Metro Boomin didn't invent the foggy, ominous trap sound that has defined Atlanta rap for at least the last 15 years, but he has definitely emerged as its most famous producer, and arguably its best.

At the start of 2025, Zaytoven felt uneasy about where Atlanta hip-hop was headed. The scene he’d known was … in a rut. Both he and the city were in mourning, with how many key players and folk heroes ...