Atlanta’s Magic City is known globally as a strip club — but its influence stretches far beyond the stage. Starz’s new five-part docuseries, Magic City: An American Fantasy, pulls back the curtain on the venue’s historic impact on music, business, culture and the city of Atlanta itself.
Created and executive-produced by Cole Brown, with executive producers Drake’s DreamCrew Entertainment, Jermaine Dupri and Jami Gertz, the series examines how Magic City has evolved over four decades into what many call the “Black Studio 54.” Since opening in 1985, the club has become a kingmaker in Southern hip-hop and a symbol of Black creativity and economic power.
In an interview with Blavity’s Shadow and Act, Brown said the story of Atlanta’s role in shaping American culture has often been overlooked in media, especially compared to New York and Los Angeles.
“If I think about the number of New York-based projects, LA-based projects, Atlanta has been…if you look at where we are in the culture today and how it has shaped hip-hop today and so many other sectors of the culture today…I don’t know that it’s really gotten the credit and notice that it deserves,” he said.
He noted that recent projects have begun to spotlight Atlanta’s significance, but Magic City: An American Fantasy aims to tell that story in a way that’s deeply rooted in place and history.
“What we tried to do with this project was say, OK, this place, Magic City, is — pun intended — magical, and it has been responsible for so much creation of this culture,” Brown said. “How do we use it as a vehicle to tell a story of this history, to tell a story of this city, to tell a story of Black wealth building in this city and the creation of hip-hop in this city?”
Magic City’s influence goes far beyond music
The series uses Magic City as a lens through which to explore broader themes — from women’s empowerment and the rise of pole dancing culture to the club’s role in breaking some of Atlanta’s biggest hip-hop records.
Brown emphasized that Magic City’s contributions to music are not just symbolic — they’re literal.
“This specific club on Forsyth Street has been responsible for Atlanta’s biggest hits — from ‘Whoomp! (There It Is)’ to Drake and Future and Quavo. And not in a general inspiration way, but like, a DJ on this night played this song. and it changed the trajectory of this artist’s life,” he said.
The docuseries also features interviews with cultural figures, including former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who speaks to how the club has become a landmark for the city. For many, Magic City is now a tourist destination and an entry point into understanding Atlanta’s larger cultural scene.
“For better or worse, Magic City is now a landmark in that city,” Brown said. “So people have really come and fed on Atlanta culture, and their window into it has been this club.”
Reclaiming Atlanta’s global identity
As conversations continue about Atlanta’s place among America’s most influential cities, Magic City: An American Fantasy arrives at a timely moment. Social media debates — like one recently on TikTok — have questioned which cities truly define the country’s cultural identity. While cities like New York, Los Angeles and Chicago often dominate the list, Atlanta is increasingly viewed as a global cultural force.
Brown sees Magic City’s reach extending into places some may not expect.
“I live in New York. The pole dancing class on your local block in Williamsburg that yuppies are going to — that culture originated in this club,” he said. “A lot of the fashion choices originated in this club. So there’s a lot that was born in this place, and I just can’t wait for people to discover it.”
