Spotify hosted its Skate Noise Junk Park Event on June 21 at Underground Atlanta — a historic shopping and entertainment district in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. A love letter to the city’s skate community, the activation coincided with Go Skateboarding Day — a holiday created by Don Brown — and invited local Atlantans to show up and show out for their city. Hypebeast traveled to the Big Peach and met with fellow skater and fashion influencer Tyreek Morrison (TJ) to capture the event’s zeitgeist. 

A celebration of fashion, identity and music, Spotify’s Skate Noise Junk Park Event embraced the vibrant community of creatives steering prominent skate subcultures throughout Atlanta and beyond. Spotify tapped rising skate collective and lifestyle brand EC Melodi to curate a selection of songs to skate to, dubbing the assortment of ‘80s-era thrash, punk and alternative rock songs “Skate Noise Atlanta.” The electric playlist includes the likes of Sonic Youth, Suicidal Tendencies, Jawbreaker, Hubble and more — a soundtrack fit for the sweltering hot months ahead.

A manifesto as told by songs, “Skate Noise Atlanta” musically embodies EC Melodi’s bold spirit as a next-gen skate crew — one that has rallied a strong following through its distinct apparel collections and low-fi art house videos. This spirit carried over to the event as rap artist and DJ Mercury kept the energy buzzing with hip-hop beats, followed by a live performance by Na-Kel Smith (Odd Future, Mid ‘90s) that set the crowd ablaze. 

Striking street art and graffiti transformed the area’s makeshift skate ramps, which dominated the center of the shopping district. Italian ice trucks and various food vendors surrounded the perimeter of the main lot. During the day, a clothing customization area invited attendees to airbrush trucker hats, blank T-shirts and accessories. Morrison spoke with several attendees who knew each other and orbited the same spaces in fashion and music — capturing a live-action mural of Atlanta’s youth culture. 

Attendees championed local skate spots in Atlanta, from the Black Blocks to the Historic Fourth Ward Skatepark, attesting to how these spaces continue to serve as outlets for activism, self-expression, protest and communal outreach. And many recounted their love of music and fashion having a formative impact on their upbringings in Atlanta.

Justin Hearn of HEADLOCK, an emerging skate brand based in Atlanta, attended the event alongside brands Chilly-O Culture Co, FRKO and The Bugle. Each brand has painted a portrait of Atlanta’s thriving subcultures and the voices molding a new generation of skaters. Spotify’s Skate Noise Junk Park Event amplified their stories and spotlighted creators driving the city’s skate scene forward in art and culture.

See highlights of the event in the galleries above. Tune into Spotify’s “Skate Noise Atlanta” playlist above.