Nearly two years ago, Jermaine Dupri and Drake finished filming their much-hyped docuseries about Atlanta's legendary Magic City strip club. Almost a year later, the project finally found a home. STARZ has officially acquired Magic City: An American Fantasy and will debut it this summer.
Dupri posted an excerpt from Deadline confirming the STARZ pick-up on social media to celebrate the big news. The five-part docuseries explores the cultural importance of Magic City, the venue that has been the epicenter of Atlanta's hip-hop scene for decades. Known as the "Black Studio 54," the club has been integral to the careers of countless artists since it opened in 1985.
Dupri, an executive producer along with Drake's DreamCrew Entertainment and the actress Jami Gertz, has spoken out about his ties to the club. "I consider Magic City a second home," Dupri told Deadline in 2023. "It's the one place, where celebrities, hustlers, politicians and Atlanta locals congregate. I've seen it grow over the years from a local joint to an internationally recognized spot. It's about time that we do this story the right way."
The show, created by Cole Brown, premiered at SXSW last year and features a stacked production team, including showrunner Bayan Joonam and executive producers Devin Amar and Alex Kaplan.
STARZ's acquisition was announced while Dupri was mired in an online debate about Drake's godlike hold on the world's DJs. On March 18, Dupri issued what he seemed to consider an indisputable fact via Twitter: "That boi Drake got a DJ alliance like no other artist I have ever seen, but most youn##### probably don't understand what I'm talking about, cause uon to be outside."
The internet, naturally, was quick to respond, as many fans defended and clowned his choice of words. But Dupri wasn't finished; he followed up with a story that just poured gasoline on the fire. "OK, I see people saying DJ alliance crazy, so let me tell y'all what I saw. I walked into the club, and the DJ was calling out a whole group from the West Coast. They probably said, 'Play some West Coast s###,' and then, before he played "Not Like Us," he said, 'I might get in trouble for this.' And I was like, WHOA!"
The reference was to Kendrick Lamar's scathing diss track 'Not Like Us,' which has recently been central to the hip-hop conversation. Whether Dupri intended it as a casual observation or was previously throwing a little subtle shade, it's clear that Drake's influence on DJs and the industry at large is an evergreen subject of conversation.
But even with the web muck, the attention is still glued to Magic City: An American Fantasy and its historic drop. Not only one of Atlanta's most recognizable institutions, Magic City has given birth to some of the most iconic careers in hip-hop's canon, serving as a launchpad for breakout performers and dictating trends in both music and nightlife.
But with STARZ choosing to make the series, fans can now take an in-depth view of the club's rich history and undeniable influence. And if Dupri's recent viral moments prove anything, the discourse around hip-hop's impact on clubs, DJs, and iconic strip joints is not done.
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