RSE: “In 1995, some of the most talented artists in the Twin Cities Hip Hop scene merged to form the Headshots Crew; The Abstract Pack, Phull Surkle, Black Hohl, Urban Atmosphere, and Beyond. Here’s a look into how the crew came to be. When we return for the next episode, we’ll explore the history of the infamous Headshots Tapes! R.I.P Sess of The Abstract Pack (May 19th, 1975 – Oct. 10th 1996)”

RSE: “By 1995, Slug and D Spawn had been rocking together for a few years. However, ’95 was seeing rapid growth in the popularity of an infamous collective known as Headshots, of which Atmosphere had become a part. The Headshots crew planned to release a compilation titled “Eighteen Shots On A Bus In The Middle Of Nowhere” in the Fall of that year, featuring The Abstract Pack, Phull Surkle, Urban Atmosphere, Black Hohl, Beyond, and more. Urban Atmosphere’s “Ear Blister,” was planned to be released on that compilation, complete with a music video. However, the compilation never materialized and neither did “Ear Blister” as an official release, though the song was a prominent fixture in their live performances around this time. For the last 2 decades, fans have been talking about “Ear Blister” and expressing a desire to view the scarcely seen music video. Well, here it is– the full-length version, available for the first time ever.”

Slug and co: “Our good friend Blueprint shot a video for us for one of the songs on our new album. We Ain’t Gonna Die Today. Starring Bobby Silver & DJ Rare Groove. Pass it on.” From the album, Southsiders.

From Sway’s Universe: In the first clip, Brother Ali and Prof stopped by Sway in the Morning’s station at the 2014 Soundset Festival. First, Sway decided to cross check the rappers’ knowledge of their home town of Minnesota. Then Ali spoke about cultural appropriation and accepting that as a white person that he is a guest within hip-hop. Prof spoke about his recent joining of Rhymesayers Entertainment and why that was the best move for his career. Additionally, Ali announced that he will be temporarily relocating to Oakland to get his liberal arts degree this summer.

In the second clip, rapper P.O.S. spoke about his kidney transplant and why he did not write music during that time. Also, Slug talked about the history of the Soundset Festival and how it differs from other music festivals.

Finally, in the third clip, Slug, P.O.S., Muja Messiah, Lioness, Metasota, Carnage, Joe Horton, and Mally all came together to deliver one of the sickest Sway in the Morning Cyphers. Round after round each emcee showed why Soundset is the festival to be at.

Southsiders is Atmosphere’s follow-up to their lush, highly musical 2011 album, The Family Sign. The veteran Minneapolis hip-hop group’s last album was a culmination of their evolving sound. Their newest offering, though, is a bit more rugged, with traditional hip hop beats and distorted samples from producer Ant taking the place of live guitar and piano.

Slug, the group’s MC, delivers his trademark relationship humor on the call and response anthem “Kanye West”: “She said she wants somebody she can take care/And right then is when we paired up.”

“She Don’t Know Why She Love It” employs a sinister beat paired with Slug’s unique battle rhymes: “I’m the s**t, I get followed by a courtesy flush.” The album’s opener, “Camera Thief,” sets the tone, with Slug’s sharply syncopated raps. As usual, he is at once abstract and acutely observational:: “Direct attention to the craftsmanship/Neglect to mention that the past will stick/Like the initials carved in the concrete/Like the tattoo that hides on your mommy.”

A long way from his promiscuous, road warrior days, much of Southsiders chronicles Slug’s continued maturity as he, somewhat self-righteously, rips his jealous former acquaintances (“Bitter”) and ditches the hard drinking days of yore (“Hell” as in, “hell yeah, I had a good time”). It’s well tread territory for him and he may be running out of ways to say it.

The album comes to an emotional high point with “Flicker,” an ode to a lost friend (“Who told you you could die before me?”), possibly former collaborator Eyedea, who died in 2010. The best part of the song, perhaps, is Slug’s own admission that his dead friend may not appreciate the tone of it: “I’m certain if you were here right now/You’d ridicule these lyrics, you’d hate the chorus/You’d probably tell me that the concept is too straight forward.”

Amazingly, Atmosphere has been around for roughly 25 years, forming in 1989. In any context, that’s a legend act. In hip hop years, it’s beyond an eternity. The truth is they’re no longer as experimental or as fun as they used to be, just like anyone who gets older. However, they make up for it with expert craftsmanship in their songs. Their dedication to quality and refusal to grab at mainstream success sets them apart and explains their longevity.

Southsiders, like all of the group’s work, doesn’t chase trends, and for that reason it’s likely to sound just as good next year as it does now.

