The Inferno

Issue date: 11/7/05 Section: Music

Atmosphere starts out different, then returns to the ol´ ways; the familiarity in the music is perceived later in the album.

"You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having" could not have a more sarcastic title. The album cover featuring Slug (the emcee) gives that away from the start. He's slouching, head in hand, alone on a plastic chair with two empty ones on either side of him. With cigarette in hand, he is looking at the camera with disdain, while sitting under a "No Smoking" sign.

The first four tracks on the album stick with the title of Atmosphere's fifth studio release. They are full of negative raps. Not that there hasn't been a lack of negativity in past Atmosphere albums. The first four on "You Can't Imagine" make the difference. They express negativity towards the listener.

Slug is known in the underground for his deep introspective lyrics that most can relate to, but here he takes a step away from that and comes off as someone who's sick of taking shit from people, and a lot of his rhymes come off as lazy. In fact, he pretty much says he's sick of taking shit from people. In "Watch Out," he raps, "Man, you got issues. I feel sorry for you. Shittin' on me was so 2002."

Through the first four tracks, I wasn't even having fun. I found myself listening to a different Atmosphere. Just as my hope from all the hype of this album started to dwindle, it began to grow a little stronger. "Say Hey There" shows Slug returning to a common theme: his ongoing lyrical relationship with "Lucy"(see albums Lucy Ford and God Loves Ugly). This one, however, seems to be the final chapter in the "Lucy" saga for slug as he states, "Well I'mma open up that map and see the nation. Call it vocation. Call it a vacation. You can find me at the airport waitin' or maybe I'll be chain smokin' down at the train station. With the pose of a mack and my clothes in a sack. Gotta go and I don't know when I'll be back."

The following five tracks on the album are all enjoyable expected Atmosphere songs. At this point I don't know what to expect with each song. It's gone from not that good, to good, to even better than the last song.

"Angelface" starts the final four songs. A song where Slug speaks of his travels and many of his lost loves: women he uses to get by on the road while at the same time falling in love with them. The track is summed up by the first and closing line, "I love this fucking country. And she loved me more than I can imagine, so I waited 'till she slept, and I stepped into traffic."

Third to last is one of the most important and emotionally striking tracks Atmosphere has ever laid down. "That Night" is a true story of a teenage fan of Atmosphere who was raped and killed at one of their shows. Ant's beat is simple and percussion heavy. Slug delivers the lyrics with intensity yet with a near monotone. His words range in emotion from self-struggle, sympathy, compassion, and in the end, vengeance. After all these emotions are brought to the table the final line hits you the hardest. He closes, "You're locked up for now. You have no more chances to steal the children's laughs. And if you ever find god, better pray to her and ask that we never cross paths."

To follow up the masterpiece of the album, Ant drops the most positive beat on "Get Fly," accompanied by sing along lyrics that reflect on our current society. The hook goes, "They want us to fight, but we just want to get high. Work all day, all night, trying to get fly. When I get some money I'mma buy me some time. I can't fight your war until I'm finished with mine."

The closer to You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having is an introspective, three verse letter; one to his son, one to his father, and one to himself. It's a perfect song to close another solid album from these Minneapolis based hip-hoppers. This album started out weak and finished extremely strong. After being grabbed, pushed, and pulled by the latter half, I'm left feeling refreshed from the emotion it drew from me. And I'm not being sarcastic when I say the ride was fun.


Artist name- Atmosphere
(emcee-Slug, producer-Ant)
Album- You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having
Release Date-October 4, 2005
Label- Rhymesayers Entertainment
Genre- Independent Hip-Hop
Rating- 7.5/10

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