T.I. has long been one of Atlanta’s greatest advocates in rap music, declaring himself one of the founders of trap music and generally waving the flag for his hometown whenever it enters the wider discussion in hip-hop these days. This week, Atlanta certainly has been the subject of some debate, mostly among Atlantans themselves, thanks to claims made by rising rapper Omeretta The Great in her song, “Sorry Not Sorry,” which T.I. subtly refuted on Instagram.
In the song, Omeretta makes some assertions about what she thinks counts as Atlanta, taunting out-of-towners who claim the city in the pursuit of credibility and notability. “College Park is not Atlanta / Lithonia is not Atlanta / Clayco is not Atlanta / Decatur is not Atlanta / Gwinnett is not Atlanta / Roswell is not Atlanta / Forest Park is not Atlanta / Lilburn is not Atlanta,” she says. However, a number of citizens took issue with her claims, debating the fragmented city’s bonafides all over social media. Naturally, T.I. stepped in with his own brand of wisdom to helpfully simplify the discussion with the help of visual aids.
“Respectfully…. Only fools dispute facts,” he wrote on Instagram in a post sharing a map of the Atlanta metro area.
Adding some insult to injury, fans noted that the video for “Sorry Not Sorry” was filmed 10 miles outside of Atlanta at Cobb County’s Truist Park. While Omeretta’s single may have backfired on her, it also helped her increase her notoriety at home. If she can weather the storm and harness the attention she’s received as a result of her stunt, she could turn the situation around and be well on her way to joining T.I. as one of the city’s most notable stars.