On a warm, partly cloudy Friday morning outside Ebenezer Baptist Church, less than an hour before the official start of the private funeral service for Rico Wade, Clark Atlanta University’s marching band lifted their heads, hands and horns to perform musical tributes.
Those arriving for the 11 a.m. service heard live versions of songs like “Waterfalls” by TLC, and OutKast classics such as “Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik,” the title track to the Atlanta hip-hop duo’s debut album, produced by Wade and his Organized Noize Productions partners, and released 30 years ago Friday.
The energy coming from the ensemble also helped lift the spirits of those gathered to pay final respects to Wade, the pioneering Atlanta record producer who died April 13. Wade, whose creative vision and leadership helped craft a new sound and standard for Southern hip-hop and soul music, was 52.
A crowd started to swell around 10 a.m. Large black-and-white posters with portraits of Wade were placed along a path through a floral arch and into the church.
As friends made their way in, the band belted out the chorus to the OutKast song, “Ms. Jackson.”
Brandon Owens, Clark’s assistant director of bands, is a “Grady baby” who grew up on Dungeon Family music. He said the band already had a concert scheduled for the same time as Wade’s homegoing service but agreed to drop everything when the band got a call to perform.
Owens said his students were too young to fully grasp Wade’s legacy, but in putting together their set list, he made sure they did justice to the man known to friends and family as “Reek.”
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
“We did a little mix, and we wanted to make sure that we could encapsulate his journey,” Owens says.
“I mean, without Organized Noize, where would we be as far as musically in the South,” he asked. “We couldn’t help but give honor to this legend, this Atlanta legend.”
Inside, the private service included an invocation from the Rev. Raphael Warnock, a video tribute, readings and musical selections that included the Organized Noize-produced song “Blackberry Molasses” by Mista.
Reflections on Wade’s life were shared by former mayor Kasim Reed, Organized Noize producer Sleepy Brown, friend Marqueze Etheridge, Wade’s wife Debbie, and sons Rico and Ryder.
Others in attendance included Mayor Andre Dickens, LaFace Records co-founder Antonio “L.A.” Reid, 2 Chainz, T.I., Dallas Austin, and affiliates of the Dungeon Family, the musical collective launched decades ago in Wade’s mother’s basement, including Goodie Mob and producers Ray Murray and Patrick “Sleepy” Brown of Organized Noize Productions, and both Andre 3000 and Big Boi of OutKast.
Visitors also received an 18-page funeral program, a visual archive of Wade’s life. It included images ranging from his childhood to standing proudly in Mercedes-Benz Stadium as Organized Noize was honored last year as part of the Atlanta Falcons’ Hip-Hop 50 celebration.
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Mayor Dickens announced that the city is launching a program called the Rico Wade Music Executive Training Program, intended to help foster future industry leaders inspired by Wade’s legacy, according to former music executive Shanti Das.
DJ Big X, president and CEO of Coalition DJs, was in the audience, taking in the likes of longtime music luminaries such as Sylvia Rhone and L.A. Reid. He called the service “beautiful,” and was struck by Etheridge, who challenged Mayor Dickens to ensure Atlanta honors the city’s heroes while they’re still alive.
“I hate that we had to come together during a death,” X said. “I hope next time we all get together, it doesn’t have to be for the passing of someone we all love.”
As the service ended, friends, family and onlookers were once again greeted by the Clark Atlanta University marching band. Through smiles, tears and hugs, the crowd gathered and sang along with the ATL-centric set list.
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Willie Watkins Funeral Home handled Wade’s funeral arrangements. Watkins’ son Sylvania said hiring the band was a request from Wade’s family, and the funeral home made sure to create a path leading into the church for guests to have a clear view of the band as it performed.
Sylvania Watkins, who grew up in Collier Heights, remembers when the Dungeon Family broke through in Atlanta in the early ‘90s, and why their impact carries over to today.
“They brought Black people together. In other words, we have our own rhythm, we have our own beat, something to dance to, something to vibe to. Rico and Organized Noize understood that,” he said.
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
At the funeral’s end, Wade’s casket was loaded onto a horse-drawn carriage. Before being laid to rest at Westview Cemetery, Wade’s body made its way through processional stops at landmarks in his life, from Mercedes-Benz Stadium to the intersection of Headland and Delowe Drives.
About 30 minutes before the processional stopped at Headland and Delowe, made famous on Outkast’s hit song “Elevators” from their sophomore album “Aquemini,” Christine Brown laid flowers at the corner.
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Brown, 50, attended Rosalie Wright Elementary School with Wade. She said she talked to him about three weeks before he died. She said Wade always treated people like he knew them.
“He meant everything,” Brown said. “He’s always been into music, even when we were younger, so just to see that manifest itself is great. I just knew he would be great.”
Markysha Clarke, an East Point resident who described herself as a huge OutKast fan, also paid respects to Wade at the corner.
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
“When you think about all of the origins of Atlanta hip-hop, with OutKast, the Dungeon Family, Goodie Mob, that’s what we know,” she said. “Rico was a huge part of that.”
“I just hope [his legacy] never dies. His music was very instrumental with his producing in the music scene. Anything in southwest Atlanta, in this part of East Point, it’s Rico Wade.”
Stephanie and Stephen Jennings also honored Wade at the symbolic street intersection. The siblings wore shirts of Killer Mike’s Grammy-winning album “Michael,” which features Wade on the opening track, “Down by Law.” They also carried copies of OutKast albums.
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
“I’m young enough to know and hear OutKast, so this is the man that created most of their music and it’s important that as we get older we remember that history,” Stephen said.
“He was an icon in the city,” Stephanie added.
Return for more updates on today’s service and tributes to Rico Wade.
