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 As
the summer comes to an end, many would agree that this summer
was a success for many hip-hop artists. Louis Logic released
his debut oeuvre; Jedi Mind’s Visions of Ghandi was
a success. What else could the average hip hop fan ask?
Well, maybe one more really good cd. Minneapolis, Minnesota
is a place on the map of hip-hop that is starting to shine.
Why? Because Rhymesayers Entertainment has put it on the
map. The label which has recently teamed up with the legendary
punk label Epitaph, is responsible for putting out Atmosphere’s
newest gem, Seven’s Travels. Few in the arena of hip-hop
can show as much growth and maturity in a year Atmosphere.
Atmosphere, the hip-hop duo (Slug and Ant) has showed a
more mature approach on every cd from their early mixtapes
to their last LP God Loves Ugly. This exemplifies the reason
why they probably have the most diverse hip hop following:
from thugs, to emo heads, to jappy blonds. Their most recent
cd, which drops September 23rd on Punk Label Epitaph shows
two things: solid production by Ant, and mature well thought
rhymes by Slug. The album grabs you buy the collar and takes
you on a metaphorical voyage with Slug through sex, politics,
and emotions. Throughout the album, any Atmosphere fan can
notice the development that the group has gone through on
both a physical and emotional state. The opening and closing
tracks, "History" and "Always Coming Back
Home to You," demonstrate Slug's unique storytelling
style. The second track on the album, “Trying to Find
a Balance”, is the quintessential example of the growth
in Ant’s production since his last project, Brother
Ali’s Shadows of the Sun. “Reflections”
establishes how catchy Slug’s rhymes really are and
best manifest Slug’s fervor on the mic. The exemplary
production is most apparent on the funky whistling and country
sounding of "National Disgrace," possibly the
album's dopest track. The production of "Denvemolorado"
is very reminiscent of Brother Ali’s “Star Quality”
which reflects the new and different Ant. "Good Times
(Sick Pimpin')" manifests the new, funky, jazzy, laid
back, approach the group has developed and explains its
widespread appeal. From start to end, there is not one tedious
track on the album. COP IT.
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