As the founders of the now iconic Rhymesayers Entertainment record label, the duo of Atmosphere have always created in their own lane. The pair of producer Ant and vocalist Slug have built careers around trusting their gut, creating vibrant albums with abstract brush strokes that form beautifully detailed portraits. Slug’s vulnerability and over-flowing confidence are drenched by Ant’s undeniable versatility and collage-style melodics. Before the impact of Rhymesayers was truly felt and before Atmosphere established themselves as some of the most innovative minds of their generation, they were two hopefuls with the world in front of them and a deep passion for the art of Hip-hop.
The Minneapolis-bred duo first formed in 1996 after Ant and Slug met in high school. The duo immediately connected and began recording together, going through a few different names and members before landing on the Atmosphere we all know today. Their debut album, Overcast!, came out in 1997 and thrust the duo into the throes of underground Hip-hop. Rhymesayers began around the same time when an early associate Siddiq got tired of the treatment the crew was receiving from local recording studios and bought his own. This would become the home base for Rhymesayers’ artist creativity and allow Atmosphere to hone their signature sound, a sound we heard reach a fever pitch on the duo’s third LP Seven’s Travels. Originally released twenty years ago on 9/23/03, the 19-track LP is boiling with experimentation rooted in Hip-hop tradition.
Right out of the gate, Atmosphere’s third album grips your attention and for the next hour or so, you’re in their world. Seven’s Travels has the duo fusing their thirst for new sonic territories with the hip-hop they grew up listening to for a combination of nostalgia and ambition. Moments like “Trying To Find a Balance” and “Reflections” have Slug’s pen jotting full narratives that display his slick rhyme schemes while detailing vulnerable moments. The aggression of Atmosphere’s vocalist drives this now-classic LP, songs like “Cats Van Bags” feature throat-scratching vocals lined with an infectious energy that is emphasized by Ant’s left-field arrangements.
The beats on Seven’s Travels deconstruct Hip-hop tropes to rebuild a wide array of sonic realms. Everything from jazz (“Shoes”) to abstract noise (“Suicidegirls”) is represented on this album. The versatility of both members is able to bounce off the other for a mind-altering LP built on the back of Ant’s drum machine. “Lifter Puller” flips a popular Billy Cobham sample into a classic storytelling track that evokes the feeling of 90’s New York while the uniqueness of “Liquor Lyles Cool July” separates Atmosphere from anything to come before or after.
In the twenty years since Seven’s Travels, Atmosphere has become one of the most prolific groups in modern hip-hop. Just this year the duo released their latest LP, So Many Other Realities Exist Simultaneously, and reissued their sought-after mixtape Sad Clown Bad Dub 2. From the moment they entered the public eye to the colorful roster they’ve built at Rhymesayers, Atmosphere has been hellbent on making their mark on the genre, and albums like Seven’s Travels cement them as a one-of-a-kind force in the history of Hip-hop.
