- [Narrator] Welcome to "Peach Jam", studios in Midtown Atlanta, stories from a sampling incredibly talented musicians who call the Peach State home.

(upbeat music) meet a vegan rapper.

speak in front of thousands ♪ - [Narrator] A singer-songwriter from Stockbridge who credits his family for pushing him towards country music.

gonna need somebody ♪ talk to an Americana artist with a rock and roll soul.

♪ In a hurricane ♪ (upbeat folk rock music) legend, Michelle Malone.

(upbeat guitar music) blowing in a hurricane ♪ ♪ I've lost sight of the point ♪ ♪ Right now it feel like a charade ♪ a horse whose leg is lame ♪ blowing in a hurricane ♪ (upbeat folk rock music) - Hi, I'm Michelle Malone.

I play Americana music.

rock and roll soul, it seems.

You like things loud.

- And?

(both laugh) - That's a good thing.

- You know, I've always played both acoustic and electric.

with a band, and I love it all.

ever have to choose.

Life is a buffet and I wanna try it all.

I have a '70s cover band.

think, acoustic folk rock to rock and roll, to blues to, I don't know, some kind of neo-folk stuff.

I don't even like to categorize things.

To me it's just music, you know?

So that's what I think.

I feel the same way.

I don't wanna just listen to one thing or say I only like one thing, or it lives in this box, or whatever.

Good music is good music and that seems to be kind of at your core.

- Thanks.

(laughs) - Tell me about being from Atlanta, because off mic before we started, you said there's not many people who were born and raised here and are still here in Atlanta.

- It seems that way to me.

I mean, there's a lot of folks I know from elementary school, middle school, still around, you know, that I run into it occasionally.

And that's such a beautiful thing, 'cause it makes me feel like I have family everywhere, you know?

I feel very rooted here, and I have moved.

I moved away for about 10 years.

Tennessee, I was in Alabama, woke up and I missed it, and I wanted to come home.

So I did, you know?

It calls to me.

I found out, I don't know, five or eight years ago, the state of Georgia since figure it's just in my DNA and I have to be here.

I leave, I come back, it just calls to me.

who wins the election ♪ ♪ Their hands are tied and blood-stained ♪ ♪ Don't you feel like a feather ♪ ♪ Blowing in a hurricane ♪ (upbeat folk rock music) ♪ Do you feel like a feather ♪ ♪ Blowing in a hurricane ♪ ♪ In a hurricane ♪ ♪ In a hurricane ♪ ♪ In a hurricane ♪ ♪ In a hurricane ♪ ♪ In a hurricane ♪ ♪ In a hurricane ♪ ♪ In a hurricane ♪ ♪ In a hurricane ♪ (folk rock music slows down) ♪ Feather in a hurricane ♪ Ha!

You know, I came up with the Indigo Girls and we met in the '80s record deals, you know.

And they were already playing out, music and wrote songs, but I hadn't been playing out.

So they kinda gave me a, I don't know, they gave me a hard time about that out and play my songs.

do that and invited me place in Emery Village.

It was called The Dugout.

It's not there anymore, college haunt, you know?

And I remember between their sets, sing three or four songs, and I was scared to death.

My knees were knocking, literally physically knocking together.

And after that, you know, you break the seal and then you move on.

So I just started playing around town.

That was, I guess, '87.

And, you know, a lot of wonderful folks in Atlanta helped me out, showed me.

by example, you know.

show me what to do, but I just watched.

Girls and Caroline Aiken and Deedee Vote and folks like that.

And then on the other side of my world, The Georgia Satellites at Hedgens in Buckhead when I was a kid.

I wasn't even old enough to be in there.

Arista was more of a rock record.

was very much a folk record that had, well, John Keane produced it, I made it in Athens with him.

played drums on a couple tracks a couple tracks, you know, much a Georgia effort.

Satellites played on my "Relentless" record with Arista it very Georgia-oriented, because I think what we have here is just so different from anywhere else.

It's such a crossroads of music between blues and rock and folk and soul.

I love the music here.

It's got an edge to it, right?

♪ The sun is sinking low ♪ ♪ I'm strumming my guitar ♪ (mellow guitar music) ♪ Look me in the eye ♪ ♪ And tell me you don't care ♪ ♪ Do you like tattoos ♪ ♪ Do you like pink hair ♪ ♪ I wanna take you down to the country ♪ ♪ I wanna dance with you in Spain ♪ don't wanna know my name ♪ ♪ I wanna kiss you like the war is over ♪ ♪ I wanna carry you away-ay-ay ♪ don't wanna know my name ♪ don't wanna know my name ♪ don't wanna know my name ♪ (music fades) you grew up singing in?

