ChooseATL Adds Hip Hop Legend Killer Mike and Pop Duo R. City to its SXSW 2016 Lineup

ATLANTA, March 3, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today ChooseATL, a movement dedicated to attracting and retaining top talent in metro Atlanta, announced that hip hop legend Killer Mike and breakthrough pop duo Rock City (R. City) will headline ChooseATL programming at South by Southwest (SXSW) 2016. The music stars will be featured at separate events in the Austin Speakeasy, which is being transformed into the 'ChooseATL House' on March 13-14. The two-day experience will also include groundbreaking industry announcements, and memorable parties, which includes more than 30 Georgia-based music acts.

On Sunday, March 13 at 11:30 a.m. CST, Killer Mike will join Atlanta-based music industry executive, entrepreneur and author of "The Hip-Hop Professional^®" Shanti Das for an intimate brunch conversation titled, "Killer Mike: From Artist to Activist." The hip hop legend will discuss how he and other artists are using their platforms to engage and influence change. The exclusive conversation with Das, who has represented artists such as Ashanti, Erykah Badu, Outkast, TLC and Usher will be open to the first 50 SXSW badge holders in line at the ChooseATL House at 11:15 a.m. CST.

"Long before Atlanta was dubbed the 'hip hop center of gravity,' we were known as 'the city too busy to hate,'" said Killer Mike. "The legacies of local civil rights icons, like Martin Luther King Jr. and Congressman John Lewis, have inspired generations of music artists like myself to use our platforms to advance society's most pressing causes. I look forward to sharing powerful stories to motivate the people of SXSW to continue working towards opportunity and prosperity for all."

On Monday, March 14 at 9 p.m. CST, pop music duo R. City will headline ChooseATL's South Party. The four-hour party, produced and curated in collaboration with Snake Nation, is open to the public and will feature local artists, including Avenue of the Giants and Ruby Velle and the Soulphonics. Originally from St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, brothers Theron and Timothy Thomas relocated to Atlanta to launch their music careers. R City's debut album, What Dreams Are Made Of, was released in 2015, followed by their single "Locked Away," which features Adam Levine.

"Atlanta has given us so much. Coming from the U.S. Virgin Islands, the city really embraced us and allowed us to take our music to the next level," said Theron Thomas, R. City. "We consider ourselves second generation, Dungeon Family because of how legends like Rico Wade showed love and believed in our music early on. It means a lot to us to be a part of the ChooseATL house at SXSW."

In addition, on March 15, ChooseATL will join Atlanta-based SweetWater Brewing Co, the Southeast's largest craft brewery debuting their brews in Austin, in a co-branded music showcase. The event is open to the general public and will feature local Austin bands playing alongside hand-picked ChooseATL artists at Burnside Tavern. Then, on March 18, one Atlanta-based MC will be selected to perform in A3C's official SXSW showcase. The public can vote in the #ChooseATL Artist Fan Challenge on Facebook through March 10.

"With more than 300 recording studios, 60 music venues and 30 annual festivals, Atlanta's music scene has launched hundreds of artists from all genres," said Kate Atwood, vice president, ChooseATL. "We're excited to showcase more than 30 of Atlanta's biggest names and most promising up-and-comers at this year's SXSW in Austin."

The ChooseATL House is made possible by generous sponsorships from the Atlanta community, including AR|PR, Crawford Media Services, Creative Approach, Georgia Power, Georgia Tech's Scheller College of Business, How Stuff Works, Merch Cat, Nebo, Spitfire Studios, the Task Force for Global Health and more. To learn more about ChooseATL's programming at SXSW and to see the full lineup, visit http://www.chooseatl.com/sxsw and follow @ChooseATL for live updates.

About ChooseATL:
ChooseATL is a regional initiative focused on telling a comprehensive story about Atlanta to attract and retain top talent and intentionally grow the region's prosperity in the global economy. The campaign highlights the abundant opportunity for career growth across the 29-county region, as well as the unique culture and highly-ranked livability. To join the movement, visit www.chooseatl.com or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and LinkedIn.

SOURCE ChooseATL

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http://www.chooseatl.com/sxsw