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Slug must be one of the most captivating rappers performing today. This is certainly a result of his practice and constant touring; he truly lives by the credo "non-stop hip-hop." In Crescent Moon and Mr. Dibbs Slug seems to have finally found stage peers to match his energy. Crescent Moon is a top-flight apprentice, he obviously learned a lot from Slug about working a crowd. But don't be misled; Crescent Moon remains distinctive, he even stole the spotlight when he rapped all of "Scapegoat" while Slug moshed in the front rows of the crowd. Speaking of showcases, Mr. Dibbs lends his world class skills on the decks to the emcees' fiery game. Dibbs' hard rocking persona and heavy metal flavor seem to fit the mold that Slug is trying to cultivate. But wait. Moshing, thrashing, crying, wooing – this is rap? As well-orchestrated and rehearsed as Atmosphere's show is, it would be too generous to say that they're taking rap by storm. Slug is on a constant quest for hip-hop credibility, especially on the New York City front, and this show did nothing to alleviate his insecurities. While he did most things tried and true, he neglected some of the most obvious elements. Freestyling, once a staple in Atmosphere shows, was totally absent from the night. Slug also slept on any chance to collaborate with his NYC crew, El-P and the Def Jux stable, and most notably Aesop Rock, who had performed mere hours before. It would seem logical that Slug, the keen entrepreneur, would capitalize on this opportunity to hit the home run with the locals, but for reasons unknown, he failed to swing big. In addition to this missed
opportunity, the show was also marred by the poor placement of acts. Aesop
Rock opened the show, on time and on fire. His too-short set was crowned
with the finale "Daylight," his triumphant anthem. Aesop walked
off the stage to the fulfilling sound of the crowd serenading him with
the chorus: "All I ever wanted was to pick apart the day, put the
pieces back together my way…" The momentum that Aesop Rock kicked in was immediately squashed by the arrival of Soul Position. RJD2 is a damn fine DJ, but the utter lack of chemistry between him and MC Blueprint made their performance null and void. Blueprint came off as a very mediocre rapper, especially when sandwiched between charisma machines Slug and Aesop. His straight-up "I'm the shit so listen" style flopped hard in contrast to the depth of the other MC's. RJD2's beats were fresh and jazzy, but they didn't translate very well to a concert sound system. Atmosphere is an eye-opening experience for those on the prowl for something different in the rap world, assuming they have not experienced them many times before. But, much like their new album, not much has changed since Lucy Ford was released, thus taking the edge off what was one of the most compelling hip-hop shows out there for a number of years. This lack of innovation, however, does allow Atmosphere's audience to catch up and widens his appeal, as witnessed by the frat boy crowd gathered at the show and by the new album's popularity. GLU sold 9, 400 albums in the first week of its release, making it #139 on the Billboard charts and #1 on the Billboard Heatseeker Chart , easily the most commercially successful Atmosphere venture to date. Whether it is as successful artistically as some of their past ventures is another question entirely. GLU followed closely on the heels of the release of the complete Lucy Ford record, especially in terms of Atmosphere’s past schedule of major releases. 5 years passed between Overcast (their first full-length) and Lucy Ford, while a little more than a year between Lucy Ford and GLU. If Slug had taken 2 extra years to make GLU, it might have been a much stronger album. Granted, the gap between Overcast and Lucy Ford was due, in part to Atmosphere’s line-up changes, as well as Slug’s many other projects (such as his store Fifth Element in Minneapolis and the expansion of Rhymesayers), but this extended break might have given him more room to think about what he wanted to put on his next major release. The difference in quality of Lucy Ford and GLU reflects this time lapse in between albums because it is obvious the Atmosphere had grown both lyrically and production wise. One of many complaints about LF was that it had
too many "hits," a problem that is not an issue on GLU. On the
first listen, the album proves unremarkable, the beats, while transfixing
on Sad Clown Bad Dub 2 and Lucy Ford, prove to be dull and predictable
on GLU. Ant knows how to expand his samples and does a great job of putting
different instrumental sounds together, but then he brings in the boom-boom
boom-bap drums and dulls down his hard, creative sample work. The tight,
high snare sounds are hot, but only when contrasted with looser and more
varied beats. On GLU the production is plodding and weighs the songs down.
Slug’s lyrics fall prey to the same issues as Ant’s beats; the same old themes, but without the innovation that was behind much of the material on SCBD2 and Lucy Ford. A few tracks stick out immediately, but only because they are slightly interesting when compared to the dull surrounding material. "Fuck You Lucy" and "Modern Man’s Hustle" offer the best of what Slug does on Lucy Ford, but nothing more. In the latter song, Slug says, "Who cares what Jane says, she always spits the same spit." Perhaps he should listen to his own critique. He’s constantly spitting the same shit, but without the fire and intensity that drives people to listen and love him, except on "Fuck You Lucy" which is what makes it so good. He laments the state of the world, talks about girls rejection and/or desire for him, death, and the mental agony that results from all of these, but without a trace of irony. At the CD release party at the Knitting Factory, Slug told the audience his parents were dead, a trick that worked to intrigue everyone with the release of the "Nothing But Sunshine," but this time around, while creating a stir, it was just his same old gimmick. For all their faults, Atmosphere knows what they are doing, and they have the underground hip-hop formula down. Their show and album are both very exciting to anyone who has not followed Atmosphere until recently. In contrast, people who have been fans for a while might be disappointed and bored at their lack of innovation. Their live show and selected tracks off GLU are good, but neither breaks any new ground. Hopefully, Atmosphere is ready to take some risks, both with production and lyrically, and the next effort will prove why they are important to hip-hop over the long term. God Loves Ugly was released in June 2002, by Fatbeats Records.
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2003 1-42 Online