It’s not every day you get to experience your first Atlanta United match. The roaring crowd, chants, the feeling of excitement filling the air. If you’ve visited Mercedes-Benz Stadium on match day, you know the feeling. And if you haven’t, hopefully you’ll get to experience it one day soon.
As tradition has it, for every home match Atlanta United invites a Golden Spike hitter. This tradition is usually performed by an ATLien, but not always. On June 19, rapper, producer and actor David Banner was invited to be the team’s Golden Spike Hitter to kick off the match against Inter Miami CF.
“I’m very, very excited,” Banner said. “I’ve heard that there’s not an event that can match the energy.”
Although not born in Atlanta, Banner describes it as the city that adopted and embraced him. Banner made a name for himself in the early 2000s with the rise of southern hip-hip. He released hit songs like: Get Like Me, Like a Pimp and produced Atlanta classics like Rubber band man for T.I.
“Atlanta as a whole means a lot to me,” Banner said. “Because Atlanta did something for me that I don't know if a city has ever done for artists. A lot of people represent Atlanta but are not from here. Atlanta knew I was from Mississippi, and they knew what I stood for, as you know, and it's funny that I'm driving the nail today on Juneteenth. They knew what I stood for, and they picked me up and allowed me to represent my state and not have to shed what I stand for and where I'm from.”
To Banner, what makes Atlanta unlike any other place are the people. Atlanta is an indescribable place where people from all walks of life come together. Banner compared the city to the team. A place where people from very different places can come together and create an incredible environment.
“I’ve been to all over the world,” Banner said. “I’ve been to just about every continent and I’ve been in all of the states in America but about two, and I’ve never felt the way that I feel in Atlanta.”
Banner was also incredibly happy to have been the spike hitter during the team’s Juneteenth match. In his career, Banner music hasn’t been his only focus. He’s ventured into acting and advocacy, never wanting to just be in one box. His passion for advocacy comes from a desire to give back to the people and the places that have molded and given him so much.
“I feel like I owe them,” Banner said. “I feel like so many people come to Atlanta and soak the culture, you know, and not give back to the locals into people the way that they're supposed to. They just suck up the resources. And I'm one of the people who want- I want to show Atlanta and Georgia as a whole that I appreciate the opportunities that they give people from all walks of life.”
During the match, players donned the Forest Kit, but this time their numbers feature a special design by Juddah Middleton in honor of Juneteenth. Before the match began, Atlanta also invited singer-songwriter Kameron Corvet to sing ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing,” before the national anthem.
“I think this team represents that,” Banner said. “You know, Atlanta is the hub for a lot of different types of culture. Now, you know, we're not just talking about movies and music, and I think this experience and United as a whole is a microcosm of a great representation.”
Banner didn’t know what to expect for his very first Atlanta United match, but he got to witness a packed Mercedes-Benz Stadium cheering on the 5-Stripes and pushing the team to victory. With over 40,000 supporters in attendance, the atmosphere was electric. Luiz Araújo’s goal in the first four minutes of the match set the tone for the evening. Fans watched as Atlanta dominated the match, creating goal opportunities, blocking the opponent and eventually winning 2-0 against Inter Miami. While Banner didn’t want to set his expectation too high before the match, it’s safe to say he had a good experience.
“I’m trying not to have too many expectations,” Banner said. “But I'm serious when I say this, I haven't heard one person, you know, out of the groups of people that I know who have said anything negative about this. I'm trying not to draw a picture because you know that you can’t, but I just want to take it all in and be present.”
