Netflix recently released “The Art of Organized Noize,” which is a documentary that sheds light on the masterminds behind the hip hop movement in Atlanta during the 90’s.
The producers who make up the group Organized Noize- Rico Wade, Sleepy Brown, and Ray Murray, together all played a major hand in the success of legendary artist like Outkast, Goodie Mob, and TLC. Throughout the documentary there is commentary from P. Diddy, Ludacris, LA. Reid, Pebbles, and other close friends and family who witnessed the growth of Organized Noize and watched them put Atlanta on the Map.
The first line in Outkast song “Elevators” Andre says “One for the money, yes sir, two for the show, a couple of years ago on Headland and Delowe, was the start of something good, where me and my nigga rode the Marta through the hood, just tryna find that hook up”. Which is exactly what the documentary Organized Noize depicts. As an Outkast fan that always heard about the Dungeon, but never exactly knew what it was I found it intriguing to see the basement that started all the magic. Although it was far from magical it was given the name The Dungeon for a reason. They take it back to their old stomping grounds, reminiscing on how they all meet, and how the Dungeon family came to be. Like all families their are highs and lows and in the Netflix documentary The Art of Organized Noize Rico Wade, Sleepy Brown, and Ray Murray tells it all.
I find this documentary very important because there is more to music than just the artists that are pushed. I’m sure many of us have all heard of the superstar groups like Outkast and TLC but are unaware of the visionaries behind the scene who help to make these artists successful. Organized Noize produced the song Waterfalls by TLC, one of their biggest hits that sold millions and made their album go certified diamond. As for Outkast, Organized Noise produced Speakerboxxx/ The Love Below that mad Outkast the first Rap artist to win album of the year at the Grammy’s.
This documentary has been receiving high praise on social media. Many artists are highlighting the importance of watching this film in order to shed light on the men behind the scenes who laid out the blue print for Hip Hop in Atlanta during the 90’s. Producer Jermaine Dupri tweeted out “Every young producer needs to watch The Art of Organized Noize” and I completely agree. The contributions that Organized Noize made really changed the game, and their music will live on forever.