Rapper and Soundset Festival insider, Atmosphere’s Slug stopped by Sway in the Morning to promote his new album Southsiders. The Minneapolis rapper performed a couple of his songs “Camera Thief” and “Kanye West.” He went on to explain his involvement with the Soundset Music Festival, which Sway in the Morning will be present at, why they made the event affordable for fans and trying to diversify the festival. Slug also explained how he transitioned from a DJ to a rapper and why he can always go back to disc jockeying. Be sure to purchase Southsiders in stores now and tickets to Soundset.

From the album, Southsiders, in stores now. Director: Andrew Melby.

Atmosphere’s new album, Southsiders, will be released May 6th, via Rhymesayers Entertainment. Today, Pandora premieres a full-length album stream of the record, which you can hear here. Also, check out the video for their single, “Kanye West”, below.

This track comes from Atmosphere’s Record Store Day release, the The Lake Nokmonis EP. No word if this is connected to Atmosphere’s mythical Alchemist produced album, Lake Minnetonka.

From the forthcoming album, Southsiders, due May 6th.

Atmosphere tells us: “Along with some of my southsider friends, we made a remix for the title track from our forthcoming album “southsiders”. The original version of this song will be on the southsiders album which will be available May 6th.”

“If The Last Great, the debut album from MaLLy, was meant to be a chest-thumping, boastful, and triumphant effort that finally broke MaLLy to the masses, The Colors of Black is the direct result of what would have been the end result if The Last Great never came into existence. Throughout the duration of The Colors of Black, MaLLy uses it as a vehicle to present the pressures of race, acceptance, and the politics, or lack thereof, in current day Hip-Hop and himself. It allows MaLLy to utilize his sharp wordplay to paint vivid depictions of what would’ve came to be of Malik Watkins, or what already is. Last Word’s production provides MaLLy with a dark, ominous, and bleak sound to take MaLLy’s dark imagery and expansive wordplay to new heights, like graffiti on pissed-stained walls of abandoned complexes that once housed hopes, dreams, and aspirations of the past.

The Colors of Black stands as testament to what might not have been had MaLLy not introduced himself to the audience at large, and came for his destiny hand over fist. It may be his strongest and most stark statement to date, as it daunts and details with several themes that exercise disdain of the current status quo in Hip-Hop and the world at large, but MaLLy stands above it all, seeing it from a birds eye view, and making sure the truth, seedy and grimy as it may be, is known to the rest of the populace, regardless of the consequences.”

Today, MaLLy premiered the first track, “Hold My Tongue,” from Mally’s The Colors of Black and the track features Slug of Atmosphere and Rapper Hooks, with all three trading verses as equals, over guttural guitar strums and synths which ooze on the border of chaos and disorder.

Atmosphere tells us:

“due to how long and brutal this winter has been, we decided to get together with a bunch of friends and play in the snow. here is the footage. the temperature this day was below 0. we hope you watch this when you are warm and cozy somewhere on a beach.”

Directed by Adam J Dunn and Sean Daley. The album, Southsiders, hits stores May 6th, 2014.

Bitter is the first single from Atmosphere’s eighth studio album, Southsiders, available for pre-order on iTunes now. Check out the tracklist and cover art for the 5.16.14 release below, as well.

1. Camera Thief
2. Arthur’s Song
3. The World Might Not Live Through the Night
4. Star Shaped Heart
5. I Love You Like a Brother
6. Southsiders
7. Bitter
8. Mrs. Interpret
9. Fortunate
10. Atmosphere
11. We Ain’t Gonna Die Today
12. My Lady Got Two Men
13. Flicker
14. January On Lake Street
15. Let Me Know That You Know What You Want Now
16. She Don’t Know Why She Love It (Bonus Track)
17. Hell (Bonus Track)
18. I Don’t Need No Fancy S**t (Bonus Track)
19. Idiot (Bonus Track)
20. Prelude to Hell (Bonus Track)

“… about how the legend of Paul Bunyan began. Babe wasn’t really a blue ox, it was a blue axe. but the northern accent made it sound like ‘ox.’ Blue from the blood of the evil Canadian soldiers. It was filmed on the northern Minnesota iron range.” – Sean Daley

The Welcome To Minnesota Tour kicks off tonight with Atmosphere, Toki Wright x Big Cats, No Bird Sing, deM atlaS and Jimmy2Times.

2.12 – Mankato, MN @ Verizon Wireless Ballroom http://bit.ly/MN2014_mankato

2.13 – Duluth, MN @ Clyde Iron Works (sold out)

2.14 – Rochester, MN @ Mayo Civic Center Auditorium http://bit.ly/MN2014_rochester

2.15 – Fargo, MN @ The Venue at the Hub http://bit.ly/MN2014_fargo

2.17 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue (sold out)

For tickets and tour information, check out http://bit.ly/WTMN2014tix