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‘It started all right here’: Rico Wade immortalized with East Point monument

Friends, family, city honor Atlanta music visionary with a permanent dedication.
May 10, 2025

Big Boi still thinks about the day his life changed forever.

It was the early 1990s, and as a teenager, he stood inside of Lamonte‘s Beauty Supply story at Headland and Delowe drives in East Point to freestyle for Rico Wade.

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Outkast member Big Boi stands behind the monument dedicated to the legacy of his mentor Rico Wade in East Point on Friday. (Natrice Miller/AJC)
Outkast member Big Boi stands behind the monument dedicated to the legacy of his mentor Rico Wade in East Point on Friday. (Natrice Miller/AJC)

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”,sllafretaW“ ohw ot ot emit eht os loohcs srebmemer dereffo fo fo gnivom elddim sdik sih sih mih drah .riah evag morf dneirf tuc ,lruc rotaroballoc etorw-oc esolc esuaceb ta dna a a s’edaW edaW s’CLT tnioP ezeuqraM lacoL irehJ ,egdirehtE tsaE .rutaceD

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eht eht eht eht taht detrats gnippohs dias fo fo dnegel ni dedeecxe senifnoc .ytic retnec tub dna edaW aigroeG ylimaF egdirehtE noegnuD

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dekrow llew saw srotisiv oirt rehtegot ot eht deirots .snos ,delaever skramer nalp gninepo eno no laiciffo fo evitan tsom tnemunom rebmem draeh stseug morf morf licnuoc noitnevnoc s’ytic etarbelec ,uaerub sa sa dna dna a s’edaW ehT .erihsporhS norahS s’tnioP tnioP royaM mahargnI yadiloH ,siocnarF tsaE tsaE anaeD letnahC erofeB

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Ryder Wade (left) and Rico Wade Jr., sons of Organized Noize co-founder Rico Wade, attend the unveiling of a monument dedicated to the legacy of their father in East Point on Friday. (Natrice Miller/AJC)
Ryder Wade (left) and Rico Wade Jr., sons of Organized Noize co-founder Rico Wade, attend the unveiling of a monument dedicated to the legacy of their father in East Point on Friday. (Natrice Miller/AJC)

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Dungeon Family recording artist Sleepy Brown (left) and Marqueze Ethridge, a childhood friend of Organized Noize co-founder Rico Wade, give remarks during Friday's dedication ceremony. (Natrice Miller/AJC)
Dungeon Family recording artist Sleepy Brown (left) and Marqueze Ethridge, a childhood friend of Organized Noize co-founder Rico Wade, give remarks during Friday's dedication ceremony. (Natrice Miller/AJC)

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tahT“ m’I‘ ’.uoy ot eht ”.sraet ,dias dias esaeler gniydaer duorp ,tcejorp .gnissap eno fo fo wen em tfel si ni degguh sih raeh eh eh tog yad ecnahc erofeb dna a a edaW I enobkcaB

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s’eH“ gnihtyrevE“ — htiw ot eht eht ”.edis .dias ruo rehto no em s‘eh tog gniog ”,reverof rof ,ylimaf enod ytic gib eb legna a I ,ylimaF noegnuD ioB giB

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 a senior reporter for the AJC who covers Black culture, entertainment, and diversity. He's an award-winning writer and editor from Atlanta whose covered everything from OutKast to the water boys. Before joining the AJC, Gavin worked for Capital B Atlanta, CNN, and Creative Loafing.