Atmosphere (music group)
Encyclopedia
Atmosphere is an American hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...

 group from Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...

. The group is composed of rapper
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...

 Slug
Slug (rapper)
Sean Michael Daley, better known by his stage name Slug or "'Sep Seven'", is an American rapper. He is from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Slug is best known as one fourth of the hip hop group Atmosphere, which he founded with Derek Turner...

 (Sean Daley) and DJ/Producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...

 Ant
Ant (producer)
Ant is a hip hop producer whose full name is Anthony Davis.He is best known as being one half of the hip hop group Atmosphere, but has worked with many other artists and projects, mostly with Rhymesayers Entertainment, such as Brother Ali, I Self Devine, Felt and The Dynospectrum...

 (Anthony Davis). Atmosphere has been a driving force in Twin Cities hip hop
Twin Cities hip hop
Twin Cities hip hop is hip-hop or rap music that originates from the Twin Cities metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Minnesota.-Pre-1996:A strictly subterranean hip hop culture in the Twin Cities existed as early as 1981. Similar to the development of hip hop in the South Bronx, Twin Cities rap...

 and Independent Hip-hop for over 20 years.

Members

The two members of the group are Sean Daley, who raps under the name "Slug", and Anthony Davis, who produces the music for Atmosphere under the name "Ant". With the exception of a few tracks on the album Lucy Ford, Ant has produced every Atmosphere record. Former member and co-founder Spawn (Derek Turner, now going by the name "Rek The Heavyweight") left the group after the release of the group's first album Overcast!
Overcast!
Overcast! is the debut studio album by Minneapolis hip hop group Atmosphere, released in 1997 on Rhymesayers Entertainment. It's the only Atmosphere album to feature MC Spawn trading verses with Slug...

. Mr. Dibbs
Mr. Dibbs
__notoc__Brad Forste, better known as Mr. Dibbs, is a DJ and hip hop producer. The founder of the turntablist collective 1200 Hobos, he has also appeared on numerous underground hip hop records as producer or DJ as well as releasing a number of solo works.Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Forste was...

, a DJ associated with the group, toured with Atmosphere prior to their You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having tour, at which point Ant began touring.

Pre-Overcast!

In high school, Sean Daley met soon-to-be close friend Brent Sayers. The two took the names Slug and Siddiq/Stress, respectively, as rapper names. They initially performed under the name "Mental Subjects", before changing the name to "A Rhythmic Culture", and finally settling on "Urban Atmosphere". Originally, Spawn performed as the rapper, with Slug acting as DJ. Eventually Spawn convinced Slug to start rapping as well. Through rapper Musab
Sab the Artist
Musab 'Sab the Artist' Saad is an American recording artist, rapper, song writer, record producer and music executive from Minneapolis, Minnesota, currently residing in Las Vegas, Nevada....

 (then known as Beyond), Slug was introduced to producer Ant after they went to his house to record a track. Slug saw an opportunity in working with Ant and convinced Spawn to record further with him. They soon started recording songs with Ant, learning how to structure songs properly and practicing vocal delivery. Eventually the group dropped the "Urban" from their name, going by just "Atmosphere".

Atmosphere, as a group, joined with other rappers Musab
Sab the Artist
Musab 'Sab the Artist' Saad is an American recording artist, rapper, song writer, record producer and music executive from Minneapolis, Minnesota, currently residing in Las Vegas, Nevada....

, Phull Surkle, Black Hole, and The Abstract Pack to form a collective known as Headshots. This group later evolved into the label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...

 Rhymesayers. Over time, a series of cassettes were released under the "Headshots" name and garnered some local acclaim; enough so that even as early as 1996, Slug, Stress and Musab
Sab the Artist
Musab 'Sab the Artist' Saad is an American recording artist, rapper, song writer, record producer and music executive from Minneapolis, Minnesota, currently residing in Las Vegas, Nevada....

 were making national appearances such as on NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...

's All Things Considered
All Things Considered
All Things Considered is the flagship news program on the American network National Public Radio. It was the first news program on NPR, and is broadcast live worldwide through several outlets...

. The start of Rhymesayers as a record label came when Siddiq, fed up with their treatment at a number of local studios, decided to buy his own.

