Back in ’06, ATL lit up the silver screen. It was a raw, vibrant glimpse into our streets, our lives, our culture. Luvvjones__ put us on blast, crafting a film loosely based on the ATL life experiences of Dallas Austin and Tionne ‘T-Boz’ Watkins. It was Chris Robinson’s first stint as a director and most of the cast were fresh faces, but ATL was all real all authentic.
The screenplay, penned by Tina Gordon Chism, who also contributed to Drumline, wove a coming-of-age tale about Rashad, played by our own T.I. in his film debut, and his crew in their last high school year. Lauren London, in her own debut, held it down as Rashad’s main squeeze. The story may be loosely based on Austin and T-Boz, but they never had a thing they were just two friends making their own tracks in the dirty South.
Skating rinks weren’t just a place for pirouettes and loop-de-loops. We escaped to them, away from the chaos outside, feeling that thrill of freedom on wheels. It was our club before we were old enough for the real spots. ATL is a culture classic, a love letter to our city and our adolescence, our grind and our glory.
Original content by luvvjones__ · View original