Hi y'all, haaaaayyyyy, sup

Jeff Foxworthy.

RuPaul.

Lil Jeezy.

All these folks call it home.

ATL, Allanta, whatever you want to call it, it's also home for me.

A big happy mashup of rednecks, black folks, and one of the largest gay communities in the world.

Many people call it Hot 'Lanta, although most don't know why.

In the '60's and '70's, Atlanta had one of the highest VD rates in the country. Venereal Disease was the term for what are now STDs.

The hip, young apartment area was known as Gonorrhea Gulch. It was some kind of hot.

It smells like honeysuckle. It is covered in dogwoods and azaleas. Pork barbecue is abundant and good. Co-Cola runs free out of faucets. Sanford Stadium is only 90 miles up the road. The Braves play here. And Augusta National is a morning's drive away.

No wonder Elton John calls it home. Once you taste properly made sweet tea, you ain't going back for that English version.

Been here less than 24 hours, and already had a properly made Chick fil A. Brunswick stew. Heard the sweet drawl of the neighbor ladies talking in their front yards. Seen pinestraw. And my pop.

If Heaven doesn't resemble this, then I am in no hurry to get there, Lord.