‘Billboard Unfiltered’: A$AP Rocky, Is André 3000 Atlanta’s GOAT? & Nelly’s Hitmaking Ability

Billboard Unfiltered is back with another brand new episode. Staffers Kyle Denis, Carl Lamarre and Damien Scott embraced debate on Thursday (Aug. 29) while touching on a plethora of topics such as A$AP Rocky’s new Billboard cover story, Complex‘s GOAT Atlanta rapper list, Nelly missing the cut on Billboard‘s top 25 pop stars of the 21st century list.

Deputy Director, Editorial Damien Scott provided some context to his cover story on Rocky, who delayed his Don’t Be Dumb album into the fall. For part of their travels, Scott accompanied the Mob frontman through his hometown as Rocky’s love affair with Harlem was on full display.

“He’s like, ‘I come back all the time.’ At first I was like, ‘No you don’t.’ People wouldn’t go this crazy if you came back all the time,” Scott said. “But because he was so comfortable there, I was like, ‘You do come back here all the time.’ He was just waltzing around like it was nothing.”

Scott continued: “He was like, ‘This is my block, this is where I came up, this is where my friend lived, this is where we used to go, this is where I used to bring my dates, my school was right here, I used to go shopping right here.’ He felt at ease as if one of you were to go back home.”

Complex recently unveiled its top 50 Atlanta rappers list with André 3000 coming in at No. 1, which Deputy Director R&B/Hip-Hop Carl Lamarre took issue with since Three Stacks is without a solo album in his discography.

“What befuddles me so crazy is you don’t have a singular body of work to put against somebody like a T.I., who has 11 albums himself — I’ma say three classics solo. Someone like Jeezy, ATL staple TM:101,” Lamarre said. “When you’re talking about individuals, it would help to have a singular body of work to represent that output.”

CL listed out his personal Mount Rushmore of Atlanta MCs in no specific order: “Future, Jeezy, Tip and Thug.” Scott went with Outkast as a duo, Ceelo Green, T.I. and Gucci Mane over Jeezy.

Staff Writer Kyle Denis was among the team responsible for crafting Billboard‘s top 25 pop stars of the 21st century list, and among the honorable mentions that didn’t make the cut like 50 Cent, Kendrick Lamar and Jennifer Lopez, it was Nelly who he had the toughest time with keeping out of the 25.

“I think there’s just so much happening in 2024 specifically that you don’t get without Nelly,” he said. “We don’t get a Shaboozey ‘Tipsy,’ we don’t get half of what Beyoncé’s doing on Cowboy Carter on the back half, we don’t get a lot of Morgan Wallen’s s–t in the way that he attacks records certain songs with the cadence he uses without what Nelly does. Talking about Midwest rappers, you don’t get Sexyy Red.”

Watch the entire episode below. Keep it locked for another episode of Billboard Unfiltered next week.