Magic City is a popular strip club that attracts many tourists to Atlanta. Beyond being a place for adult entertainment, Magic City is where rappers broke records and other cultural events in Hip-Hop were born. Magic City: An American Fantasy is a new docuseries sharing those moments and the people involved. The series was created by Cole Brown and executive-produced by Jermaine Dupri. Both were at the American Black Film Festival (ABFF) to preview the first episode. The duo wanted the audience to see this one establishment’s contributions to hip-hop.
“I want people to be intrigued by the fact that you can tell the story of the black Mecca that is Atlanta and the cultural impact that it has had through this one club. If you are interested in hip-hop culture, Southern culture, or an incredible story of a man achieving the American dream. This project speaks to all those things,” said Cole Brown, creator and executive producer of Magic City: An American Fantasy.
The Magic City: An American Fantasy Screening took place on Friday, June 13, at the Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami Beach, Florida. ABFF is the largest gathering of Black filmmakers in the industry. Festival attendees watched the premier episode of the docuseries, followed by a panel discussion with Cole and Dupri. Journalist Jemele Hill moderated the panel. Magic City: An American Fantasy premieres August 15 on Starz. The series is about creating and developing the strip club into a cultural staple. The club was founded in 1985 by Michael “Mr. Magic” Barney. 2025 marks the 40th anniversary of the strip club, and the team behind the docuseries is ready to share the club’s story.
“It’s past due. I think that in hip-hop, every genre has had the opportunity to show us what life is like in their respective cities. New York showed us Brooklyn, and we learned about rapping and breaking. L.A. showed us Compton, and we learned about khakis and low riders. We only had one movie come out of Atlanta, ATL, which showed you skate culture. It’s big, but Strip Clubs are prominent in Atlanta. People get to see how Magic City has been around for 40 years and how it’s connected to the city,” said Dupri, Executive Producer of Magic City: An American Fantasy.
The docuseries will feature interviews with T.I., Big Boi, Dupri, 2 Chainz, and other celebrities sharing their experiences with the club. Magic City: An American Fantasy will also profile the dancers from the club’s past and present. These women were crucial to the Magic City’s mystique.
“These are some of the most accomplished, entrepreneurial, strongest women I’ve ever encountered. I think there are so many stereotypes and assumptions about who these women are. We spent a lot of time with these dancers, and that is something that people get wrong,” said Brown.
Dupri wants this project to change people’s opinions on strip clubs. The So So Def CEO shared that he goes there casually and not just for the naked women. What reinforces his point is that in the teaser trailer for Magic City, NBA star Shaquille O’Neal shared that he signed his $121 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers inside Magic City in July 1996.
“The idea of strip clubs to people is wrong. We’re not going for the same reason that many people think of strip clubs. We do six to seven other things besides going and being like, oh, let’s see these girls. I go to Magic City weekly to listen to the music, talk to my friends, and kick it,” said Dupri.
Brown, Dupri, and the team behind the series will illustrate how Magic City has impacted global culture. The strip club was the hangout for BMF in the 1990s. In 2020, Magic City was where former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams made her “get-out-and-vote” announcement. Magic City DJs were the first to premiere national hit records.
Brown explains how the classic song “Whoomp (There It Is)” by Tag Team was initially titled “Whoomp Magic City.” Dupri is releasing new music that is inspired by the Magic City documentary. His single, “Turn Around,” is out now, featuring T.I., 2 Chainz, and Young Dro. An album is scheduled for release in August as part of the series.
Magic City: An American Fantasy project will reveal why it’s more than just a strip club. The docuseries shows how people from sports, music, and politics can converge on 241 Forsyth Street. Brown, Dupri, and the team assembled the right material and people to share Barney’s story and spotlight Atlanta’s most famous strip club.
“If you’re from the south, you should see it because we have to put spotlights on the things that we do. People think this is a documentary about strippers. It’s about the culture and how intertwined it is to this one club in Atlanta,” said Dupri.