Smart Went Crazy
Atmosphere's latest, You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having, reminds you how refreshingly original and exciting hip-hop used to be in its "golden era" (1988-1993). This is the vibe Atmosphere's super-talented emcee Slug and producer Ant, both obvious devotees of the forgotten era of hip-hop, effortlessly create throughout You Can't Imagine..., an album ripe with lyrical and musical references to the old-school yet still totally original. Most striking of Atmosphere's artistic qualities are Slug's brutally honest, soul-bearing (often self-effacing) lyrics-ones that don't glorify consumerism but rather question the blatant flaws of our society. "Panic Attack" tackles the topic of addiction, of self-medication versus prescription drugs in our substance-abuse happy times, inquiring, "So what you drinking? So what you popping? So what you eating? So what you dropping? So what you smoking? So what you sniffing? So what's the difference?" No one is truly drug free in our society, argues Slug, noting the differences boil down to semantics: "Do you call yourself a patient or a junkie?" The entire album is brimming with no-holds barred social commentary balanced with a longing for this golden era of hip-hop. "Cars drive by with the booming system. I must be gettin' old coz the bass sounds ridiculous," Slug raps in "Watch Out," while Ant recreates the earth shattering sound of a car blaring too many decibels. Formed nine years ago in Minneapolis, Minn., as part of the Rhymesayers collective, Atmosphere have tirelessly worked to spread their hip-hop gospel and hone their live show, which is usually as engaging as their recordings.