God Loves Ugly: "Atmosphere Sucks" spraypainted in Uptown Minneapolis

In Defense of Atmosphere
Atmosphere is the most popular rap group in Minneapolis, but there is a
growing contingent of people who hate them.  My only question to those people 
is: whom are you listening to who raps about deeper subject matter?  The lead 
M.C., Slug (dumb name, I know…), has all but certified his own non-commercial 
status by rapping about such intensely personal topics as teen parenthood and 
abortion, an imagined meeting with God (who is cast as a woman), the pain of 
artistic rejection and his assaulted self-image.  Atmosphere’s complex, 
multi-faceted lyrics do not insult listeners’ intelligence, rather they make you work at 
discerning meaning — and I suspect they probably are hard for JaRule-accustomed 
ears to digest.  People complain that Slug is rude to his fans and that he is too old 
and that his raps are too negative and that he is too cocky.  Again, whom the
hell are you listening too who you can hold up as a bastion of consideration,
youth, positivity and humility?  When you look at any other rapper with the scrutiny 
people apply to Slug, they all fall apart: Common and Mos Def are homophobic, 
Talib Kweli and the Roots use the word “nigga” 100 times a song and Outkasts 
think pimping women is something to be proud of [Update: Common has renounced
homophobia in favor of refering to himself as a pimp!].  Basically, people are jealous 
because Atmosphere — by taking an idealistic, non-conformist, Paul Wellstone-ish,
substance over style approach to rap as an artform rather than a profit vehicle — has 
found a huge fan base of kids who are tired of lame rap clichés.

Atmosphere 
has albums in CD store shelves and they play regular shows, yet they never had to 
compromise themselves artistically to sign a major record deal.  Slug is living 
the B-boy’s ultimate dream and people want to take away his street credibility.  I 
say until you possess the skill to call his bluff that he is one of the premiere 
rappers in the Midwest, don’t hate him because he’s beautiful.

Copyright 2002, Water City