Atlanta found itself in the middle of some rap-world confusion this week after NBA YoungBoy appeared to receive a key to the city during his tour stop in the A. Videos from the show started flooding social media, showing the Baton Rouge rapper accepting what looked like a city honor before diving into his 2022 track “I Hate YoungBoy.” Fans went crazy, but the move immediately raised eyebrows — especially considering the record takes aim at a few of Atlanta’s own, including Lil Baby and Gucci Mane.

Not long after the clip started circulating, the City of Atlanta quickly cleared the air. In a statement from the Mayor’s Office of Film Entertainment & Nightlife, officials confirmed they had nothing to do with that key ceremony. 

“While we respect all individuals and agencies who choose to recognize cultural or community impact, the City of Atlanta and the Mayor's Office of Film, Entertainment, and Nightlife were not involved in this presentation,” the office said, adding that the city hasn’t actually issued a key “in a very, very long time.” 

For context, the last rapper to actually receive one was Ludacris back in 2004. He earned the honor for his community work through the Ludacris Foundation, which focused on youth empowerment and education across Atlanta. That makes the mix-up around YoungBoy’s “key” moment even more interesting, since it’s been more than two decades since the city officially recognized a hip-hop artist in that way.

They also made it clear that their note wasn’t shade — just a move to keep the public record straight.

Turns out, the recognition came from Fulton County and the State of Georgia. Onstage with YoungBoy were Fulton County Probate Judge Kenya Johnson, Georgia State Representative Ingo Willis, and Fulton County Commissioner Marvin Arrington. The honor was said to acknowledge his influence on hip-hop, his efforts against gun violence, and his philanthropy. YoungBoy thanked the officials for the moment and carried on performing, seemingly unbothered by the controversy that followed.