Jermaine Dupri, Ludacris Release New Atlanta Falcons Video

ATLANTA, GA -- The 2018 NFL season opens Thursday night in Philadelphia, when the Atlanta Falcons play the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles on national TV. The Falcons have been picked by several national publications and websites, including USA Today and Sports Illustrated, to become the first team in NFL history to play in a Super Bowl in their home stadium, when Mercedes-Benz Stadium hosts Super Bowl 53 on Feb. 3, 2019.

Just in time for Thursday night's game, two legendary Atlanta hip-hop stars, Jermaine Dupri and Ludacris, have remastered their classic "Welcome to Atlanta" song in a version that pays tribute to the Dirty Birds.

Dupri wrote the song back in 2002 for his “Instructions” album. Ludacris featured the song on his “Word of Mouf” as a hidden track.

Few are more apt to deliver that message. As lifelong Falcons fans, Dupri and Ludacris know exactly how strong the connection is between their team and their city.

“Atlanta, and the Falcons basically go hand in hand,” Dupri said. “We’ve always been a city that people tried to count out of being a city. I remember when I first started making music, there use to be these T-shirts that you could get at certain places that would say ‘London, Tokyo, Chicago and New York’ or something like that. That’s what they used to say on the front, they would never say ‘ATL.’ They would never say Atlanta. I’m like Chicago? Then I saw another one say, ‘Los Angeles, London, Chicago, New York.'

“Never Atlanta.”

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That was until 2002 with the original song, and now again with 2018 Falcons Remix.

“As time has [passed and Atlanta has grown], musically and just the city growing, you see people – movies being shot here. But we still haven’t won a Super Bowl” said Dupri. “It’s the badge of our pride. We’ve got to get it.”