Overcast! (1997)

Spawn left the group right as their first album Overcast!
Overcast!
Overcast! is the debut studio album by Minneapolis hip hop group Atmosphere, released in 1997 on Rhymesayers Entertainment. It's the only Atmosphere album to feature MC Spawn trading verses with Slug...

was released, citing a "lack of desire to continue in a pursuit that seemed so insurmountable" (he had also planned to move to Houston, TX with his wife, Avril Karam). The release of Overcast!
Overcast!
Overcast! is the debut studio album by Minneapolis hip hop group Atmosphere, released in 1997 on Rhymesayers Entertainment. It's the only Atmosphere album to feature MC Spawn trading verses with Slug...

allowed audiences outside of the Twin Cities to be introduced to Atmosphere, mostly with the airplay that the single "Scapegoat" received on college radio stations. Meanwhile, Slug honed his live performance skills at Minneapolis clubs such as First Avenue and 7th Street Entry. 1998 saw the recording of two albums by underground rap supergroups. The first, The Dynospectrum
Dynospectrum
Conceived by Rhymesayers Entertainment emcee and co-founder Beyond , the Dynospectrum was the only album the "group" released in the history of the label. Including Beyond, the group also consisted of Headshots crew members Slug , Swift aka Mr. Gene Poole and I Self Devine...

, involved Atmosphere as well as Beyond (Musab)
Sab the Artist
Musab 'Sab the Artist' Saad is an American recording artist, rapper, song writer, record producer and music executive from Minneapolis, Minnesota, currently residing in Las Vegas, Nevada....

, Swift (of Phull Surkle) and I Self Divine. The second, Deep Puddle Dynamics
Deep Puddle Dynamics
Deep Puddle Dynamics was a collaborative group featuring hip-hop artists Sole, Alias, Doseone and Slug. In 1999, they released their album The Taste of Rain... Why Kneel? on Anticon.-Albums:*The Taste of Rain... Why Kneel?...

, was an effort put forth by Oakland, CA-based underground rap label Anticon
Anticon
Anticon is an Oakland based independent record label founded in 1997. It is collectively owned among six founding artists and one manager...

, and featured Slug, Sole
Sole (artist)
Tim Holland, known as Sole, is an alternative hip hop artist and a co-founder of the Anticon collective/label. Sole is known for his dense and often dark stream-of-consciousness style of rapping. His verses are often filled with abstraction, metaphor and sarcasm while avoiding or deconstructing...

, Alias
Alias (artist)
Brendon Whitney, known as Alias, is an abstract hip hop musician and producer. He is mainly affiliated with the anticon. label/collective.-Biography:...

 and Doseone
Doseone
Adam Drucker, better known as Doseone , is an American MC, artist, and poet from Idaho. Dose is known for his nasal, high pitched, fast polyrhythmic rapping style and abstract lyrics. He often simultaneously performs synth, sampler, or keyboard on stage. His words tend to express upon topics of...

 rapping over beats by Jel
Jel
Jel is a hip hop producer and rapper for the Anticon label. He is a part of the hip hop duo Themselves and is also heavily involved in the bands Subtle and 13 & God.-Style:...

.

Ford and Lucy Ford (2000-2001)

Now touring nationally on a more regular basis (the twenty-one date Ford One Tour brought them to the East Coast for the first time), Slug was able to quit his job at a record store, as well as a second job working overnight shifts at a department store. The year 2000 also saw the opening of the Rhymesayers-owned record store The Fifth Element
The Fifth Element (store)
The Fifth Element, also known as Fifth Element Records or 5th Element, is a hip hop record store in Uptown, Minneapolis which opened in 1999 and is owned and operated by Rhymesayers Entertainment. The store specializes in vinyl records and hard-to-find underground rap. Graffiti and turntables are...

 in Minneapolis. In 2001, the two EPs, Ford and Lucy, were combined and released as an LP titled Lucy Ford: The Atmosphere EPs. Originally intended as a tour-only release, it sold so well that it was later released as an official LP (making it the only Atmosphere album featuring producers other than Ant). Atmosphere returned to the road in 2001 with three separate tours straddling North America and Europe. With Lucy Ford, Atmosphere also finally achieved national distribution through independent distributor Fat Beats.

God Loves Ugly (2002)

Atmosphere planned to release their second studio album God Loves Ugly
God Loves Ugly
-Track listing:#Onemosphere#The Bass And The Movement#Give Me#Twomosphere#Fuck You Lucy#Happy hours#One Of A Kind#A Girl Named Hope#My Songs#*Contains a sample of "Someting In The Air" by Labelle#Shrapnel- Personnel :Adapted from Allmusic....

on June 11, 2002, but experienced delays in editing. The record featured more straightforward, almost battle-centric, lyrics from Slug. The record was distributed nationally again through Fat Beats and would go on to sell over 130,000 copies. The album generated two singles: "Modern Man's Hustle" and "GodLovesUgly
GodLovesUgly
"GodLovesUgly" is a single by Atmosphere, released on November 19, 2002, via 12" vinyl.The album, God Loves Ugly, was preceded by Atmospheres's second album, Lucy Ford: The Atmosphere EPs. This album was released in 2001 and was also the only albums by Slug and Ant with external production...

