The hottest thing to come out of Minneapolis since Prince, Atmosphere pioneers a boundary-breaking sound that’s been labeled everything from avant-garde rap to emo-hop.
Call it what you will, but MC Sean “Slug” Daley’s and producer Anthony “Ant” Davis’ boom-bap beats and everyman lyrics–like those on the band’s fourth album, “Seven’s Travels”–pack rooms from Norway to Nebraska. We caught up with Slug.
You grew up as a huge rap fan, your DJ is a metal and blues fanatic, and your fans run the gamut from indie rockers to white suburban dreadheads. What kind of music do you make?
A new genre of music that I call the “record store employee pick of the week” music. There’s us, Mars Volta, White Stripes, Aesop Rock, Johnny Cash, Radiohead. We provide something for the people who are sick of everything else.
Each time Atmosphere plays Metro, tickets sell out. Why so popular in Chicago?
Chicago’s not like any other city for us. I mean, other cities sell out, but I’ve been paying dues in Chicago for six years and have taken every opportunity to play Chicago. Through word of mouth and through our friends in the community like Molemen and Biz 3, and our publicists, we’ve been submersed into a few different scenes at once. I’ll hang out at the Rainbo and meet 20 different people from 20 different backgrounds, and they’ll be down to go check out the show.
You’ve toured Europe and Japan. Are fans over there different?
The kids remind me of the kids in the Midwest because they take [hip-hop] so seriously, and they haven’t lost the magical side of it. I’m one of them because I learned it the way they learned it–I was the 15-year-old kid geeked out and happy to be at a dope show.
Each record you put out sells better than the last. What’s the one luxury you’ve allowed yourself for your steady success?
I still don’t own a car. I buy clothes at Target. I still rent the same apartment I’ve been in for six years. I guess the only luxury I allow myself is karma by tipping huge. You would want to be my waitress, seriously.
