There have been quarterback changes (Ridder to Heinicke back to Ridder), late-game losses (31-28 to Vikings in Atlanta), comeback wins (16-13 at Tampa), really bad losses on the road (28-23 at Tennessee), difficult losses at home (24-16 to Washington) this season. But there are always two dates on the schedule that always seem to have a make-it-or-break-it feel to the Atlanta Falcons season: Saints weeks. 

This year’s game was made all that more special because of the relationship between hip-hop and Atlanta. A celebration of 50 years of hip-hop took place Sunday afternoon bringing more than 60 Atlanta-based artists, including Big Boi, T.I., Jeezy, Ceelo Green, Killer Mike, DJ Toomp, Young Dro, and Jermaine Durpi, to name just a few, to Mercedes-Benz Stadium to physically represent the city’s impact on the art form. 

The artist, all of whom wore black Falcons jerseys with the number 50 on the back, made their way to midfield before being announced over the stadium p.a. system. The sight of some of the city’s trailblazing artists like Kilo Ali, Dallas Austin, and TLC, who performed an abbreviated version of their classic “Waterfalls” in between the first and second quarters. A break in the action before halftime had Bonecrusher serenade the fans with “I Ain’t Never Scared”, which brought the crowd to its feet more than any other performance to that point. 

The halftime performance featured melodies from Big Boi, Dupri, Jeezy, and Quavo, each artist having a few minutes to perform from different areas of the stadium. Dupri opened his performance on a stage at the 50-yard line with the lead verse from “Welcome to…