United Methodist on Ponce, Road United Methodist on Peachtree.

those folks too, it's a trip.

smaller than they used to be.

(both laugh) I went back there and I saw Sue Goddard, who was the organist at Grace forever, I mean, before I was born.

there about 15 years ago and she actually remembered me.

I remember driving in the car with her camp when I was, like, 10.

You know, these are the things I love about being in Atlanta.

You have family everywhere that you're not necessarily related to.

They're just your people.

♪ It's just your fate ♪ ♪ A superball ♪ (slow folk music) ♪ Will bounce back up again ♪ ♪ Bounce back up again ♪ ♪ Bounce back up again ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ Ooh-Ooh ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ Ooh-Ooh-Ooh-Ooh-Ooh ♪ - [Narrator] Coming up, a very busy from East Point, Georgia.

need that calibration ♪ ♪ Yeah couldn't be no hype ♪ ♪ I had to find the patience yeah ♪ But first, country music from Stockbridge with Tony Evans Jr. ♪ Keep my name fire by your phone ♪ ♪ When you're crying all alone ♪ gonna need somebody ♪ (upbeat music) - [Announcer] GPB News has a daily podcast in our in-depth reporting that you won't hear anywhere else.

the "Georgia Today Podcast".

It's a quick and convenient way to get coverage of the topics from across the state that matter to you, device every weekday afternoon.

Subscribe at gpb.org/podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

(dramatic current affairs music) (gentle guitar music) ♪ Seventeen you and me ♪ ♪ We had it figured out ♪ ♪ We were gonna be the king and queen ♪ ♪ Of this little town ♪ your uncle's church ♪ ♪ You'd got to school I'd go to work ♪ like we dreamed about ♪ smiled just like your mom ♪ those eyes just like my dad ♪ ♪ I know it ain't work out ♪ ♪ But sometimes I think about ♪ ♪ Those kids we never had ♪ - My name is Tony Evans Jr. and I sing country music.

- What brand of country music?

- [Tony] My own brand of country music.

- Is that what it is?

- Okay.

- It's like- I'm never gonna name it, but it's just a mix of the music to, like George Strait and some Keith Whitley vibes artists with my thing.

You know, being from where I'm from that I like giving to it.

Yeah, that's how I describe it.

- You speak and you carry yourself with the maturity of somebody who's been around for decades, but how old are you?

- 25.

- Yeah, you- (both chuckle) yourself like a grown man, which is, this is a compliment.

- Thank you.

comes from a maturity never have in their life.

How do you have this?

Where does it come from?

- I think a lot.

I think it comes from that.

definitely comes from that.

I've spent a lot of time and pondering people and why people do the things that they do and why they feel the way that they feel.

in a song in a way that whoever's listening to it?

So I think a lot about stuff like that.

graduates from college ♪ first dance with her dad ♪ ♪ I know it ain't work out ♪ ♪ But sometimes I think about ♪ ♪ Those kids we never had ♪ ♪ It's too late for us now ♪ ♪ But I still think about ♪ ♪ Those kids we never had ♪ (gentle guitar music) (music winds down) So I didn't wanna be a country singer.

My family told me when I was a kid, and I'd sing the songs reunions and all that, be a country singer."

And I was like, no, I'm not.

Like, I don't wanna do that, because, you know, I'm from Atlanta.

You know, looking back at it, I just didn't see it as cool at the time, but they literally told me.

through my teenage years, he's like, "You need to do country."

You know?

But it took, you know, going through and coming back around what really came natural to me said it, you know, 'cause it just came out like that.

So yeah, it was not what I wanted to do.

(Jeremy laughs) (Tony chuckles) (emotional guitar music) ♪ Sometimes when I'm sleeping ♪ ♪ I still feel you breathing ♪ beating 3,000 miles away ♪ ♪ If you're ever in Georgia ♪ ♪ Just let me know ♪ ♪ 'Cause next time I'll hold ya ♪ ♪ I ain't letting go ♪ that you wanna run ♪ ♪ Girl I just want you to know ♪ ♪ Next time you leave Georgia ♪ ♪ You ain't leaving alone ♪ ♪ Next time you leave Georgia ♪ ♪ You ain't leaving alone ♪ (emotional guitar music) (music fades) - When you walked in today, there's a lot of people in this room.

because we film it for YouTube and TV.

and there's interns, there's lots of people in this room.

And somebody, they've all heard the music.

- Yeah.

- And somebody told me, he said, a incredible guitarist.

The songs are fantastic, and he's pretty.

Now I hate him."

(Jeremy chuckles) - Well, whoever said thank you.

(Jeremy laughs) fantastic-looking human being.

have the voice of an angel.

- It's not fair.

