USA, GA: Rap group Nappy Roots to open microbrewery in Atlanta

Nappy Roots, the influential rap group whose songs have fused Hip-Hop with country, is expanding its brand with a new micro-brewery in Atlanta’s Castleberry Hill neighborhood, the Atlanta Business Chronicle reported on October 9.

Nappy Roots' members have been craft beer fans for over a decade. They made their own craft beer out of their homes, launched a documentary series on craft beers, "40Akerz & a Brew,” and toured breweries across the country to learn the art.

They even partnered three years ago with Atlanta’s Monday Night Brewing. That collaboration produced “Front Porch Ale,” the group’s first entrance into the craft brewing business. They have partnered with multiple breweries since then.

Nappy Roots provides an example of more Hip-Hop groups embracing craft beer as a way to reach a wider audience. Few, however, have taken the step of launching their own micro-brewery.

“We caught the passion,” said Nappy Roots member and Milledgeville Ga.-native “Fish Scales,” whose name is Melvin Adams Jr. “We learned making beer is a lot like making music.”

Learning about the art was pivotal. Consider a story Monday Night's brewmaster Peter Kiley told Nappy Roots member and Kentucky-born William Hughes, better known as "Skinny Deville." Kiley was describing a batch that didn't turn out as well as he wanted. But, instead of scrapping it, he infused it with serrano peppers. Deville was struck by Kiley's improvisation and saw parallels with the creative process of his own music.

“I said, 'Wait, you can do that to beer?' ” Deville said. “Peter said, ‘Buddy, you can do anything you want to beer.' "

Deville said, "That opened my eyes."

Over the years, Hip-Hop and craft beer makers have shared a mutual respect for each other. The craft beer landscape evolved in much the same way Hip-Hop did. Both valued boldness, creativity and innovation, said Jonathan Baker, who develops and maintains the Monday Night brand.

"Beer in general used to be more restrained," said Baker, who became a fan of Nappy Roots in high school. "The craft beer movement created new styles or riffed on old styles much like Hip-Hop."

Nappy Roots will build out its concept, "Atlantucky Brewing" in a 6,000-square-foot space owned by H. J. Russell & Co., one of Atlanta’s most influential real estate firms and Black-owned businesses. The space is part of a building on Northside Drive developed over a decade ago by Herman J. Russell and James Paschal in the Castleberry Hill Arts District. Russell and Paschal played an important place in Atlanta’s history, and Paschal’s restaurant became the center of the Civil Rights movement in the city.

“This is a very historic community,” Fish Scales said. “We have an opportunity to add to it.”

The brewery will add another amenity to the heart of downtown’s tourism district near Mercedes-Benz Stadium, State Farm Arena and not far from Atlanta University Center, which is home to Historically Black Colleges and Universities. It will also be near Centennial Yards, the 50-acre redevelopment of downtown’s historic Gulch. Los Angeles developer CIM Group is pitching the massive transformation that could spark investment and development in downtown for a generation.

Nappy Roots liked Castelberry Hill not only for its history. The group was familiar with the neighborhood, having recorded one of their albums in a studio just two blocks from their new brewery. Castleberry Hill is also full of creative professionals who are “open to change,” Scales said.

“We are introducing beer to a whole new audience,” he said. “We need open-minded people.”

Nappy Roots can become a role model for new entrepreneurs wanting to find their niche in downtown, Deville said. He called Atlanta, known for its diversity and as a mecca for young Black business owners, the “Wakanda of the South,” a reference to the fictional country in the film “Black Panther.”

“We want to help the dollars circulate in the community,” Deville said. “We want to build Black wealth for the next generation.”

The Russell family is also a major property owner in the neighborhood, with long-term plans to add more development and amenities. It also continues providing support for Atlanta entrepreneurs through programs including the Russell Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (RCIE). It’s housed in Castleberry Hill.

“There are a lot of African American businesses in Atlanta, particularly in the consumer space,” said Jerome Russell, president of H.J. Russell & Co. “It’s probably one of the top centers for African American purchasing power in the country. We need to start talking more about that and how unique it is.”

Atlantucky Brewing could open as early as the first quarter of 2021. H.J. Russell & Co. worked with the Atlanta office of Stream Realty to land Nappy Roots as a tenant.

The brewery will feature multiple bars and can hold private events. Deville said fans should expect to see Nappy Roots members at the new Castleberry Hill brewery and spending time giving back to the historic community.

“Rich, or poor, Black or white, we have to look after each other," Deville said. "We want to build a community the way it's meant to be."

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