ON THE BMM COVER:
RICO WADE

The sudden passing of Rico Wade in April was devastating for the music world as a whole—and particularly for the Atlanta community of which he was an absolutely integral part. As a founding member of The Dungeon Family and one third of the production team Organized Noize, Wade helped take Atlanta hip-hop and R&B to new heights of commercial success and acclaim. Indeed, Organized Noize defined the ATL sound on hugely influential recordings by Outkast, Goodie Mob, TLC, Ludacris and more. Wade’s passionate imagination is a light that shines through many of the stories in HITS’ 2024 Black Music Month issue—and continues to illuminate the lives he touched.

Photo by Raymond Boyd/Getty Images