Atmosphere aiming for the stratosphere

by SARAH HOYE

Never mind the struggling economy. Whatever life gives them, one Midwest hip-hop duo is making lemonade.

"We have no idea that there is a recession going on," said Slug (a k a Sean Daley), one half of Atmosphere, during a recent phone interview from a Chicago parking lot. "We're doing better now than ever. Maybe we are an enigma, or maybe people should consider going independent."

The Minneapolis emcee recently wrapped up a European tour and a few music festivals Stateside with bandmate and DJ/producer, Ant (a k a Anthony Davis). For an encore, the guys who put the Twin Cities on the hip-hop map are traversing America on the final leg of their When God Gives You Ugly tour. It stops at St. Petersburg's State Theatre on Saturday.

Labelmates Eyedea & Abilities — who released "By The Throat," their first album in five years, in July — are also on the bill, and could easily show-up the headliners, Slug said.

"For all we know, they might come in and make us look like some preschoolers," he said. "It could go either way. They could add to it or totally blow us away."

Atmosphere may make the indie-label route look easy, but Slug insists success is hard work.

"I'm not stupid. I know that I don't rap as good as some other rappers," he said. "We take what we got and work it. We will sacrifice fun to get the job done."

Sometimes getting the job done includes lifting up and collaborating with artists around you. Since joining forces in 1993, Atmosphere has worked with and promoted other emcees and turntablists who they forged friendships with and respected as artists.

"Truth be told, when we started out we didn't know what to envision. We never could have looked five years ahead," Slug said. "We put music out for people who we cared for as people, but as it grew we took that same model and applied it."

The formula works.

Today they continue to own their own indie record label, Rhymesayers, with more than a dozen artists. The label signed Grammy-winning rapper and producer Michael "Evidence" Perretta this summer.

As for their own musical output, Atmosphere has released six studio albums, including last year's "When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That S*** Gold."

No matter how much success the duo tastes, Slug remains steadfast in his commitment to give whatever he can back to the hip-hop community.

"Literally, KRS One and Chuck D saved my life. I am forever indebted to those dudes, and to this culture for the direction it sent me," Slug said. "And for that I will always be a student of this."