- [Tony] Ah.

- It's just not fair.

hand that I've been dealt and do the best I can with it.

- Yes, well, I mean, you got a good hand.

(both chuckle) ♪ Maybe now you think you don't ♪ ♪ You're doing fine all on your own ♪ ♪ But someday you're gonna need somebody ♪ ♪ 'Cause everybody needs somebody ♪ ♪ Ooh-Ooh-Ooh ♪ ♪ Everybody needs somebody ♪ ♪ Everybody needs somebody ♪ ♪ Someone who understands ♪ ♪ Knows you like the back of their hand ♪ ♪ Someone to hold you ♪ ♪ Someone you can come home to and ♪ ♪ You're feeling empty ♪ anywhere to run away ♪ ♪ Girl I'm just one call away ♪ ♪ So keep my name by your phone ♪ ♪ When you are crying all alone ♪ gonna need somebody ♪ ♪ Maybe now you think you don't ♪ ♪ You're doing fine all on your own ♪ gonna need somebody.

♪ ♪ 'Cause everybody needs somebody ♪ - [Narrator] What does a vegan diet have to do with rap music?

We'll find out with PBD Gray.

I keep some gas in it ♪ ♪ Cop cars pass when they see me passing ♪ ♪ They kill me on accident ♪ ♪ You become my tenant ♪ ♪ Young and melanated brightest ever ♪ ♪ Barely made it being healthy educated ♪ ♪ I know these devils say ♪ ♪ They turn their faces ♪ it when we neighbors ♪ ♪ Oh hell there we go again talking that ♪ ♪ I'm with this I be too legit to quit ♪ ♪ Don't need no jeweler for the hit ♪ ♪ They probably put me on the list ♪ ♪ Throwing truth off in the midst ♪ ♪ Juices hit the lips ♪ ♪ I hit that booth and then I spit ♪ ♪ All these plans I'm sitting on ♪ ♪ I know my eulogy be lit ♪ ♪ Know that news and TV crew ♪ ♪ That stuff ain't fooling me a bit ♪ ♪ In school we read that foolery ♪ ♪ Construed to be as fit ♪ ♪ Once my people catch on to it ♪ ♪ We gonna lose some with a ten ♪ ignorance and coonery is bliss ♪ flaming like a hot pepper ♪ bloomer going back was not ♪ ♪ Never cleaned up the ground floor ♪ ♪ Trying to see the top level ♪ lava stone's got several ♪ ♪ Don't shoot me ♪ ♪ Don't shoot me no ♪ ♪ Hey let's go ♪ ♪ Don't shoot me say don't ♪ - My name's Grey.

I'm a artist, I'm a father.

Florida, based in East Point, and I'm a hip hop artist.

- You do a lot.

- [Grey] Yes, sir.

- You do a whole lot and you're one of the happiest people I've ever met.

(Grey chuckles) Like you're in a great mood all the time.

- [Gray] Yes, sir.

- But some of the music is heavy saying some serious things.

- For sure, I mean, I think medicine in the candy is my type of party.

You know, I like, as I evolved as a man, as a thinker, that, my music changed.

music that I can always rap, you know, rap rhyme with trap and crap, you know what I mean?

somebody taking something they listen to my music.

And I was just evolving, I was learning all about injustices and stuff like that.

just need to put this in the music so that we can get it.

'Cause a lot of times if you just try to come straight forward, "Hey man, they're doing this wrong", nobody wants to hear that.

But you put it over 808 and the five beat, they might listen and spin it again.

around this great country ♪ earlier than everybody else ♪ ♪ We brush it to the side ♪ ♪ Come on now tell me what's the lie ♪ ♪ Stop playing man don't shoot me ♪ ♪ Don't shoot me no ♪ ♪ Let's go ♪ ♪ Man don't shoot me ♪ ♪ Say don't shoot me ♪ ♪ Because I'm riding with the vibes ♪ ♪ I'm just staying alive ♪ ♪ Man don't shoot me ♪ ♪ Don't shoot me don't shoot me ♪ ♪ That's right ♪ ♪ Now don't shoot me ♪ ♪ Say don't shoot me ♪ ♪ Don't good lord ♪ ♪ I said don't shoot me ♪ ♪ Down good lord ♪ ♪ Hey listen we out ♪ ♪ We out ♪ ♪ Incarceration we out ♪ ♪ We out ♪ ♪ Discrimination yeah we out ♪ ♪ We out ♪ ♪ Poor education oh we out ♪ ♪ We out ♪ ♪ This troubled nation ♪ ♪ You feel me ♪ (steady hiphop beat) - Tell me more about being an entrepreneur because you have an interesting brand.

Plant Based Drippin.

- Plant Based Drippin.

