Remembering Rapper Wacko: The New Orleans Legend Who Helped Give the Magnolia Projects a National Anthem

#NOLAZINE - New Orleans hip-hop has lost another important voice from an unforgettable era.

Damon “Wacko” Grison, best known as a member of UTP alongside Juvenile and Skip, reportedly passed away in late August 2026. News of his death quickly spread throughout the New Orleans music community, bringing tributes from artists, friends and fans who remembered his distinctive voice, personality and contribution to the city's rap history.

For casual hip-hop listeners, Wacko might be remembered primarily for one record:

“Nolia Clap.”

But in New Orleans, Wacko's story was bigger than one song.

He represented Uptown.

He represented the Magnolia Projects.

He represented a generation of New Orleans street rappers who developed their identities long before social media gave artists an instant path to audiences around the world.

And when “Nolia Clap” exploded nationally in 2004, Wacko helped turn neighborhood pride into one of the most recognizable New Orleans rap anthems of the 2000s.

Coming From the Magnolia

Wacko came from New Orleans and was closely connected to the Magnolia Projects, officially known as the C.J. Peete public housing development.

For anyone familiar with New Orleans hip-hop history, the Magnolia needs little introduction.

The neighborhood produced and influenced an incredible collection of talent, including Juvenile and the late Soulja Slim.

The Magnolia wasn't simply somewhere these artists came from.

It became part of their identities.

The slang, stories, personalities, struggles and pride surrounding the neighborhood traveled through their music.

Wacko belonged to that tradition.

His delivery had the type of personality that New Orleans rap fans could immediately recognize. He wasn't trying to sound like an artist from New York, Los Angeles or Atlanta.

He sounded like home.

Becoming Part of UTP

Wacko's biggest opportunity came through his relationship with Juvenile.

After Juvenile's initial departure from Cash Money Records in the early 2000s, he began building UTP, also known as the Uptown Project or UTP Playas.

The collective went through different configurations.

Artists associated with the UTP movement included Wacko, Skip, Soulja Slim, Corey Cee and Young Buck, who would later become nationally famous as a member of 50 Cent's G-Unit.

Eventually, the lineup most mainstream listeners came to recognize was:

Juvenile, Wacko and Skip.

Together, they would create a record that became permanently attached to New Orleans hip-hop history.

“Nolia Clap”

In 2004, UTP released “Nolia Clap.”

The title alone meant something to people from New Orleans.

“Nolia” was a reference to the Magnolia Projects.

But what began as neighborhood representation quickly became much bigger.

The booming production, unforgettable hook and raw energy gave “Nolia Clap” everything necessary to become an anthem.

And it did.

The song climbed to No. 31 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving UTP a legitimate national hit.

Suddenly people far outside Louisiana were screaming:

“Nolia!”

That's what made the record special.

It didn't become successful because UTP watered down New Orleans culture for mainstream audiences.

They brought their neighborhood directly to mainstream audiences.

Wacko Had a Major Role in Creating “Nolia Clap”

Wacko wasn't simply somebody who happened to rap on the record.

His connection to “Nolia Clap” went much deeper.

Wacko shares songwriting credit on the song with Juvenile, Skip and producer Donald “XL” Robertson. Even more significantly, Juvenile later explained that the original idea was closely connected to Wacko.

Speaking about the record years later, Juvenile described “Nolia Clap” as being more like Wacko's song, explaining that Wacko had been singing the hook around the studio before the track was fully developed.

That's an important piece of Wacko's legacy.

One of the most recognizable New Orleans rap records of the 2000s wasn't simply something Wacko appeared on.

He helped create its identity.

“The Beginning of the End...”

“Nolia Clap” appeared on UTP's 2004 album The Beginning of the End...

The project arrived through Rap-A-Lot Records and introduced the Juvenile, Wacko and Skip combination to a much larger audience.

For New Orleans rap fans, UTP represented another branch of a musical family tree that had already changed Southern hip-hop.

Juvenile was an established superstar following his Cash Money success.

Soulja Slim had become a street legend.

Young Buck eventually became a major artist with G-Unit.

And Wacko and Skip developed their own identities within UTP.

