story

"Hey, what's up? I'm Michael, also called Killer Mike. I'm a rapper, businessman, and probably unofficial mayor of Atlanta. SNKRS just dropped off this box and I'm about to check it out."

"All right, let's see what we got here. I know I'm not going to get to keep the bag. The wife's definitely going to take that. Oh, boom. I love the translucent swoosh. They got the impression of ATL with the Nike swoosh. That's pretty ill."

"ATL Hustle definitely looks like a Hustler shoe, man. I can remember seeing members of the basketball team in high school wear Air Force 1's and just like, "I got to get a pair of those." You know what I mean? '87, '88, just like, "Oh, I got to get a pair of those." So..."

"...for me, once I saw Nike's, it was over for me. I've probably been a Nike head since '84, since I convinced my grandmother to get me my first pair. She made me pay half. She made me cut grass. And I think it was like 60 bucks she made me pay. I had to get 30 bucks on my own."

"Sneaker culture in Atlanta in the eighties exploded. It exploded because, as kids, our heroes were rappers and athletes. I wanted to be in sneakers. And to me, dressing up was putting on a cooler pair of sneakers than my partner and some fresh denim."

"First detail on this shoe that caught my eye is the ATL here. This is probably my absolute favorite part. And that they used the Swoosh in the A. Yeah, I think these are ill. Woo! Feeling like new money."

"What I like about these is anytime I put these on, I'm going to see that ATL. So no matter where I am in the world, I'm always grounded in the fact that I'm an Atlanta boy. So right now, I'm about to do one of my favorite things in the world."

"I get to take a pair of these to my man Greg at the store that started my sneaker addiction. And that's a store called Walter's. Rest in Peace to the Mr and Mrs that owned this store for years and years and years. They have been an incredible business."

"They've hired young black men throughout my whole life. They helped start the sneaker game in Atlanta. So I get to go to my favorite store, hang out with one of my favorite people, and give him one of my favorite shoes."

"Street! What up? Look what I got. I got a surprise for you, brother. What? I like surprises. Oh, ATL. Yeah. These are dope."

"Sitting here in Walter's Clothing with the famous Greg Street, world renowned DJ; real DJ. He puts his hands to wax. We talk about the culture; This is truly one of the culture creators, man."

"Not curators, creators. He helped create the culture of Atlanta. The culture of Atlanta is so rich. Not just music, not just business, not just politics."

"It's just a whole gumbo of a lot of things that makes Atlanta what it is. And of course, amazing people in the city of Atlanta."

"They should have made them the Kilo Ali. Baby, Baby. Yay. Work. Oh yeah, they're hard."

"And I think that this truly is the mecca for black opportunity and entrepreneurship in the United States from here. And that's what's beautiful about the city. You don't have to be known. You don't have to slam dunk or get on the microphone to achieve your wildest dreams and help other people do that too."

"I'm Killer Mike with my man Greg Street. Thanks for checking us out on The Drop Off. Keep, keep, keep waiting, looking. It's coming. The ATL Hustler 404 edition. 404 day. Check us out."

The Drop-Off

Killer Mike and DJ Greg Street