EarthGang

Atlanta hip-hop duo EarthGang came together in 2008 when high-school friends Johnny "Olu O. Fann" Venus and Doctur "Eian Undrai Parker" Dot began recording together. Drawing from an eclectic array of influences including Curtis Mayfield, T-Pain, Lauryn Hill, and Gil Scott-Heron, the pair kept developing material after graduation and started their first EP while attending Hampton University in Virginia. The Better Party appeared in 2010. Around that period they joined forces with JID to launch the Spillage Village collective, which steadily expanded to include additional rappers, vocalists, and producers.

EarthGang self-issued the 2011 mixtapes Mad Men and Good News, then began performing live. Early 2013 brought a slot at Atlanta’s A3C Festival, and later that year the duo delivered its debut studio album, Shallow Graves for Toys, which climbed to number 11 on Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart. Extensive North American touring followed, highlighted by appearances at SXSW. In 2015 they issued Strays with Rabies, featuring contributions from J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League and DJ Khalil.

EarthGang joined J. Cole’s Dreamville Records in 2017, releasing the EP Rags and, two months afterward, Robots. Royalty arrived in February 2018, and Mirrorland, their first full-length for the label, surfaced in 2019. The album featured the single “Proud of U” with Young Thug and reached number 20 on the rap chart and number 40 on the Billboard 200. In 2020 the collective returned with Spilligion, Spillage Village’s fourth album and first on Dreamville. Ghetto Gods, EarthGang’s second Dreamville LP, arrived in early 2022, peaking at number 114 on the Billboard 200 with appearances by J. Cole, CeeLo Green, Future, and others. Subsequent collaborations included tracks with Pharrell Williams, Dermot Kennedy, and Daya.

The duo revisited the EP format in 2023 with Earthgang vs. the Algorithm, then followed in 2024 with Robophilia and Snakegang, the latter a partnership with U.K. duo Snakehips. These projects paved the way for Perfect Fantasy, a joint full-length with Spillage Village released in October 2024 that spotlighted guest turns from T-Pain, Eric Bellinger, Damon Albarn, and additional artists.