". Atmosphere toured extensively in support of this record, going as far as Europe and Japan, playing sixty shows in seventy-one days. The success of the album and subsequent tours got the attention of major labels Interscope, Sony and Warner Brothers. However, for the time, Atmosphere decided to stay independent.

Seven's Travels (2003)

Atmosphere's third full-length studio album, Seven's Travels
Seven's Travels
-Track listing:#"History"#"Trying To Find A Balance"#"Bird Sings Why The Caged I Know"#"Always Coming Home To You"#"The Keys To Life Vs 15 Minutes"#"Apple"#"Suicidegirls"#"Lifter Puller"#"Shoes"#"National Disgrace"#"Devermolorado"#"Liquor Lyles Cool July"...

, was released on September 23 through Rhymesayers and punk label Epitaph
Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record...

. It contained two singles, "Trying To Find A Balance" and "National Disgrace", both of which had music videos that received airplay on MTV2 and other stations, garnering Atmosphere more attention and success than previous releases. The album had one guest appearance from label mate Brother Ali
Brother Ali
Ali Newman , better known by the stage name Brother Ali, is an American hip hop artist signed to Rhymesayers Entertainment.-Personal life:...

 and was entirely produced by Ant. Several songs on Seven's Travels contain lyrics pertaining to relationship problems, alcohol, and depression.

The album cover for Seven's Travels was interpreted by some as an homage to The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...

' White Album. However, that was not the case; the original planned cover depicted a nude woman lying in snow. However, during a tour to support the release of the album, a young girl was raped at a show in Albuquerque. Because of this the album cover was changed shortly before the albums release.

You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having (2005)

Released in 2005, Atmosphere's fourth album You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having
You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having
You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having is the fourth studio album by the Minneapolis hip hop group Atmosphere, released on October 4, 2005 through Rhymesayers Entertainment. It was met with favorable reviews, receiving a score of 77 from 15 reviews on music review aggregator Metacritic....

was a departure from the sound of the previous two albums. Though production were once again handled entirely by Ant, the sound and lyrical content of the album was featured a more "raw" style than Godlovesugly and Seven's Travels. Reviews were generally positive, with Stylust saying "The result may be, in a manner of speaking, the most consistent Atmosphere album to date." The opening track "The Arrival" appeared on EA Sports' Fight Night Round 3.

The Seasons EP's and Strictly Leakage (2007-2008)

To hold fans over while Slug and Ant put the finishing touches on their upcoming LP When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold
When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold
When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold is the fifth studio album by the Minneapolis hip hop group Atmosphere. It was released on Atmosphere's own Rhymesayers Entertainment label on April 22, 2008 to considerable critical acclaim...

, Atmosphere released four EPs as continuations of the "Sad Clown Bad Dub" series. These were Sad Clown Bad Summer 9
Sad Clown Bad Summer 9
Sad Clown Bad Summer 9 is a 5-track EP that was released in the summer of 2007 by Minneapolis hip hop group Atmosphere on the label Rhymesayers Entertainment.. This EP was released to hold listeners over while Slug and Ant put the finishing touches on their LP When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint...

, Sad Clown Bad Fall 10
Sad Clown Bad Fall 10
Sad Clown Bad Fall 10 is a 5-track EP that was released in October 2007 by Atmosphere. This EP was released to hold listeners over while producers Slug and Ant put the finishing touches on their LP When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold, that was released in 2008.- Track listing :#...

, Sad Clown Bad Winter 11, and Sad Clown Bad Spring 12
Sad Clown Bad Spring 12
Sad Clown Bad Spring 12 is a 5-track EP that was released in April 2008, by Atmosphere. The EP was digitally leaked by the group on April Fools Day after listeners were directed to a link for what the group claimed to be a leaked download for When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold.The...

. The EPs were popular in the Minneapolis area due many references to local ares, such as songs titled after streets in the area ("66th street
66th Street/Richfield (Metro Transit station)
The 66st/Richfield is a to-be constructed station on the upcoming bus rapid transit line, Minnesota's I-35W Bus Rapid Transitway.-External links:...

", "Lyndale Avenue
Lyndale Avenue
Lyndale Avenue is a major street in Minneapolis, Brooklyn Center, Richfield, and Bloomington, Minnesota. A noncontinuous portion exists in Faribault, part of Highway 21...

"). The song "Sunshine", from the Bad Summer EP, was released as a single. Despite not having a music video or any promotion, the song later became popular among the band's core fan base, eventually becoming a staple in live shows.

After the EPs, the group also released the free album Strictly Leakage
Strictly Leakage
Strictly Leakage is an unofficial album by the Minneapolis hip hop group Atmosphere, released as a free download in December 2007 through Rhymesayers Entertainment.-Track listing:#"YGM" – 4:10#"Little Math You" – 2:46#"Full Moon" – 3:45...

in late 2007.

