‘Atlanta’ Season 2 Soundtrack: Songs in Episode 1, ‘Alligator Man’
Atlanta Season 2 episode 1, “Alligator Man,” starts with a robbery, honoring the season title, “Robbin Season.” We see a kid convinced to rob a drive-thru for an eighth of weed. This opening scene recruits two of the hottest young rappers right now. “The Race” by Tay-K and "Right Through You" by Yung Bans are two of only a few modern songs in an Atlanta Season 2 premiere full of oldies. Here’s a list of all the songs we heard playing throughout.
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The episode title sequence opens to “Did It Again” by Jay Critch & Rich The Kid. Earn wakes up in his storage locker and the facility attendant warns him the owners are going to ask him to leave soon.
“The Game Belongs To Me” by UGK plays in the kitchen as Earn asks Darius to give him a ride to the probation office (he got caught with half a joint). He owes the state $375 for drug treatment classes as part of his probation. He can't pay in full, and is told he can pay per class. If he misses one, he gets arrested. It's a subtle scene that shows the prejudice the criminal justice system has toward poor and non-white offenders.
Darius blasts “Hot Head” by Death Grips in the car. Earn interrupts him to ask if he can stay at Darius and Alfred’s (Paper Boi) spot, but realizes there’s some kind of tiff going on between the two of them. Darius changes the subject to Earn's family, then goes on to explain the myth of ‘Florida Man.'
Earn decides to check on his relatives. “I’ll Be Good” by Rene & Angela plays as he and Darius arrive. This is where the episode’s title comes into play, when Earn’s uncle, Willy (Katt Williams), casually mentions he’s keeping an alligator in his bedroom.
Breakwater’s “No Limit” starts playing and a pair of cops knock at the door because Willy's girlfriend called the police and claimed she was kidnapped.
A couple of songs play while Earn argues with his uncle about life. We learn something happened between Earn’s mom and uncle, and Earn is still very salty about the issue. The first song is “Burning Up” by Donnell Pitman. The second is “Love Ballad” by L.T.D.
Willy gifts Earn with a gun (because he doesn't want to get caught with it with the police outside) after Earn expresses concerns about Alfred not needing his help with music anymore. Earn leaves the house and Willy's alligator slithers out the front door to “Hey! Love” by The Delfonics. Earn parts ways with Darius and Alfred, who rip him a new one for his new gold gun, to “When Seasons Change” by Curtis Mayfield. And for what it’s worth, a horror movie rendition of Rae Sremmurd’s “No Type” was playing in the commercial prior to the episode.
Check back next week for the list of songs from Atlanta Season 2 episode 2, “Sportin Waves.” Did we miss any in the premiere? Let us know in the comments.