But the group's success arrived during an incredibly difficult period for New Orleans hip-hop.

Losing Soulja Slim

UTP's history can't be discussed without mentioning Soulja Slim.

Slim had been associated with the UTP collective before his death.

On November 26, 2003, Soulja Slim was shot and killed in New Orleans.

His murder devastated the city's hip-hop community.

Months later, “Nolia Clap” would become a national success.

That meant the UTP movement was experiencing one of its biggest commercial moments while simultaneously carrying the memory of someone who had been closely connected to their circle.

For fans who understood the relationships behind the music, that history made UTP's rise even more meaningful.

Wacko Continued Making Music

Wacko's career didn't end after “Nolia Clap.”

He remained connected to Juvenile's musical world and appeared alongside Skip on Juvenile's acclaimed 2006 album Reality Check.

Wacko appeared on records including “Sets Go Up” and “Way I Be Leanin'.”

Then Wacko and Skip continued UTP as a duo.

In 2007, they released Back Like We Left Something.

Although nothing they released afterward duplicated the national success of “Nolia Clap,” Wacko remained respected by people who understood his place within New Orleans street rap.

And sometimes that type of respect lasts much longer than a Billboard position.

Wacko Was New Orleans

One thing New Orleans has always had is personality.

You can hear it in the music.

New Orleans rappers historically haven't needed to sound like anybody else.

From bounce music to No Limit Records, Cash Money Records, UTP and countless independent artists, the city developed its own vocabulary, flows, production styles and attitudes.

Wacko was part of that.

His cadence was different.

His personality came through his records.

And he belonged to an era where New Orleans rappers weren't simply making music—they were representing neighborhoods.

Magnolia.

Calliope.

Melph.

Desire.

Iberville.

These weren't simply names mentioned in songs.

They were communities whose stories became part of New Orleans hip-hop.

“Nolia Clap” took one of those neighborhood identities and placed it on national television and radio.

New Orleans Artists Remember Wacko

Following reports of Wacko's passing, tributes began appearing throughout the hip-hop community.

Former No Limit Records artist Mia X remembered Wacko's talent, particularly his wordplay and unique cadence. She also revealed something that makes his passing even more heartbreaking:

Wacko had reportedly been working on new music.

Young Buck offered condolences, while DJ Paul of Three 6 Mafia and New Orleans bounce star Big Freedia were also among those reacting to the loss.

It demonstrated something that people from New Orleans already understood.

Wacko was respected.

Another Piece of a Legendary New Orleans Era Is Gone

For longtime New Orleans rap fans, Wacko's passing hits differently.

It reminds us just how much time has passed since that incredible period of Louisiana hip-hop.

Soulja Slim is gone.

BTY Young'N is gone.

Young Greatness is gone.

5th Ward Weebie is gone.

Black Rob of New Orleans' local scene and numerous other artists and cultural figures have passed.

And now another voice connected to an important chapter in the city's music history is being mourned.

But the beautiful thing about music is that generations can disappear while the records remain.

Put on “Nolia Clap” today and it still sounds like New Orleans.

The energy is still there.

The accents are still there.

The neighborhood pride is still there.

And Wacko's contribution is still there.

Remembering Damon “Wacko” Grison

Wacko may never have become the biggest solo rap star to come from New Orleans.

That doesn't determine his importance.

He was part of something bigger.

He helped create a record that carried the name of the Magnolia Projects around the country.

He stood alongside Juvenile and Skip during UTP's biggest commercial moment.

He represented Uptown New Orleans with an unmistakable personality.

And decades later, when someone says “Nolia Clap,” an entire generation knows exactly what time it is.

That's legacy.

New Orleans hip-hop history isn't only the story of Master P, Lil Wayne, Juvenile, Birdman and the artists who became multimillion-dollar superstars.

It's also the story of the rappers who gave individual neighborhoods their voices.

Wacko was one of those artists.

From the Magnolia Projects to UTP to a Billboard hit heard throughout America, Damon “Wacko” Grison left his mark on New Orleans hip-hop.

And while the city mourns another loss, the record that helped make his name unforgettable will continue playing.

Rest in peace, Wacko.

The Nolia will never forget you.