In a moment that transcended nightlife and honored cultural legacy, Michael “Mr. Magic” Barney, the visionary founder of Atlanta’s legendary Magic City, was officially inducted into Exotic Dancer Magazine’s Hall of Fame on Tuesday, August 24th, 2025 during the ED Honors Award Show during the annual Exotic Dancer (ED) Expo in Las Vegas. The ED Awards Show, established in 1998, is the only national awards show for the billion-dollar adult nightclub industry.
More than just an adult nightclub owner, Barney is a pioneer who helped shape modern hip-hop, elevated adult entertainment, and transformed a modest Southern venue into a global cultural landmark.
“While there are many luminaries in our industry, few have ascended to the heights of Mr. Magic,” says Kristofer Kay, Managing Editor of EXOTIC DANCER Magazine. “Because of his influence on Southern hip-hop, the words ‘Magic City’ resonate far beyond Atlanta, they’ve become embedded in the American zeitgeist.”
When Magic City opened its doors in 1985, it was more than a business; it was the birth of a movement. At a time when adult entertainment was often dismissed or marginalized, Barney saw an opportunity to create something greater: a space where music, performance and raw talent could collide. His vision transformed Magic City into a cultural institution, helping to redefine Atlanta as a capital of black creativity, nightlife and music.
“Magic City Mondays,” once a word-of-mouth phenomenon, evolved into a rite of passage for emerging hip-hop artists. As GQ Magazine once wrote, Mondays at Magic City became “the most important night in the most important club in the most important city in hip-hop.” Industry giants such as Outkast, Future, T.I., Migos, Young Jeezy, and Gucci Mane (to name just a few) found early support and connected with audiences within its walls. In Magic City, dancers were the tastemakers; if a track didn’t move the floor, it didn’t make it past the parking lot.
Under Barney’s leadership, Magic City became more than a venue, it became a brand. Name-dropped in over 100 songs, profiled in major publications, and now the subject of a new documentary that premiered in August 2025 on STARZ, Magic City stands as a musical landmark alongside institutions like Stax Records in Memphis and Muscle Shoals’ Sound Studio.
Yet Barney’s influence runs deeper than celebrity cameos or luxury bottle service. He is celebrated for the dignity he brought to dancers, the platform he offered to artists, and his unshakable belief that everyone — from the stage to the DJ booth — deserved to be seen, heard. and respected.
“Michael Barney didn’t just build a club,” Kay continues. “He built a legacy. He saw value where others saw vice, and gave Atlanta, and the world, a place where the lights shine a little brighter, and where money is literally made to rain.”
As he enters the Exotic Dancer Hall of Fame (see the complete list of ED Hall of Fame inductees here) Michael Barney’s journey is a reminder that cultural movements often begin in the most unexpected places. In this case, it all started on Forsyth Street in downtown Atlanta—with a man, a vision, and a club that would one day help define a generation.
For additional information, please contact: Kristofer Kay, Managing Editor, Exotic Dancer Magazine (727) 726-3592, or email kris@edpublications.com.
