For my last Media Meditation for CCM-120 I chose to write about the new Atmosphere album that just came out. If you haven't heard of Atmosphere, they are a hip-hop group out of Minneapolis, Minnesota and they are one of the biggest names in hip-hop. The duo of Sean Daley AKA Slug, and Anthony Davis AKA Ant started the record label Rhymesayers Entertainment in 1995. Slug is the voice of the duo and Ant provides the music. The Family Sign is their newest album following the release of their 2008 album When Life Gives You Lemons You Paint That Shit Gold.
Track List
1. My Key
3. Became
5. She's Enough
10. Aint Nobody
11. Your Name Here
13. Something So
14. My Notes
The title The Family Sign gives you a small inkling that this album is going to be touching on Slug's family life when he was growing up. The Last to Say talks about how a father figure used to beat his mother until the day that he died and his mother never stood up for herself and he carries out that anger and rage for her. The song Became tells the tale of a cold campground where he follows the footsteps of what I assume is his father into the woods and the footprints slowly turn into wolfs paws as the song goes on saying that he changed into an animal and he was no longer human. Just For Show is about a woman wanting to leave her man but she realizes that he is what she wants even though he is not good to her. She's Enough is a song about his woman and how she is everything he needs and he would do anything for her. The song Bad Bad Daddy is obviously about a bad father who takes his kids to a bar and lets them do whatever they want and just doesn't care about what they do. Millennium DoDo is about life on the road as a rapper and what its like to live out of a van. The song also calls out a very important R.I.P. to Eyedea. Who I'll Never Be Slug being inspired by a female musician and him listening to her write her songs but not being able to write songs with her and how he looks up to her. I Don't Need Brighter Days I cant quite figure out what it is talking about. I gave the song 3 listens and it still confuses me. The song Aint Nobody talks about how he is with someone he doesn't want to be with and they are bringing him down and making the excuses and placing the blame on him. Your Name Here is about catching up with an old friend and how he doesn't miss them or need them in his life. If You Can Save Me Now is about an accident and the driver laying on the ground bleeding out and recapping the last thoughts before death. Something So is about how life is a blessing and that we have to live to our fullest. My Notes serves mainly as an outro to the album but talks about as long as he can keep rapping he will keep on being at the top of the game.
The beats are all done using live sound which they started doing with their 2010 released double EP To All My Friends. This adds a unique style to the album that is uncharacteristic to most hip-hop. There is a lot of piano and guitar used in the beats and they make the songs feel like they have much more work and meaning behind them.
So far She's enough is my favorite song on the album.
All in all I think this is a great album and it tells the chilling tales of the inner workings of Slug's life. This album will be their groups sixth album and it is a great addition to their discography. I fully recommend picking it up if you're at all a fan of hip-hop.
