Rich Homie Quan’s death took the world by surprise, and no where else more than in his home city of Atlanta. He was an unmistakeable force in the city’s famed music scene, but his influence stretched beyond. Heavily involved in sports, Rich Homie Quan was an early adopter of Atlanta United, a club that helped ignite Atlanta’s vibrant soccer community. We remember the impact he left in both fields after his tragic passing.
When loved ones honored Rich Homie Quan at his funeral earlier this month, they remembered him as “rich in spirit.” It was a nod to his 2018 album that exemplified how he lived for more than money and clout. The rapper, born Dequantes Devontay Lamar, rose to fame in the 2010s with hit singles like “Type of Way,” “Walk Thru” and the multiplatinum “Flex (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh)” and was known as a positive light in his community.
Rashad Cain is around the same age as Rich Homie Quan, who died at 34 years old, and is the co-founder of FTCUTD, a podcast based in Atlanta highlighting Black culture and soccer. His friends worked with Rich Homie Quan on the business side of the industry and he noted that he only ever heard positive things about the artist. Rich Homie Quan made an impact in a place that birthed hip-hop titans like OutKast, Goodie Mob, T.I., Gucci Mane, and Future.
“His music really put a charge in the city,” Cain told Urban Pitch. “It was very energetic, it was very omnipresent, it was everywhere. You couldn’t really get rid of it, but you didn’t want to get rid of it because it was good. He put his energy and his heart and soul into it. You could feel it when you listened to his music and it made you want to emulate that same energy.”
In addition to the city’s music scene, Rich Homie Quan made waves throughout Atlanta’s vibrant soccer community as well. In 2017, he was the second person to hammer in Atlanta United’s Golden Spike, a tradition that precedes every home match. Rich Homie Quan’s death was felt throughout the organization.
“We were deeply saddened to learn of the tragic passing of Rich Homie Quan,” Skate Noftsinger, Atlanta United’s Vice President and Chief Business Officer, said in a statement to Urban Pitch. “As only the second person to take part in our Golden Spike ritual, he took a chance on us that we are eternally grateful for. While being one of our most committed supporters, he was of course a highly decorated musician who will forever be an essential piece of the Atlanta hip-hop community. Our sympathies go out to his family and friends.”
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Young Joc was the first to hammer the Golden Spike and since then, Ric Flair, Tiffany Haddish, Gucci Mane, Kelley O’Hara, Roy Jones Jr., Ron Howard, Edgar Davids and Atlanta mayor Andre Dickens are among those who have kept the tradition alive.
Cain explained what the Golden Spike means to the club and Rich Homie Quan’s legacy.
“That gets the crowd going, it sets the tone for the match, and really represents everything he was about,” Cain said. “That drive, that persistence of excellence within the club that they want to exude from the players, to their supporters, to the city, to the community. That spike represents so many things.”
Rich Homie Quan played sports growing up and had aspirations of being a professional baseball player before committing to music. His competitive nature translated well to his music career and helped create anthems that have been used across sports. Cain said the music has served as a soundtrack for himself and his peers, especially in the formative years of college.
While “Type of Way” helped propel the Michigan State football team to a 2014 Rose Bowl victory, Cain suggests another song resonates with soccer culture. That’s the megahit “Lifestyle” which Rich Homie Quan released with Young Thug as the duo Rich Gang.
“Soccer being a very energetic culture in and of itself, different areas, different communities, different leagues, they come with a different swagger about themselves,” Cain said. “Being a soccer fan, depending on the type of club you support, could be a lifestyle for many people.”
Besides his music, Rich Homie Quan will be remembered for his positive impact. He was close to his father and was a father of five himself. He stayed out of the limelight the past few years, but still performed, released music, and supported upcoming content creators.
His team posthumously released the reflective single, “Song Cry,” which was a glimpse into how he wanted to address getting away from negativity, building a legacy, and helping people feel something lasting.
“It took so many people off guard,” Cain said of Rich Homie Quan’s death. “I think he was really working on a master plan to really take his career to another level. He’s already been in the public face, he’s been interacting with people and really showing the type of the motivated character he’s always been, but I think as far as music is concerned, reintroducing some new things and just a fresh perspective on his career, I think he was getting ready to drop some cool things.
“It’s sad that we won’t really get to see that come to fruition with him in person. … But just knowing that his legacy and the type of artist that he was, the type of person that he was, I don’t think is gonna go anywhere.”