When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold (2008)

In 2008 Atmosphere released When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold, their first official album release after Seven's Travels. The release marked a departure from the past production style of previous album, with producer Ant
Ant (producer)
Ant is a hip hop producer whose full name is Anthony Davis.He is best known as being one half of the hip hop group Atmosphere, but has worked with many other artists and projects, mostly with Rhymesayers Entertainment, such as Brother Ali, I Self Devine, Felt and The Dynospectrum...

 incorporating live instrumentation into the music (rather than relying solely on samples and drum machines). The lyrical content of the songs shifted as well, with Slug writing more songs featuring fictional stories and anecdotes from the viewpoints of other people (as opposed to from his own point of view, as previously).

Leak at Will (2009)

Between the release of When Life Gives You Lemons and To All My Friends, Atmosphere released another free EP in 2009 called Leak At Will, featuring seven original tracks. Similar to Strictly Leakage, the EP was intended to tide over fans until the release of their next album.

To All My Friends, Blood Makes The Blade Holy: The Atmosphere EP's (2010)

A combination of EPs, the album To All My Friends, Blood Makes The Blade Holy: The Atmosphere EP's was released in September 2010. The album shot up to #2 on iTunes top 10 album downloads during the week of September 11, 2010. The album was favourably reviewed, with some reviews comparing it to the Lucy Ford LP.

The Family Sign (2011)

After 2010’s double EP, Atmosphere returned with their first full-length album in three years. The Family Sign
The Family Sign
The Family Sign is the sixth studio album by the Minneapolis hip hop group Atmosphere. It was released on Atmosphere's own Rhymesayers Entertainment label on April 12, 2011...

was released in 2011, and is Atmosphere's sixth studio album. Continuing the trend of recent albums, The Family Sign features more instrumentation, and is also the first album to feature actual band members. Keyboardist Erick Anderson and guitarist Nate Collis, part of the touring band for Atmosphere (who perform live renditions of songs that are normally sampler/drum machine produced), were brought in to help record the album, leading to a much different sound than previous album.

Touring

Slug credits most of group's success to large amount of touring the group does. In the early days of the group, they once drove from Minneapolis to Dallas to play a show for $250.

During 2005's 8 nights in a row at the legendary 7th St. Entry, the "Big Day Out" in Australia and the '@ it again' tour, Atmosphere was accompanied by a live band, featuring Nate Collis on guitar, Brett Johnson on bass, Erick Anderson on keyboards and Patrick Armitage on drums. Patrick (Drums) was replaced in late 05' by Brian McLeod for the "Pour Me Another" tour. The live setup brought a jazzy, more improvisational feel to Atmosphere's sound. Slug has said he wanted to play with a live band to add more of a challenge to playing live. Atmosphere has been playing with a live band since at least 2001, and this can be heard on Sad Clown Bad Dub III.

As of the Paint Your City Gold series of "release parties" in support of When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold
When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold
When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold is the fifth studio album by the Minneapolis hip hop group Atmosphere. It was released on Atmosphere's own Rhymesayers Entertainment label on April 22, 2008 to considerable critical acclaim...

, the live band has been re-rostered with Ant
Ant (producer)
Ant is a hip hop producer whose full name is Anthony Davis.He is best known as being one half of the hip hop group Atmosphere, but has worked with many other artists and projects, mostly with Rhymesayers Entertainment, such as Brother Ali, I Self Devine, Felt and The Dynospectrum...

 laying down the percussion as DJ, Nate Collis on guitar and back up vocals, Erick Anderson on keyboards and synths & Mankwe Ndosi as the 'human samples.'

In Spring 2009, Atmosphere embarked on the "When God Gives You Ugly" tour to celebrate the re-release of 2002's God Loves Ugly
God Loves Ugly
-Track listing:#Onemosphere#The Bass And The Movement#Give Me#Twomosphere#Fuck You Lucy#Happy hours#One Of A Kind#A Girl Named Hope#My Songs#*Contains a sample of "Someting In The Air" by Labelle#Shrapnel- Personnel :Adapted from Allmusic....

(which had been out of print) as well as their latest studio LP When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold
When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold
When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold is the fifth studio album by the Minneapolis hip hop group Atmosphere. It was released on Atmosphere's own Rhymesayers Entertainment label on April 22, 2008 to considerable critical acclaim...

. Slug & Ant were accompanied by Attracted To Gods, P.O.S, Brother Ali, as well as Eyedea & Abilities during the tour.

During Summer 2010, Atmosphere announced their plans for another tour titled the "To All My Friends" tour. It would be accompanied by special guests: Blueprint, Grieves & Budo and DJ Rare Groove.

