Customer Reviews

Seven's Travels

5 star:		(46)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

In a time like this, when you turn on MTV or VH1, or flip through your favorite music magazine, maybe Rolling Stone or Spin, and see the choices of popular hip-hop/rap groups that are forced down your throat at nausea; you may feel disgusted at what rap has become since the early 90s. Lets take the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards for example. The nominees included: 50 cent ft. Snoop Dogg & G-Unit, D12 & Ammonium, Jay-Z, Lil Jon & The Eastside Boys, Ludacris, Black Eyed Peas, Chingy, Nelly, Outkast and Kanye West. This list was nearly enough to make me gag, aside from Outkast and maybe Black Eyed Peas. MTV has proved to me that the glory days of conscious songwriters in popular hip-hop music are long gone. I'm just so embarrassed for the people that listen to this crap. I tell people I'm a fan of hip-hop music, and they automatically assume I like the crap mentioned above. Maybe I need to be more specific. I'm a fan of old school hip-hop, underground rap and the entire Rhymesayers crew. As far as I'm concerned, the underground is all that is keeping this genre alive and kicking.

I was introduced to "Seven's Travels" from a friend of mine. I was pleasantly surprised with the first track, "Trying To Find A Balance". From there on, it was just realization after realization about how good this album actually is. "Slug" is one of the best vocalists I've heard in several years. His lyrics are so down to earth, charismatic, and vulnerable. Atmosphere could have went with a larger label, since they have exploded in the underground in the past couple of years. I'm happy to see them stick with Epitaph, one of my favorite labels. Besides, several of these songs convey messages about how corporate labels suck ("National Disgrace"). I can hardly see any of these songs getting a lot of radio play; which is sad, considering we have been brainwashed to think that way. Other standout tracks include: "Reflections," "Apple," "Cats Van Bags," "Shoes," "Liquor Lyles Cool July," "Good Times (Sick Pimpin')" and the last track, including the hidden track "Always Coming Back Home to You". The hidden track, an ode to the Midwest, mainly Minnesota has sentimental value to me. It makes me feel proud that a quality group like Atmosphere comes from the same town as I do.

After several listens to this album, convinced that this is one of the finest albums in new hip-hop music, I decided to research some other Rhymesayers/Epitaph artists. Since then I've discovered "Eyedea & Abilities" and "Brother Ali", and they have since become my favorites. Aside from the new "Beastie Boys" album, "Atmosphere" has nearly single handedly reinstilled my faith in hip-hop music. It's an experience that every hip-hop lover should experience.

I got into Atmosphere with the "God Loves Ugly" album, and then got hooked on their eariler stuff. "Seven's Travels" is not as good as those. While I really LOVE some of the songs, the rest are hard to listen to. I definitely can't listen to the CD straight through. If you're a fan of Atmosphere, check it out. If not, check some some early stuff first.

in response to some idiots review saying that this album isnt good because it doesnt focus on issues like urban living and racial inequalities, SLUG IS A WHITE GUY FROM MINNESOTA. So of course he is going to relate to white suburbia, and he becomes one of the first sick MCs to do this. he is not afraid to say anything, including his personal life, he even raps a song in the SECOND person, dont think thats ever been done before. This is the best underground rap there is, i just hope that popularity doesnt cause atmosphere to lose its edge. and to the moron who says rappers should embrace the race card, too bad johnnie cochrane isnt a rapper.

It's a shame that the best song on this album, "Shhh!," isn't even listed. It's a secret song, 10 or 12 seconds after the end of "Always Coming Back Home to You." Then again, anyone outside of Minnesota probably wouldn't understand it. "Shhh!" is by far the best track that Slug or Ant have ever taken part in, and lifts the album up to the four-star level.

The rest of the album sees Ant over-produce, Slug forget his roots, and the two of them throw way too much filler at you while still somehow creating a decent album. The first two tracks are promising but deceptive, and the rest of the album falls into one of the following two categories: great or boring. Not to say that there isn't reason to expect an amazing follow-up (not including Headshots) - "Lifter Puller" is slow-moving and catchy, "Denvemolorado" sees Ant at his best, and "Always Coming Back Home to You" showcases Slug's storytelling ability.

A few of the other songs are all right, but besides the ones I have mentioned, there isn't much here that is too special. If you liked God Loves Ugly, you will probably like Seven's Travels even more, but if you want an emotionally-charged classic Atmosphere record, try Overcast! or the Lucy Ford EPs (or even Headshots, a bunch of old demos).

