EAST POINT, Ga. — “Rico Wade put Atlanta on the map,” according to a plethora of family, friends and artists who worked closely with him.

Family, friends, community members, fans and artists joined together for a ceremony and statue unveiling to honor and celebrate the legacy of icon Rico Wade‘s countless contributions to the music industry on Friday in the spot where it all began.

Wade, who passed away in April 2024, was one of the founders of the Dungeon Family and a member of the iconic group Organized Noize.

“Anytime you have greatness in your city that started something, you always want to pay tribute to them. The monument symbolizes a lot,” East Point City Councilwoman Sharon Shropshire said. “The birth started at Headland and Delowe. Right at that spot tells you where the path to success started.”

“The unveiling ceremony was powerful and emotional. You could feel Rico’s spirit in the air - the energy was electric, filled with love, respect, and reflection,” prominent hip-hop historian and entrepreneur “NuFace” said. "To the community, Rico was more than a legend, he was family,”

Wade was a world-renown songwriter, producer, creative, and executive in music.

“Rico wasn’t just a producer, he was a visionary,” NuFace said. “He gave us Organized Noize, he gave us Dungeon Family, and through that, he helped birth legends like Outkast, Goodie Mob, and Future. He showed us that greatness could come from the soil of this city."

Wade also inspired countless others in the music industry and in the Georgia community.

“For them to represent Rico in a monumental way is amazing because that’s how we feel about him,” said Kawan Prather. “The monument in our heart and our spirit based on the time that we spent and what we were able to receive from him and his gifts.”

Prather, a longtime friend and fellow Dungeon Family member said he met Wade around late 1989. Prather says Wade was the first big brother he had.

“There was something about his spirit that made you understand whatever he was saying was sincere, and you just needed to take the time to learn to receive the messages,” Prather said.

Prather says Wade is responsible for him becoming an executive in the music business.

“I was in a group Parental Advisory, one of the groups that Organized Noize was producing. Pebbles and LA Reid took an interest in me and thought that I could help on the other side of the business,” Prather said. “I thought that was corny, but Rico said if they see something in you, take the opportunity to learn it, get the information because we can use it.”

“East Point did a great job and represented Rico well,” said Blackowned C-Bone, a close friend and fellow Dungeon Family member. “Rico was different. He was an innovator and a motivator. Me and Rico had a great relationship. I looked up to him as a brother and he gave me a lot of advice.”

Blackowned C-Bone says Wade’s name is synonymous with Atlanta.

“He was everything to Atlanta. He was Atlanta. If you say Atlanta, you had to say Rico in the same breath,” he continued. “Rico was a really good person. He was a brother, father, husband, family man, best friend, homeboy, OG.”

NuFace, whose real name is Larry Compton, said Wade should always be celebrated not just in Atlanta.

“As someone who documents hip-hop history, it was a beautiful reminder of why we must preserve these moments,” he said.

Rico Wade was the heart of Atlanta’s creative pulse, NuFace adds.

“He opened doors, literally with the Dungeon, turning his mother’s basement into the birthplace of a new era in music. He gave young Black creatives a place to dream, to build, to speak truth,” NuFace said.

Wade’s countless contributions to the music community was a representation of his tireless work ethic, passion and dedication to his craft and to helping to uplift the people around him.

“His fingerprints are on the DNA of southern hip-hop. He didn’t just shape the sound of Atlanta, he shifted the culture of music worldwide. To me, Rico was like a hip-hop architect building a sound that gave the South its voice, its confidence, and its legacy,” NuFace concluded.

East Point Mayor Deana Holiday says Wade’s contributions to the community will always be celebrated.

Shropshire paid homage to recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Outkast by citing lyrics to their hit song, “Elevators” when they rap, “a couple of years ago on Headland and Delowe was the start of something good.”

“You have people who travel from everywhere that want to see Headland and Delowe,” she continued. “Now, they have a monument where people can read and understand how it started and where it came from.”

NuFace says keeping his legacy alive is “crucial.”

“Rico Wade’s story is Atlanta’s story, and if we don’t tell it, who will? We keep his legacy alive by teaching the next generation, preserving his work, celebrating his contributions, and continuing the spirit of collaboration that he stood for,” NuFace continued. “I’m committed to archiving these moments, showcasing artifacts, and telling the stories behind the stories, because that’s how we keep the flame lit.”