Rico Wade (1972–2024), key player in Atlanta’s hip-hop scene
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2 min readRico Wade was a member of the Atlanta-based production trio Organized Noize, a key player in Atlanta’s hip-hop scene, and one of the architects of the “Dirty South” sound.
- Died:00April 13, 2024 (Who else died on April 13?
- Details of death:00Died at the age of 52.
- We invite you to share condolences00for Rico Wade in our00Guest Book.
Rico Wade’s legacy
When Rico Wade got together with Sleepy Brown and Ray Murray in the early 1990s to form Organized Noize, the trio helped change the course of Atlanta music and hip-hop as a whole. As both a producer and songwriter, Wade helped create hits like TLC’s “Waterfalls,” En Vogue’s “Don’t Let Go,” “Saturday (Oooh! Ooooh!)” by Ludacris, and other hit songs.
Wade was co-producer on the first two Outkast albums, 1994’s “Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik” and “ATLiens” in 1996, “Soul Food;” the 1995 debut Goodie Mob LP; and many popular releases. He and his team helped craft the so-called “Dirty South” sound in hip-hip, characterized by a gritty, distorted approach to production.
Wade worked with the Dungeon Family, an Atlanta-based collective of artists and musicians that includes Big Boi, Andre 3000, CeeLo Green, and other Atlanta-based hitmakers.
Tributes to Rico Wade
Full obituary: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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