February 2020 Rolling Stone 71
MONEY MOVESA stripper picks up
money on the stage of
Magic City, a strip club
that has been around
since the Eighties.
“There are many strip
clubs in Atlanta, and
several are proving
grounds for new music,”
Jones says. “Magic City
is the most famous.”
GODFATHERYoung Thug at the release show for
Lil Keed, whom he helped mentor
before signing the rapper to his label,
YSL Records. “Thug is like a god here
in Atlanta,” Jones says. “Having him
on your side is a big deal.”IN FLIGHTStrippers do an intricate
high-flying routine at
Magic City, where DJs
often test unreleased
music. “The response
from the audience and
the dancers can really
launch a song,” Jones
explains. “It’s just one
step, but if it doesn’t
fly in the strip clubs, it’s
probably not gonna fly
on the radio, either.”
LIGHT OF DAYThe exterior of Magic City. “This
is a place that’s very sensitive to
photography, so it took me a long
time to get into,” Jones says. “There’s
a whole book to be written just about
the history of Magic City.”