Baldwin County School District Distinguished Alumni 2026: Melvin “Fish Scales” Adams c/o '95

From Baldwin Brave to Billboard Charts

Melvin Adams graduated from Baldwin High School in 1995, but his love for music started long before that. “I fell in love with hip hop at the age of six or seven,” he said. “Run-D.M.C., Kurtis Blow, right away I said, that’s what I want to do.” By nine years old, he was already writing verses in class at Midway Elementary.

Years later, while attending Western Kentucky University, Adams joined five other artists to form what would become Nappy Roots, one of the most successful hip-hop groups of the early 2000s. “We’re one of the few groups from our era that is still making music, still doing shows,” he said. More than two decades later, the group continues to tour and record.

Carrying Milledgeville With Him

Though Nappy Roots became closely associated with Kentucky, Adams made it his mission to represent his hometown. “That’s the one thing that you can do that they can’t do. Speak about Milledgeville, Georgia,” he said. He describes navigating the music industry as both fearless and collaborative. “I have five brothers to do it with. The fear was gone,” he said.

For Adams, success was never about going alone, it was about building with a team.

Lessons from Baldwin Basketball

Before music, there was basketball. “What do I miss most? Basketball,” Adams said. “That’s when I was playing my best basketball.” He credits Baldwin High athletics with shaping his mindset for life and business. “That totally comes from Baldwin Braves basketball, you’ve got to play your position or none of this works.”

That philosophy; know your role, trust your team, hold your position, has guided both Nappy Roots and his entrepreneurial ventures.

The Teachers Who Stepped In

Adams speaks openly about his parents, teachers, and coaches who redirected him when he needed it most. “When I was drifting off, they would step in and say, ‘You’re not that kid. You’re not a bad kid.’ The moment I went to college, it hit me," he said, "now I get what they were trying to tell me.” Their influence, he says, changed his life.

From Music to Craft Brewing

In 2018, Adams and fellow Nappy Roots member Skinny DeVille began brewing beer in Adams’ garage. “When the pandemic came, we had nothing else to do but make beer,” he said. What started as experimentation became Atlantucky Brewing, now a 6,000-square-foot brewery located one block from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

After three years in the garage, they were offered the opportunity to expand.

“We were not ready for it, but we said, this is a lifetime opportunity.”

Today, Atlantucky Brewing combines craft beer with what Adams calls “Atlanta-style pizza”; flatbread, heavy on toppings, with Southern influences like collard greens. For Adams, brewing blends chemistry, business, art, and history, disciplines he first encountered in school.

Advice for Baldwin Students

Adams encourages students to think creatively and work collaboratively.

“Creating things is for everybody,” he said. His biggest advice? “Traveling changed my life more than anything. Getting out of Milledgeville and seeing how big the world is just showed me the possibilities are unlimited.”

For aspiring musicians, he offers both realism and encouragement: “Talent is only 10% of what it takes to make it,” he said. “You need a team. You need the work ethic. It is a business.”

Adams and his wife have two adult children, whom he has helped raise since they were young. “That’s where my life is now. It’s all about them,” he said. His wife works as a caregiver, and Adams says he admires her ability to care for others and listen to their stories, something he has always valued.

Today, while still touring and creating music, Adams travels more for enjoyment, balancing creative passion with family life.