Starz picks up doc about legendary Atlanta strip club Magic City
Published in Entertainment News
ATLANTA — Starz has picked up a five-part docuseries focused on the legendary Atlanta strip club Magic City.
“Magic City: An American Fantasy” is set to debut on the pay cable network this summer and explores the club’s influence on hip-hop over the decades.
Kathryn Busby, Starz president for original programming, calls it a “riveting behind-the-curtain look at one of the most unique places in Black culture.”
The series creator is Cole Brown with Drake and Jermaine Dupri, a seminal Atlanta rap producer, joining in as executive producers.
“Magic City is a second home for me,” said Dupri, who has frequently crowdsourced new music at the club. “It’s the one place where celebrities, hustlers, politicians, and Atlanta locals all come together. I’ve watched it evolve over the years from a local joint to an internationally recognized spot. It’s about time we tell this story the right way.”
Michael “Magic” Barney, a Duke University graduate and former toner salesman, founded Magic City in 1985 with the goal of creating a higher-quality strip club in Atlanta. He and his family cooperated in the making of the documentary.
“When our family became the majority owners of the Atlanta Hawks, the Barneys were the very first people to welcome us to the city,” said executive producer Jami Gertz, an actor with credits like “Twister,” “Less Than Zero” and “Quicksilver.” “They reached out to us with open arms and that great Southern hospitality, not to mention the fact that (Magic City manager) Juju Barney and my sons became fast friends... It’s a tale of tremendous heart and hustle and a true love letter to our adopted home of Atlanta.”
The docuseries covers the club’s influence on crime, women’s sexuality and commodification, Black entrepreneurship and socioeconomic politics.
The club survived arson in 1995 and seven years when Barney was in prison for federal drug conspiracy charges.
Regulars at Magic City over the years have included 2 Chainz, Nelly, Deion Sanders, Dominique Wilkins, Shaquille O’Neal, Quavo, Killer Mike and Big Boi. When the soccer team Atlanta United won a championship in 2018, the team brought the trophy to Magic City to celebrate. The phrase “making it rain,” in which customers throw money in the air, supposedly emanated from the club.
It was also well-known hangout for notorious drug gang B.M.F., which is currently featured in a scripted Starz show of the same name.
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