From our privileged spot in the hotbed of American culture, it’s hard to imagine sometimes that there are other cool places in the country, like, say, Minneapolis. Minnesota… yeah, we’ve driven through it and all, and the Replacements are cool, hell, it’s even where Dylan was born. Still, cutting edge hip-hop and the Twin Cities don’t go together for most folks, even though the industrious Rhymesayers crew and their flagship act, Atmosphere, have been raising their unique voices above the din for a few years now. The duo, rapper Slug and producer Ant, have been pegged with the backpacker indie-hop tag, which isn’t so much a detriment as an accurate observation on guys who have grown up in a scene that pays as much respect to indie stalwarts Kill Rock Stars as it does to KRS-1. There’s a resemblance to the unique approach of their friends in the NYC Def Jux crew and a reverence for De La Soul in Slug’s introspection and eloquence, while the beats this time around reference everything from tweaked-out funk guitars to Kanye’s soul samples (not to mention a few forays into straight party jams). Five albums in, it’s safe to say Atmosphere have proven themselves more cutting edge than derivative; the sound may not be hip-hop at its heaviest, but on its voyage from the coasts to the land of the mega-mall, it’s become a unique style that celebrates and speaks volumes about the curiosity inherent in musical evolution.
Comments (0)