Lyrical content

A prominent theme in Slug's lyrics is his allegorical usage of women, especially in his earlier work. A notable use of women by Slug is in the song "Woman with the Tattooed Hands", which Slug has said is "a metaphor for that same old shit that everybody has already made songs about. Just trying to find your place within a belief and faith as well as people that you want to have sex with.". Further uses come in the form of the song "Abusing of the Rib" from Headshots: SE7EN
Headshots: SE7EN
Headshots: SE7EN is a 2005 remaster of Headshots: Vol.7 by Atmosphere. All songs appearing on the album were recorded on a 4-track by Ant.-Track listing:# "Sep Seven Game Show Theme" – 4:08# "Round and Round" – 3:42# "Tracksmart" Headshots: SE7EN is a 2005 remaster of Headshots: Vol.7 by...

: it has been said that the "lover" that Slug speaks of is actually an allegory for hip-hop. The tour-only release Sad Clown Bad Dub II
Sad Clown Bad Dub II
Sad Clown Bad Dub II is a 12-track band promoted album originally sold exclusively at Atmosphere concerts with a limited print run of 500 copies. The songs are a set of four track recordings taken over the course of year 2000 and were compiled on the first day of fall: September 21, 2000...

saw Slug use a great degree of both symbolism and metaphor with notable references to nature and relationships throughout each song, culminating heavily in the album's penultimate track "The River".

A character whom Slug refers to as "Lucy", who has been purported to be a symbolisation of a range of different entities, is the most notable of these allegories. In earlier Atmosphere songs, it is believed that Slug used Lucy as a means of writing about ex-girlfriends. Lucy became so prominent that Atmosphere's 2001 album bore her name, Lucy Ford: The Atmosphere EPs
Lucy Ford: The Atmosphere EPs
Lucy Ford: The Atmosphere EPs is a compilation by the Minneapolis hip hop group Atmosphere, released on February 1, 2001 on Rhymesayers Entertainment. The album collects the previously released EPs Lucy, Ford 1 and Ford 2. Its introspective lyrics as well as its unusual beats has made it a...

, with the record itself concentrating fairly heavily on women and relationships, in songs such as "Don't Ever Fucking Question That" and "Mama Had A Baby And His Head Popped Off". The song "Fuck You Lucy" from God Loves Ugly has been said to deal with Slug's dependency on alcohol. Slug himself has since said of Lucy that he originally believed "her" to be a representation of the dichotomy between himself and women. He acknowledges now that Lucy became a demonization ("Lucy Ford" being a play on words for Lucifer
Lucifer
Traditionally, Lucifer is a name that in English generally refers to the devil or Satan before being cast from Heaven, although this is not the original meaning of the term. In Latin, from which the English word is derived, Lucifer means "light-bearer"...

) of himself and his dependency on alcohol, drugs, sex and validation.

Slug raps in a very introspective style, as seen on the song "Little Man", in which he confronts the complaints that people have about him by looking at his relationship with his father and son. This introspective style has become less prevalent as of Atmosphere's 2008 album When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold
When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold
When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold is the fifth studio album by the Minneapolis hip hop group Atmosphere. It was released on Atmosphere's own Rhymesayers Entertainment label on April 22, 2008 to considerable critical acclaim...

in which Slug navigates through other people's lives. When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold has been noted to be more of a dark album than previous efforts. Slug maintains the allegorical stance from previous records in songs such as "Your Glasshouse" which deals with his emotions towards the war in Iraq using the guise of a person waking up from a hangover.

Slug also dislikes some of the songs that he wrote before and does not perform them live, such as "Vampires" from 2002 album God Loves Ugly
God Loves Ugly
-Track listing:#Onemosphere#The Bass And The Movement#Give Me#Twomosphere#Fuck You Lucy#Happy hours#One Of A Kind#A Girl Named Hope#My Songs#*Contains a sample of "Someting In The Air" by Labelle#Shrapnel- Personnel :Adapted from Allmusic....

. Daley has stated: "[...] when I did get my phase of trying to figure myself out, there was a lot of tug-of-war inside of me between wanting to hate a particular woman and then feeling guilty about that. And there’s certain songs that I won’t perform anymore, because the game of tug-of-war is over and I know where I’m at. Furthermore, Slug has criticised Atmosphere's debut album Overcast!
Overcast!
Overcast! is the debut studio album by Minneapolis hip hop group Atmosphere, released in 1997 on Rhymesayers Entertainment. It's the only Atmosphere album to feature MC Spawn trading verses with Slug...

saying: "It's obvious that I’m trying so fucking hard on Overcast and you can see through it and tell it's not a person it's more of an attempt at trying to fill the niche, it was like I was trying to prove to myself that I was a rapper."

