Customer Reviews

When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I've been an Atmosphere fan since 2003, and seeing them flourish over the years has been an exciting process. The strategic approach counting down to the release of their 6th full-length album "When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Sh** Gold", is among the best marketing scheme's you'll ever see spawned by an independent record label. So good in fact, that is has seemingly stripped them of underground status as the album debuted at an astonishing #5 on the Billboard Top 200 alongside other fluffy pop artists such as Mariah Carey & Ashlee Simpson.

Leading up to it's release, Atmosphere released a string of 4 excellent 5-song EPs, and the undeniably dope full-length "Strictly Leakage" for FREE through the official Rhymesayers web site. In addition to creating a plethora of solid material, Slug & Ant tirelessly promoted their new album through a series 10-minute You Tube episodes entitled "Paint It Gold", where they answered endless questions from fans throughout the world, and also provided them an outlet for that extra promotion they needed for the album.

In all actuality, the formula for "Lemons" is not sonically different from most Atmosphere records. Ant's beats creep into a bit more synth-heavy territory on some tracks, and on the whole, comes through with some of his cleanest, and most memorable set of beats to date. Slug is also maturing very nicely. His songwriting skills and his close-knit connection with his fans have reached an all-time high. I have a hard time thinking of a rapper that would be more in touch with the game of hip-hop today than Slug is. He seems to stay truly inspired, and it comes through in his writing and delivery. The album does slightly favor conscious, introspective material over straight bangers. In other words, it's nothing like "Strictly Leakage".

"Like The Rest Of Us" & "Puppets" kick the album off. They are notably slow for openers, and really sets up the mood for the album. "The Skinny" is one of the more unique gems here. The production is filled with grimey synth, and works quite well. Slug boasts clever lyrics about cigarettes through the metaphor of a pimp. "Dreamer" includes nice hooks, choruses & some beautiful production; definitely a favorite of mine. "Shoulda Know" is the first video/single off the record, and stands strong as well. "You" is definitely my favorite in the bunch. Ant's production is addictive here, and that chorus will get stuck in your head for days. And as Ant stated in one of their episodes of "Paint It Gold", this song makes you smile every time you hear it. The piano-filled "Yesterday" is equally dope in my opinion. "Guarantees" may be the most different song you'll hear here. Just Slug & a nice quiet guitar with a nice singer-songwriter piece. It would be served better with a better guitarist and a straight up acoustic, but it's still very nice. "Painting" & "Me" are also a couple of excellent tunes that border on melancholy. "Wild Wild Horses" works excellent here. Nice samples and beat all around. Closing out the album, we get some beautiful tunes. My favorites being "The Waitress" & the banger "Can't Break". The deluxe edition includes a 40-page gold embossed hard cover book with an illustrated book written by Slug, and a bonus DVD of an entire live performance straight from First Avenue in Minneapolis!

Overall, this is one of Atmosphere's most gorgeously crafted albums in their entire catalog; and of 2008. And I can't think of a much better album that could break into the Billboard charts with such presence than "Lemons". And it definitely holds a much different vibe than your typical mainstream rap affair, which will hopefully shine some light on more of the "real" hip-hop released in the days where mainstream rap is in a world of hurt. Excellent job Slug & Ant. You are making Minnesota proud!

The product description states that this is the deluxe version which includes a book and DVD. They are charging $5.00 more for this than they are charging for the standard edition and guess what? It IS the standard edition. I ordered it and returned it 3 times and just kept getting the standard edition. DO NOT ORDER THIS VERSION.

In the past half a decade or so, Atmosphere has grown from a hardly recognized dynamic Minnesota duo into a nationwide independent Hip-Hop phenomenon. Now on their sixth major release "When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That **** Gold," their remarkable catalogue of records is going to weigh heavy expectations on their shoulders. Their album previous to this (Strictly Leakage) has turned heads and fans of their former effort are probably expecting this album to follow the success; but "When Life Give You Lemons" does anything but stick to a formula. This is a completely original effort on Atmosphere's part; one that rewards a more thoughtful listen, and one that propels Slug & Ant among Hip Hop history's most poetic and meaningful musicians.

Right from the beginning of "When Life Gives You Lemons," you'll know that Atmosphere is bringing a fresh style into their game. The album opener "Like The Rest of Us," begins the album with an ambient slow singing jam that nearly falls off the edge of Hip Hop and into obscurity. It's a strange opener choice, but it's placement within the album seems to have a deeper meaning hidden beneath many listens (a meaning I have yet to put my finger). Give the album a moment though, and the tone kicks into high gear with "Puppets." Contrary to the strangeness on "Like The Rest of Us," the banging keys on "Puppets" definitely hit.

