In their native Atlanta, some people already consider EarthGang to be legends. Olu (aka Johnny Venus) and WowGr8 (aka Doctur Dot) have released several independent records and mixtapes across the last decade, offering a spaced-out mix of hope and helplessness. They have also played hundreds of shows in the States and abroad, opening up for the likes of Mac Miller, Billie Eilish, and J. Cole, who signed them to his Dreamville imprint in 2017. They are featured on five songs from the label’s new compilation, Revenge of the Dreamers III, which is set to enter the Billboard charts at No. 1 next week. WowGr8 says that, a few hours before we meet on a recent sunny Saturday in their hometown, he was stopped by a woman at Kroger who told him, “I’m raising my kids off EarthGang.”

And yet, the duo feel like they have a long way to go. “I ain’t even dropped my first album,” Olu says with a laugh, referring to EarthGang’s upcoming full-length major label debut, Mirrorland, due out later this year. Talking about the group’s ambitions, WowGr8 remembers how Mac Miller wasn’t able to go unrecognized while on tour. “That was just a huge perspective for me,” he says. “If you can’t go to the mall and shut that bitch down then you’re not that big.” When I ask if they still consider themselves to be a rising act, WowGr8 says, “If you not rising, what the hell are you doing?” Olu agrees: “I’m going to be rising my whole life.”