Collaborations

Slug has also released three albums with Murs from the West Coast hip hop
West Coast hip hop
West Coast hip hop is a hip hop music subgenre that encompasses any artists or music that originates in the westernmost region of the United States, as opposed to East Coast hip hop, based originally in New York alone...

 group Living Legends
Living Legends
Living Legends is a rap group composed of eight hip hop artists from California. Beginning in the early 1990s, the crew garnered a following by recording, promoting, and performing their music independently...

. The idea for Felt: A Tribute to Christina Ricci
Felt: A Tribute to Christina Ricci
Felt: A Tribute to Christina Ricci is the first album by Felt, a side project made up of Slug and Murs. It is entirely produced by Living Legends member The Grouch and it contains scratches provided by Mr. Dibbs. The album is dedicated to actress Christina Ricci because when the two first met they...

, their first album as a duo, came about while on tour. The two decided to see if they could garner some extra media attention for Ricci by dedicating their album to her, although according to Slug, Ricci has never responded to this or contacted the band. This debut studio album was produced by The Grouch
The Grouch (rapper)
The Grouch , is an MC, producer, and member of the underground hip hop groups the Living Legends, G&E, The CMA and Z&G. He was born in Oakland, California, where he attended Bishop O'Dowd High School.-Solo albums:* 1995 - Don't Talk To Me...

 from Living Legends
Living Legends
Living Legends is a rap group composed of eight hip hop artists from California. Beginning in the early 1990s, the crew garnered a following by recording, promoting, and performing their music independently...

.

Their second collaboration, Felt, Vol. 2: A Tribute to Lisa Bonet
Felt, Vol. 2: A Tribute to Lisa Bonet
Felt, Vol 2: A Tribute to Lisa Bonet is the second tribute album from Murs and Slug, the two members of rap group Felt. This time the dedication is to former The Cosby Show and A Different World star Lisa Bonet...

, produced by Ant, was released in 2005.

Their third Felt album was announced on the duo's MySpace page, leaking the track "Protagonists" from the album and announcing the title ("A Tribute to Rosie Perez
Rosie Perez
Rosa María "Rosie" Pérez is an American actress, dancer, choreographer, director and community activist.- Early life :...

"), the release date (11.17.09) and the producer, Aesop Rock
Aesop Rock
Ian Matthias Bavitz , better known by his stage name Aesop Rock, is an American hip hop artist and producer. He was at the forefront of the new wave of underground and alternative hip hop acts that emerged during the late 1990s and early 2000s. He was signed to El-P's Definitive Jux label until it...

.

Slug has also been featured on albums by C-Rayz Walz
C-Rayz Walz
Waleed Shabazz, better known by his stage name C-Rayz Walz, is an MC from The Bronx, New York. He is currently a member of the Legendary NY hip hop Syndicate Stronghold. C-Rayz Walz has been a fixture in the New York hip-hop scene for years. He hosts many hip-hop shows and events, has appeared on...

, CunninLynguists
Cunninlynguists
CunninLynguists are a hip hop trio from Lexington, Kentucky and Atlanta, Georgia. The group currently consists of Deacon the Villain, Kno, and Natti...

, Brother Ali
Brother Ali
Ali Newman , better known by the stage name Brother Ali, is an American hip hop artist signed to Rhymesayers Entertainment.-Personal life:...

, Eyedea & Abilities
Eyedea & Abilities
Eyedea & Abilities was an influential American indie rap duo from Saint Paul, Minnesota, consisting of DJ Abilities and the rapper Eyedea...

, Evidence
Evidence (artist)
Michael Perretta, better known as Evidence , is an American hip hop artist, producer, and member of the rap group Dilated Peoples. Evidence is a native of Venice, Los Angeles and was born to an Italian father and a Russian-American mother...

, Aesop Rock
Aesop Rock
Ian Matthias Bavitz , better known by his stage name Aesop Rock, is an American hip hop artist and producer. He was at the forefront of the new wave of underground and alternative hip hop acts that emerged during the late 1990s and early 2000s. He was signed to El-P's Definitive Jux label until it...

, Unknown Prophets
Unknown Prophets
The Unknown Prophets, are an American Hip hop group from Minneapolis, Minnesota.-History:Big Jess and MaD SoN are both graduates of Edison High School in Northeast, Minneapolis, where they met and began playing music together. After high school, the duo played at the Bon Appetit in Dinkytown in...

, KRS-One
KRS-One
Lawrence Krisna Parker , better known by his stage names KRS-One , and Teacha, is an American rapper...

, Oddjobs
Oddjobs
Oddjobs were a Minnesotan hip hop group formed around 1998 by Minneapolis MCs Advizer and Crescent Moon , and St. Paul producers/DJs Anatomy and Deetalx . Another MC, Nomi , joined in 2001...