The new album from Ant&Slug (aka Atmosphere),Sevens Travels, is SICK! they killed this album. The lyrics are one of a kind just like the beats. Probably the most popular song on the album is "Trying to Find a Balance" this would be the one everyones been seeing on MTV2. Now anyone who thinks hes selling out...shut your mouth! hes still writting his own material, making his own beats. He's just trying to make sum cash for his kid!! HES NOT SELLING OUT! To anyone that likes up-beat hip-hop or some deeper meaning hip-hop, i HIGHLY recommend Sevens Travels. He throws sum humor into his lyrics with songs like "Shoes", "National Disgrace" My Favorites are: Trying to find a balance, reflections, gotta lotta walls, cats van bags, los angeles, shoes, national disgrace, always coming back home to you...so buy it and enjoy and i can GURANTEE that anyone who hears it will love it! peace!

Reading other reviews regarding this album, it becomes painfully obvious that there are only two negative opinions of Seven's Travels. The first being that Atmosphere has essentially sold out because they have a video on MTV and they don't sound exactly like they did on "Overcast", the other being that Slug can't possibly considered a hip-hop artist due to the fact that he's from Minnesota (and proud of it, Check out "Always Coming Back Home to You"), he's white, and the record was distributed on a punk label, Epitaph. Set the record straight: You don't need to be "oppressed" or from a popular hip-hop region to make good music. If you wan't to call it "punk-hop", go right ahead. At least Slug isn't relying on make-believe "beefs" and lyrics about wristwatches and champagne to sell records. Go ahead and check out their other stuff, too. Then again, if you're angry that a white boy from the midwest can make a record that even Chuck D. is impressed by, go ahead and be angry. Check out "Reflections, Trying to Find a Balance", "Gotta Lotta Walls", "Shoes", and "Sick Pimpin". If you don't like it, go listen to non "punk-hop" all stars like Ja Rule, 50 Cent, Kayne West, and the rest of the studio gangsters that some of you detractors must absolutely love. This is simply good music.

i am actually primarily a fan of punk rock, old school rock, electronic music, indy and yada yada.

the point is, just because I like those subgenres, it doesn't mean that i can't like something as great as this just because it falls under the stamp of "hip-hop"

it's just music. and what's more, it's good music.

I don't know what that girl from Chicago was going on about because DUH the Roots are much more mainstream than Atmosphere at this point in time anyway! She obviously doesn't know what she's talking about.
It seems she doesn't know much about this group's history either... because if she did, she would have a different story to tell.

As soon as I heard their latest single on MTV (WEEIIIRD), the last source I would have expected to pick their stuff up from, I knew I had to buy it!! :)
I usually get the latest from my friends or Treehouse Records
(MN REPRESENT!), but either way, I reccommend that you do yourself a favor and buy this album today.

I also highly recommend Overcast, Lucy Ford, two of my favorite albums.

Because regardless of whether you like that they are being played on MTV or not (commercialism central at it's absolute corporate worst), they deserve their success, as I have seen them struggle to balance things out for years trying just to make it in South Minneapolis. They were part "the soundtrack to our lives" back then. I remember seeing Slug and Eyedea freestyle about two years ago at First Ave. That was awesome. Anyway...

I know every lyric to Lucy Ford almost.. with that being said,
they deserve to be big with the genious that Slug spits.
Bigger than guns..
Bigger than cigarettes.

This cd defines my freshman year in college.....
if not for this album I would've never survived.....

This was my first Atmosphere album. I stumbled upon it while at Best Buy looking for CDs. I saw it everytime I went. I said, "Fine, I'll take a chance on you". "You better be worth it". And.. it was. As I sat there on my couch listening to it.. I thought.. Damn.. He's (They are) pretty good. Been hooked since. I own them all now. If you want to listen to real Hip Hop that doesn't involve guns, rims, boasting & crack.. then this is a great album for you. Nothing flashy, just his outlook on life. Try something different.. you'll like it.

First, I would like to say this. I have always been a fan of 60s and 70s soul and R&B, and have always been a fan of real, meaningful hip-hop, not a fan of a lot of the mainstream crap. On this album, both are fused lyrically and musically. There is not a wide abundance of the R&B "inspiration" or whatever, but a bit here and there.

The songs here engrave themselves in your brain as much as they ever have, which is good. Slug's flows are as hot on this album as they ever were on any other. Ant's music is somehow just sonically better than most, with the exception of a lot of "God Loves Ugly" material. Unfortunately, keeping it, in my mind, from being a five star album is the filler space. It again is not that much, but apparently enough to turn some people away. I would give it a 4.8 if I could.

Of the 19 1/2 tracks (be that the hidden track), I listen to maybe 14-16 songs. Also, in my collection of hip-hop, I have Jay-Z's catalogue, Kanye West, Rakim, Outkast, Dr. Dre, Talib Kweli, Common, Nas, 2Pac, Gang Starr, Dilated Peoples, Jurassic 5 and Eminem. Any of the Atmosphere albums including Seven's Travels can compete with any of the aforementioned artists' works.