So I went vegan in 2016.

Chef Nikki In The Mix.

The Mix, that's my partner.

And she's like, "I'm going vegan."

you have fun with that.

Like, you know what I mean?

It's football season, you gotta be crazy.

I'm eating chicken wings all day.

I'm tired of the videos.

We're going vegan."

vegan and I'll support you."

chicken Alfredo on the table.

I was like, I told you.

vegan, just, you know, ate it.

She didn't say nothing, and she's like, halfway through the meal, she's like, "You know this is vegan, right?"

it's chicken, it's chicken."

She's like, "It's fake chicken."

And I was like, what?

Start eating, I was like, "Well, I didn't know you were talking about this kind of vegan."

So she cooked, ate all the meals.

she turned into a shell.

wake up in the morning, she has turmeric on the floor, a YouTube channel playing.

I'm like, "What are you doing?"

She like, "I'm making my own biscuits and gravy, vegan."

- So I was her official taste test dummy for, like, three months.

And after that she conferred to me and I was feeling the best I've ever felt.

helped was my mental clarity.

You know, everyone talks about, gonna die, man, no protein.

But I felt so clear up here went all the way down.

So I thought it was cool to be healthy.

You know, I think that's very cool.

trying to go to the gym to get this little pudge off and all I had to do was stop eating a certain thing and that pudge went away.

♪ Okay nick nack fatty sack ♪ ♪ Twisters for my cataract ♪ ♪ Roll another grab a leak ♪ ♪ That's longer than the Cadillac ♪ for Nicks and Dons ♪ ♪ Ain't never had a pack ♪ ♪ Now I hit my doggy chop ♪ ♪ They break down like a battle ax ♪ ♪ I'm smoking burning both ends ♪ ♪ At the least I'm spinning four tens ♪ ♪ Had me floating ♪ ♪ Slave catchers out patrolling ♪ ♪ Just don't get roped in.

♪ ♪ You know they keep dispensaries open ♪ ♪ To rub our nose in that contradictory ♪ ♪ Until we start reversing them ♪ ♪ Charges won't be no victories ♪ sitting brothers down ♪ ♪ For a quarter century ♪ billion dollar weed industry ♪ ♪ Since everybody got ops ♪ ♪ I hope we peep the real enemy ♪ ♪ Yeah but I digress I try my best ♪ when I be high like this ♪ ♪ Boy them brace went out on that vic ♪ ♪ And ain't did no driving sense ♪ sitting behind them tens ♪ ♪ Know I'm getting the money getting ♪ ♪ The problems getting ♪ ♪ The green is getting ♪ ♪ The bills are getting ♪ ♪ The stakes are getting ♪ ♪ The plays are getting ♪ ♪ Every day we getting ♪ ♪ Yeah let's go ♪ ♪ U-huh that money getting ♪ ♪ Them problems getting yeah ♪ Backtrack just for a second.

a vegan Thanksgiving and birthed my whole career.

But just how that video was, it was cool 'cause I was talking about vegetables, but I wasn't like putting it on you.

I wanted to create a brand that was cool, making healthy, being cool.

you know what I mean?

and get people like, "What is that?"

dialogue with a stranger.

You know what I'm saying?

Like, I wanted to make a talking piece and I was just at the table one day trying to think of slogans, and first one was like, vegan swag.

I'm like, "Nikki, what about vegan swag?"

She's like, "Absolutely not.

Bury that, put it underneath.

Don't ever bring it back up."

So I said "Plant Based Drippin?"

She's like, "That's it."

And I just put on a shirt, man.

just eat healthy, be dope.

You don't have to change who you are, putting in your body, man.

♪ Hey uh ♪ new flavor in your ear ♪ ♪ Time for new flavor in your ear ♪ ♪ I'm kicking new flavor ♪ ♪ Hey come on ♪ ♪ Just light uniblab ♪ ♪ Robotic kicking flab ♪ ♪ Hustle like I'm serving slabs ♪ ♪ Trying to stay in shape ♪ ♪ I run these circles in the lab ♪ back til that verse slap ♪ catch me back at work Jack ♪ pay me where my worth's at ♪ ♪ Hey two weeks pay you one day ♪ ♪ I heard that ♪ ♪ Two weeks pay you one day I heard that ♪ ♪ Hey I keep going ♪ ♪ I gotta keep growing keep glowing ♪ juices to keep flowing ♪ ♪ Yeah I speak it till I get it popping ♪ ♪ And if it's one thing about it ♪ ♪ Manifest it everything you got it ♪ ♪ You feel me ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ (mid-tempo hiphop music) ♪ You know I got it yeah ♪ ♪ I got it ♪ hear more songs and stories?

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