, Vakill
Vakill
Vakill is an American rapper from Chicago, Illinois. Vakill is known through his association with Chicago Hip Hop collective The Molemen, and for his literate, witty, punch line-filled lyricism and detailed story-telling.-Early years:Raised on the South side of Chicago on 119th Street, Vakill was...

, DoseOne
Doseone
Adam Drucker, better known as Doseone , is an American MC, artist, and poet from Idaho. Dose is known for his nasal, high pitched, fast polyrhythmic rapping style and abstract lyrics. He often simultaneously performs synth, sampler, or keyboard on stage. His words tend to express upon topics of...

, Jel
Jel
Jel is a hip hop producer and rapper for the Anticon label. He is a part of the hip hop duo Themselves and is also heavily involved in the bands Subtle and 13 & God.-Style:...

, P.O.S., X-Ecutioners, Kanser, Blueprint
Blueprint (rapper)
Blueprint is an American rapper and hip hop producer from Columbus, Ohio. He is the founder and owner of Weightless Recordings and is also signed to Rhymesayers Entertainment...

, Heiruspecs
Heiruspecs
Heiruspecs is a live rap/hip hop band based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, specifically the Midway neighborhood. The band's name is based on a deliberate misspelling of haruspex.Their album, 10 Years Strong, was released in December of 2007...

, Jean Grae
Jean Grae
Jean Grae , born November 26, 1976 is an American hip hop artist who hails from South Africa. She rose to prominence in the underground hip-hop scene in New York City, and has since built an international fanbase.- Early life :...

, Parallel Thought, Static & Nat Ill, DJ Vadim
DJ Vadim
DJ Vadim is a prolific DJ and producer, born in Leningrad, USSR , raised in London and currently residing in both New York and Berlin, whose music combines hip hop, soul, reggae and electronica...

, Booka B, El-P, DOOM
MF Doom
Daniel Dumile is a hip hop artist who has taken on several stage names in his career, most notably MF DOOM, where the "MF" stands for metal face, and for tracks he has produced, metal fingers...

, Roosevelt Franklin
Roosevelt Franklin
Roosevelt Franklin was a Muppet featured on the children's television series Sesame Street during the early 1970s. He is purple with shaggy black hair that stands on end. His name is word play on the name of US President Franklin Roosevelt...

, Grayskul
Grayskul
-Formation:In 2003 Onry Ozzborn and JFK, both members of the Pacific Northwest hip hop collective Oldominion, teamed up with bassist Rob Castro to form Grayskul. They recorded about 55 songs in eight months at ATB Studios; these would eventually become Creature, Thee Adventures! and Deadlivers...

, Minnesota indie rock band Lifter Puller
Lifter Puller
Lifter Puller, or LFTR PLLR, was an American indie rock band from the Twin Cities and the Boston area between 1994 and 2000. Their music is considered innovative, with its angular riffs and a synth-infused sound that predated the 80's revival fads of the early 2000s...

, Cool-Aide (iCON the Mic King & Chum), Anomaly, AKA Jason Heinrichs
Jason Heinrichs
Jason Heinrichs is a musical producer who works with many bands and artists. He plays piano, guitar, and drums in many of his productions....

 and several Living Legends albums as well as Living Legends solo projects such as The CMA.

Studio Discography

  • Overcast!
    Overcast!
    Overcast! is the debut studio album by Minneapolis hip hop group Atmosphere, released in 1997 on Rhymesayers Entertainment. It's the only Atmosphere album to feature MC Spawn trading verses with Slug...

    (1997)
  • God Loves Ugly
    God Loves Ugly
    -Track listing:#Onemosphere#The Bass And The Movement#Give Me#Twomosphere#Fuck You Lucy#Happy hours#One Of A Kind#A Girl Named Hope#My Songs#*Contains a sample of "Someting In The Air" by Labelle#Shrapnel- Personnel :Adapted from Allmusic....

    (2002)
  • Seven's Travels
    Seven's Travels
    -Track listing:#"History"#"Trying To Find A Balance"#"Bird Sings Why The Caged I Know"#"Always Coming Home To You"#"The Keys To Life Vs 15 Minutes"#"Apple"#"Suicidegirls"#"Lifter Puller"#"Shoes"#"National Disgrace"#"Devermolorado"#"Liquor Lyles Cool July"...

    (2003)
  • You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having
    You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having
    You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having is the fourth studio album by the Minneapolis hip hop group Atmosphere, released on October 4, 2005 through Rhymesayers Entertainment. It was met with favorable reviews, receiving a score of 77 from 15 reviews on music review aggregator Metacritic....

