Earn and his cousin, Alfred, try to make their way in the world through Atlanta's rap scene. Along the way they come face-to-face with social and economic issues touching on race, relationships, poverty, status and parenthood.

The series was produced by RBA, 343 Incorporated, MGMT. Entertainment, and FXPand is primarily set and filmed in Atlanta and the surrounding Georgia area; the third season features international filming locations. Atlanta is one of the only American cable television series to feature an all-Black writing staff (featuring Glover as writer, executive producer and showrunner),[6][7] with much of the focus set on examining race, class, identity, the American Dream, existentialism and modern African-American culturethrough an Afro-Surrealist lens.[8] It is also notable for its use of bottle and standaloneepisodes, which often do not feature the main cast.