"The Skinny" is next and is the first of a few more synthesized cuts including "Shoulda Know," "Can't Break," "Your Glasshouse," & "You." These songs are kind of hit or miss (at least to the more typical At. fan). Some are great, but not all of them are up to snuff with the strongest material; and while I do enjoy Slug's adapted delivery, the lyrics -- which universally revolve around storytelling -- aren't as complimentary to the convoluted productions as the simplistic and organic ones. Don't get me wrong, I can appreciate what they're trying to do here, but a lot of the time the tone feels like an interruption from the usual and consequently more enjoyable sounds.

After "The Skinny," we start getting into the meat of the album and see a true stand-out with "Dreamer." The song sees Slug weaving the tale of woman's lifelong tribulations into a 4 minute song that leaves out minuscular details in favor of things that suggest a meaningful story we can relate to. On top of Slug's lyrics, Ant creates an aggressive mixture of guitars, drums, and synths that blend with Slug's delivery to create a through and through Atmosphere hit. It's the first example of Slug's poetic and story-telling genius, and it only gets stronger as the album continues. "Yesterday" is the next ace in Slug & Ant's collective effort and will undoubtedly be enjoyed by At. fans, and casual music enjoyers alike. Then you have "Guarantees"; a dope fusion of simple guitar riffs and softer lyrical delivery; "Me", a dramatic tale of a troubled boy growing into a man; and last but not least, we have "The Waitress"; the story of a homeless man's complex connection with a bitter cafe waitress. All of these songs get a certified `classic At' stamp, and are the ready picked lemons on this figurative lemon tree.

"When Life Gives You Lemons" is definitely the kind of album that begs you to play it over and over again. The album is packed with groundbreaking sounds and substance that will offer a different experience to everyone who listens. For that reason, it's bound to be a debated entry in Slug & Ant's near flawless discography, but nonetheless remains a huge growth in the artists' seeming-boundless talent. So with that, I'll give my recommendation.

4 stars - an essential piece for fans of more thoughtful and collected Hip-Hop

Knowing i was going to atmosphere's concert at the greek theatre in LA, i wanted to buy his CD because i guess i wanted some type of memento. The package came 2 days later, and it was great. In the CD there's even a place to put your name, like to who it belongs to.
I was pretty impressed and think this is one of his best albums...EVER.

Love the album. Slug's rhymes and Ant's beats really have polished up their sound for this one. A new-age Indie version of Slick Rick! Slug's storytelling touches on everything from his late father and a story about a bum that is trying to get back into his daughter's life. The production is crisp and the rhymes are deep as always. This one is a a gem from Rhymesayers, I recommend for any Slug or Underground Hip-Hop fan that appreciates deep emotion-filled lyrics over fresh beats!

Lyrics. Musical storytelling. Third person narrative. Slug walks us down the street and tells us stories about people he knows. The Single Mother, The Ex-Con, The Phreak, The Out Of Control Party Girl, and on and on.

Such a great break from the crap being put out by the Hip Hop machine.

This album was excellent. I really enjoyed this album all the way through, however for most Atmosphere fans there is a slight change in the style of music and the subject matter. I believe that Slug was trying to portray his view on life and how complex and unjust it can be.

This is interesting rap. It's a different class than the majority of rap that gets significant radio play and major marketing/releases. Most of the rap I hear seems to fall into 1 of 2 major categories:
1. gangsta rap, or
2. a miscellaneous rap that has arbitrary rhyming and random pop culture references (e.g. OJ Simpson's isotoner glove & Klondike bars)

Atmosphere's rap falls into a different group of rap in that it's literally poetry full of clever, insightful metaphors and rhymes and rhythms that don't feel like they're trying too hard. When I say poetry though, I don't mean that it is flowers and love letters. This album is raw, gritty, realistic, explicit, often dark, sometimes light, always interesting. That said, I don't find their music to be depressing because some of the beats are so addicting and Sean's (aka Slug)'s voice is fluid and crystal clear. You can listen to it and never say, "What did he say?" which I love, because I like to hear the words.

These guys are independent, and I'm really glad I heard about them through word-of-mouth. I am a new fan. I am telling all my friends to check them out.

The tracks You, The Skinny, Puppets, and Shoulda Known are (currently) my favorites. Very addicting. Some of the topics that are being explored in this album I don't personally relate to, but nonetheless, I appreciate the stories being told and I love the delivery of it. A lot of rap out there is fast food, but this rap is food for thought.

I am a huge fan of Atmosphere and I am definitely a fan of this album as well. If you are looking for that angry/harder sounding album like God Loves Ugly you may not like this album as much. But as all artists grow their styles change and I definitely appreciate the changes Slug has made. This album shows a more grown up less angry Slug.

I must say, I've been a fan for years. This album is a new style for them and they expand greatly into a deep introspective flow! Download and enjoy!