    (2005)
  • When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold
    When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold
    When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold is the fifth studio album by the Minneapolis hip hop group Atmosphere. It was released on Atmosphere's own Rhymesayers Entertainment label on April 22, 2008 to considerable critical acclaim...

    (2008)
  • The Family Sign
    The Family Sign
    The Family Sign is the sixth studio album by the Minneapolis hip hop group Atmosphere. It was released on Atmosphere's own Rhymesayers Entertainment label on April 12, 2011...

    (2011)


EP's
  • Overcast! EP
    Overcast! EP
    Overcast! is Atmosphere's breakthrough EP album, released in 1997.-Track listing:Side A#"Scapegoat "#"Multiples"#"Primer"#"The Outernet"Side B#"Scapegoat "#"Sound is Vibration"#"Brief Description"...

    (1997)
  • Sad Clown Bad Dub II
    Sad Clown Bad Dub II
    Sad Clown Bad Dub II is a 12-track band promoted album originally sold exclusively at Atmosphere concerts with a limited print run of 500 copies. The songs are a set of four track recordings taken over the course of year 2000 and were compiled on the first day of fall: September 21, 2000...

    (2000)
  • Lucy Ford: The Atmosphere EPs
    Lucy Ford: The Atmosphere EPs
    Lucy Ford: The Atmosphere EPs is a compilation by the Minneapolis hip hop group Atmosphere, released on February 1, 2001 on Rhymesayers Entertainment. The album collects the previously released EPs Lucy, Ford 1 and Ford 2. Its introspective lyrics as well as its unusual beats has made it a...

    (2001)
  • Happy Clown Bad Dub 8/Fun EP
    Happy Clown Bad Dub 8/Fun EP
    Happy Clown Bad Dub Eight/Fun EP" is a 2006 Atmosphere release.Originally released as a promo CD for the Rhymesayers based label, 7th Street Entry, this CD contains all the tracks that never made it to the final production cut of the album You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having...

    (2006)
  • Sad Clown Bad Summer 9
    Sad Clown Bad Summer 9
    Sad Clown Bad Summer 9 is a 5-track EP that was released in the summer of 2007 by Minneapolis hip hop group Atmosphere on the label Rhymesayers Entertainment.. This EP was released to hold listeners over while Slug and Ant put the finishing touches on their LP When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint...

    (2007)
  • Sad Clown Bad Fall 10
    Sad Clown Bad Fall 10
    Sad Clown Bad Fall 10 is a 5-track EP that was released in October 2007 by Atmosphere. This EP was released to hold listeners over while producers Slug and Ant put the finishing touches on their LP When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold, that was released in 2008.- Track listing :#...

    (2007)
  • Sad Clown Bad Winter 11 (2007)
  • Sad Clown Bad Spring 12
    Sad Clown Bad Spring 12
    Sad Clown Bad Spring 12 is a 5-track EP that was released in April 2008, by Atmosphere. The EP was digitally leaked by the group on April Fools Day after listeners were directed to a link for what the group claimed to be a leaked download for When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold.The...

    (2008)
  • Leak At Will
    Leak at Will
    Leak At Will is a digital EP released by Minneapolis hip hop group Atmosphere. It was released on July 4, 2009 on Rhymesayers Entertainment for free to celebrate the launch of Fifth Element's turn to digital music. It is the first digital release for the store. According to Atmosphere, this...

    (2009)
  • To All My Friends, Blood Makes The Blade Holy: The Atmosphere EP's (2010)

See also

  • Underground rap
  • Slug
    Slug (rapper)
    Sean Michael Daley, better known by his stage name Slug or "'Sep Seven'", is an American rapper. He is from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Slug is best known as one fourth of the hip hop group Atmosphere, which he founded with Derek Turner...

  • Ant
    Ant (producer)
    Ant is a hip hop producer whose full name is Anthony Davis.He is best known as being one half of the hip hop group Atmosphere, but has worked with many other artists and projects, mostly with Rhymesayers Entertainment, such as Brother Ali, I Self Devine, Felt and The Dynospectrum...

  • Spawn
  • Brother Ali
    Brother Ali
    Ali Newman , better known by the stage name Brother Ali, is an American hip hop artist signed to Rhymesayers Entertainment.-Personal life:...

  • Eyedea
    Eyedea
    Micheal Larsen , known by his stage name Eyedea, was a well-known freestyle battle champion and underground rapper. His notable wins included the televised Blaze Battle sponsored by HBO and a victory at Scribble Jam...

  • DJ Abilities
    DJ Abilities
    DJ Abilities is a Minnesota-based hip-hop DJ affiliated with Rhymesayers Entertainment. With his emcee partner, the late Eyedea, he formed the group known as Eyedea & Abilities, also known as E&A...


External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK