Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Transition Album, January 13, 2005
The previous review has a few inaccuracies I thought I'd correct. First off, the beats on all of Atmosphere's albums, including this one, are produced and created by Ant, not DJ Abilities. Ant does not perform live, and so Slug often used to perform with DJ Abilities (and others). This may change in the next album as Atmosphere now includes a band soon to tour, but it's extermely likely Ant will be included in the production.
Slug has never been 1/3 of Atmosphere, he has and always will be the main driving force and only consistent member of the group. Even when Spawn was a member of Atmosphere, Slug was still clearly the leader and brains beyond the operation, as evidenced by the tracks on Overcast!, all of which were dominated by Slug.
Yes, this album is quite different from the newer stuff, and represents a critical moment in Atmosphere's evolution. Of course, anyone can listen to it. Even those silly "fan boys." It's a ridiculous notion to suggest that because something has changed, people won't like earlier incantations of the same group. It's that elitist old school b.s. and it's annoying. Some may not like it, but most hip-hop fans will probably enjoy it.
What makes this album so interesting is how raw it is, and, as Slug says in the liner notes, how it's representative of his transformation as an MC. Recorded between Overcast! and Lucy Ford, you can witness Slug move from being a whitty, well-versed thug to something deeper and more innovative. Both elements are present. "The Abusing of the Rib" is one of the more evolved tracks on the album, while "@ It Again" is about sleeping with all sorts of girls in the Twin Cities, including yours of course. Note that I say "evolved" not in the sense that one song is better than another, but rather more representative of Slug's later work (Lucy Ford).
This album represents a critical moment in the history of what I believe is the best hip hop group (individual) out there. While it doesn't have the catchiest melodies (the beats are great, just not catchy), it has some amazing rhymes and showcases Slug's ability to flow quickly and rap prolifically. Check it out.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
My favorite Atmosphere release, January 28, 2005
I've had this one on cassette for years, and it's great to see it finally released on cd. I've always thought this was Slug's best work, though according to his liner notes he doesn't seem to agree. I got into Rhymesayers by listening to old headhsots mixtapes and the Overcast album. I was lucky enough to have friends from the twin cities who turned me onto Rhymesayers early on. For a while there it was up there with my favorite undergroung hip hop. As other reviewers have noted this tape sparks the transition between Slug as a battle rhymer and his more personal, intropsective music. What the music magazines would later dub emo-hop (barf). This tape was just straight up, underground, four track magnificence. Any doubt that Slug has skills on the mic can be put to rest by this tape. I'm sorry to say that I really don't care for the last Atmosphere album and even God Loves Ugly was a stretch for me. People will no doubt point out that artists have to grow, ect. That's fine, but I have my tastes, and this album represents everything that I love about Atmopshere. Definitley a must have for a fan of their earlier work and any fan of underground hip hop. Overcast is classic, but this one outshines Overcast in my opinion. More raw, but more slamming. If you have any reservations about Atmosphere, this tape will likely convert you. In fact, anyone who likes underground hip hop should buy this CD.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Thank god this is on CD now!!!, February 11, 2005
Im not going to say who will like this and who wont and all that crap. I just know I like it, its not the best but its great in my eyes. The style is similar to Overcast! Nobody mentioned the best of Headshots CD that comes with this, I would have dished out the cash to buy that if it were sold seperately as it is the bombs. If you like Atmosphere buy this, I buy any atmosphere material I can get my hands on. There are many other great hip hop crews from Minnesota, check out Heiruspecs, Kanser, Oddjobs, and of course everyone else on Rhymesayers.
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by Atmosphere 
