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Okorie “OkCello” Johnson responds to InStyle’s questions about Atlanta!

What do you love most about Atlanta? 

Atlanta is where I became a Black man and an artist, found love with my wife, and where we chose to raise our daughters. It is where all my passions and talents have found purpose and expression. I believe that all of that could have only happened in Atlanta. 

What makes you most proud of the city?  

Honestly, the Blackness of it.  I am so proud of this city's Black history, present, and future. If it is good and Black, it's here. If there is a problem for Black people across the country, it, too, is here. And that is not to say that Atlanta doesn't belong to other races, ethnicities, communities and perspectives. I'm sure other people from other groups feel as strongly about Atlanta as I do.

What have been the most significant changes in terms of the arts and culture scene?

Something happened in the late '80s and '90s where Black Atlantans, through their art, sent out beacons to creative, artistic, alternative Black folks from all over the country.  We came, we stayed, we made art. It's harder to do now, though. The city is so much more expensive. But honestly that hasn't seemed to slow a single soul down. 

What does the outside world need to know about ATL?

It's a magic city and the closest thing to Wakanda I know. Most important is the fact that Atlanta is the site of this new America we are building — and this past election is the evidence.  Atlanta and its surrounding areas are the reason Georgia went Blue. You're welcome, America.