Atmosphere

The veteran group from Minneapolis has become an underground icon, thanks to Ant's thumping production and Slug's autobiographical rhymes. Their fourth LP, Seven's Travels, keeps with those traditions; the single "Trying to Find a Balance" earned them some mainstream exposure.

Minneapolis indie hip-hoppers Atmosphere, also known as rapper Slug and producer Ant,
make overeducated nerd rap: self-loathing, navel-gazing and occasionally hilarious. The
grooves are dusty and tasteful, and Slug's words are those of a smart guy who's tired of
being nice. Old soul samples and burbling jazz-funk bass lines animate "Reflections," as Slug
does a snaky, acrobatic cipher about the mating dance of the wild slacker, befo... More >

Sometimes he thinks he spends too much time on the road, and he's right ("Always Coming Back Home to You," "Say Shhh"). (Grade - ***)