Guide ·
Spillage Village explained: the members, the mixtapes, and Spilligion
Who is in Spillage Village, the Atlanta collective founded by EarthGang? A guide to the members, the Bears Like This tapes, and Spilligion.
If you follow EarthGang, you'll keep running into the name Spillage Village. It's the Atlanta collective the duo founded, and it's the best way to understand the wider world around them.
Who is in it
- Johnny Venus (Olu) and Doctur Dot (WowGr8) of EarthGang
- JID, recruited after the duo heard his first mixtape in 2010
- Hollywood JB, who raps and produces
- Jurdan Bryant
- Mereba, announced as a member in 2014
- 6lack, announced in 2014, who once lived at EarthGang's house
- Benji, who raps and produces, added in 2020
The Bears Like This trilogy
Before they had a major-label album, the crew released three mixtapes:
- Bears Like This (February 2, 2014), with the original five members
- Bears Like This Too (July 6, 2015), adding 6lack
- Bears Like This Too Much (December 2, 2016), with J. Cole and Bas, often called the collective's breakout
Spilligion: the pandemic album
In March 2020, JID rented a house in Atlanta to record a solo album. Then the pandemic hit, and the whole collective ended up there instead, living and recording together for more than two months. 6lack recorded from Los Angeles. The result was Spilligion, released September 25, 2020, through Dreamville, Interscope, and SinceThe80s.
The album is spiritual, warm, and very much about 2020. The singles were "End of Daze," "Baptize," and "Hapi," and guests included Ari Lennox, Chance the Rapper, Masego, Lucky Daye, Buddy, Ant Clemons, and Atlanta legend Big Rube. NPR Music ranked it fifth on its best albums of 2020, and Uproxx ranked it third. Pitchfork compared its feel to Goodie Mob and OutKast, which tells you exactly what lineage this crew comes from.
Why it matters to EarthGang fans
Spillage Village explains how EarthGang works. The duo built a community first, recorded with friends constantly, and moved up together. When you hear JID or Mereba on an EarthGang song, it isn't just a feature. It's family.
Want more? Read about EarthGang's Atlanta roots.