UATL Logo
Entertainment

‘Cornerstone of Atlanta hip-hop’ D.R.E.S. Tha Beatnik passes away

Online tributes pour in for the legendary event host, emcee, beatboxers and hip-hop historian.
D.R.E.S. Tha Beatnik (left) and DJ Nick the Quick perform onstage during the Atlanta Winter Beerfest at the Masquerade. (Courtesy of Jonathan Phillips)

Credit: Jonathan Phillips

D.R.E.S. Tha Beatnik (left) and DJ Nick the Quick perform onstage during the Atlanta Winter Beerfest at the Masquerade. (Courtesy of Jonathan Phillips)
By
June 9, 2025

Atlanta’s hip-hop community has lost one of its most prominent voices.

Legendary event host and emcee D.R.E.S. Tha Beatnik passed away on June 9, according to a message posted to his Facebook page.

m’I“ htiw saw ot ot siht eht eht eht taht ”,edis edis erahs das .sdaer revo rehto fo ym ym .gninrom egassem em evol efil ereh sah dessorc yb dna eH kintaebahtserd@

saw ot eht nosrepsekops swen ylimaf demrifnoc ehT .noitutitsnoC-lanruoJ eH atnaltA A .15

— — seunev ot eht eht eht stnelat hcus sdnats srekaens erutangis enecs gnikcor par ecnamrofrep fo ,evitan cisum cisum kool ekil tnel laitneulfni ni gnitsoh nairotsih sih sih sah rof rof erutxif stneve .sedaced s’ytic tereb neeb rexobtaeb sa dna dna dna dna dna .smubla a a a ,)dnuoS laeR aihpledalihP weN QJM ,tteL lavitseF ecnessE eniviD .S.E.R.D ,efaC nroB ecnalaB ehcapA erdnA syawlA C3A hcihw(

saw eht eht eht cifilorp sreep eno fo tsom evil nwonk ni ni stsoh tneve ,yrtnuoc .ssenisub sa ylbaugra dna ssorca oT .S.E.R.D atnaltA

setubirt eht deruop enilno swen .ni snoitacided ,ekorb dna sA

enotsrenroc“ dnuorgrednu ot derrefer reppar fo poh-pih ,noitacided ”.erutluc sa dna dna na tsivitca a ahT ekiM relliK margatsnI nI gninniw-ymmarG .S.E.R.D kintaeB ,atnaltA

eW“ ”,uoy etorw ew .tsop fo tsol tsol gnisol yrarbil redael ni ni yrotsih sih oreh evah evah dna a a ekiM relliK kintaebahtserd@

htiw .llew saw derahs reppar par recudorp gnisop otohp fo ssol flesmih stnaig tlef yb dnoyeb sa dna osla a ehT ahT yradnegeL looK htieK .S.E.R.D .kintaeB atnaltA

ekops retirwgnos recudorp no ecneulfni sih .reerac dna tuoba ’.S.E.R.D xoC leahciM-nayrB gninniw-drawA

I“ uoy sraey .etorw lliw eht no reven ym ym edam efil ni ni tcapmi tegrof ylrae xoC ”,atnaltA

”naihpledatnaltA“ saw hguorht stnelat demialcorp-fles rehto no lacisum ni ni nwotemoh sih gnidiug morf gnikaerb osla evitca ehT .LTA

”.rotcudnoc“ saw gnilevart ot rieht eht eht maet derrefer fo fo dehcnual ni tsoh mih gnithgilhgih noitibihxe sevitaerc .roloc sa tra osla ehT sciryL S.E.R.D staeB ,atnaltA ,trA L+BA + ,)L+BA(

taebtraeh“ erehw saw eunev eht eht hcus selpats ”enecs fo cisum detsoh eh tneve nwotnwod dellac yb sa ehT ,elcanrebaT .éfaK zzaJknuF .S.E.R.D atnaltA

.derahs fo sah htaed esuac neeb oN

lliw ot ecivres .dedivorp lairomem ni sih gnimochtrof rof ,ylimaf sliated eb a atnaltA gnidroccA

siht seirots ruo rehto fo rettelswen erom pihsrebmem rebmem ekil ni eerf rof .stifeneb dna a LTAU emoceB

no no dna ,X LTAU koTkiT .margatsnI wolloF ,koobecaF

About the Author

Gavin Godfrey is an editor and Team Lead for UATL, the AJC's Black culture franchise. He's an award-winning writer and editor from Atlanta who's covered everything from OutKast to the water boys. Before joining the AJC, Gavin worked for Capital B Atlanta, CNN, and Creative Loafing.