two weeks and end up moving for ten years. For me just it’s about being a part of that movement and being able to represent, whether it’s in music or politics, sports or charity, it’s Atlanta. Atlanta United is part of that movement now, so you just have to put on and do it your best.”
As for his first Atlanta United match, he says he can already tell it will be a special experience, one that will remind him of those European nights that made him first fall in love with the game.
“I’m rapping all over the world so I get a chance to see how big the sport is, and really how special the sport is. For the city to embrace it, to see kids and families out, this is just as big as the Falcons if not bigger. If you told me that two years ago, I would have never believed it.”
He takes one more look back over the field as the lights dim and the pre-match display begins.
“So coming here, it’s breathtaking. This is Atlanta.”
© 2026 Atlanta United FC
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