“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.

Produced by Domingo. From the album, #Worldview.

DJ Risky Bizness tells us:

This was a freestyle that Slug (Atmosphere) spit for a mix tape i did called The Syllabus in like 99/00 ..I remember running into Slug at Red Dog (Old Chicago Club) Twilight Tone was spinning and i was hanging with MC J.U.I.C.E. that night. We had just went to see Gang Starr at the park west and decided to roll over to Red Dog after the show . we get there and the place was jumping i walk over to the bar and who was chilln in the corner but Sean Daley.. we had know each other for a bit now ..i was like yooo Sluggo..i need you to lace a mix tape for me and his response was let’s do it tomorrow.. So the next day i rolled over to Cap D from All Natural’s crib in Hyde Park at the time ( i believe not sure it’s been years) becuse that’s where Slug was staying for the night before making his way to Dibbs Crib in Cincinnati and we just knocked it out real quick like… So here you go and there you have it!

Bonus points if you can name the instrumental. Hint: Nervous Records.

Man Bites Dog Records is proud to present the MHz Legacy newest video for the song “Satisfaction” featuring Slug & produced by RJD2 .This video is directed by Snow Rowe.

Man Bites Dog Records is proud to present Illogic & Blockhead’s “Capture the Sun” music video featuring Slug from Atmosphere. Video directed by H. Rockwell. Be sure to look for the new album “Capture the Sun” from Illogic & Blockhead on Man Bites Dog Records 4-19-13.

From the NYC crew’s new album, Giant Antlers.

]]> http://www.hiphopsite.com/2012/11/22/the-masterminds-fight-music-feat-murs-slug-video/feed/ 1 http://www.hiphopsite.com/2012/10/23/mhz-satisfied-feat-slug-prod-by-rjd2/ http://www.hiphopsite.com/2012/10/23/mhz-satisfied-feat-slug-prod-by-rjd2/#comments Tue, 23 Oct 2012 13:08:49 +0000 http://www.hiphopsite.com/?p=57401 [cont.]]]>

On October 30th, Ohio’s legendary MHz Legacy will release their new self-titled album. The album will be their first new offering in over a decade, following their previously released compilation of rarities and b-sides, Table Scraps. MHz Legacy, which will be released via Man Bites Dogs Records, includes features from Danny Brown, Blu, Slug (of Atmosphere), ILL BILL, Slaine, and Oh No, and joining in-house producer RJD2 behind the boards will be Harry Fraud, Marco Polo, Stu Bangas, Illmind, and others. Today, MHz Legacy is excited to release the official album cover artwork and track list.

MHz Legacy consists of members Copywrite, RJD2, Jakki Da Motamouth, and Tage Future. The group originally went by the name Megahertz, shortened to MHz, but after influential member Camu Tao passed away in 2008, the group decided to add Legacy to their name in his honor. Further honoring the group’s fallen member, MHz Legacy is excited to announce that a number of never-before-heard Camu Tao verses will be featured on the album.

Track List:

1. Accidentally On Purpose (Prod. By Rob Stern)
2. Hindsight (1998) Ft. Playdough (Prod. By RJD2)
3. Four Player Mode (Prod. By RJD2)
4. Out Of Room (Prod. By RJD2)
5. Spaceship Ft. Danny Brown (Prod. By Harry Fraud)
6. Soul Train (Of Thought) Ft. Oh No The Disrupt (Of Gangrene) (Prod. By !llmind)
7. Addictionary Ft. ILL BILL & Slaine (Of La Coka Nostra) (Prod. By Stu Bangas)
8. Gone! (Prod. By Surock)
9. Obituaries (Prod. By Marco Polo)
10. Columbus Diss Patch Ft. Dom (Prod. By J Rawls)
11. Mass Temple Ft. Steve From Middle Distance Runner (Prod. By Jason Rose)
12. Y’all Don’t Know (Prod. By D1)
13. Yellow & Blue Ft. Blu (Prod. By Surock)
14. Satisfaction Ft. Slug (Of Atmosphere) (Prod. By RJD2)
15. Tero Smith Ft. Aaron Livingston (Of Icebird) (Prod. By RJD2)
16. Somewhere (2099) (Prod. By RJD2)
17. Mechanical Me (Prod. By Jason Rose)

Germany’s SplashMag catches this interview with Rhymesayers labelmates Evidence and Slug of Atmosphere.

]]> http://www.hiphopsite.com/2012/01/15/evidence-slug-interview-w-splashmag/feed/ 0 http://www.hiphopsite.com/2011/10/15/slug-atmosphere-1989-performance-video/ http://www.hiphopsite.com/2011/10/15/slug-atmosphere-1989-performance-video/#comments Sun, 16 Oct 2011 01:49:11 +0000 http://www.hiphopsite.com/?p=39366

Oh snap! “Cause the best one….is the S one”.

New video from King Magnetic featuring Ali Armz & Slug, off Everything’s A Gamble 2. Lots of cameo’s on this one.

First video from Luckyiam’s album, I Love Haters. Available on digital outlets on Sept. 13, 2011. Beat produced by Kruse.
]]> http://www.hiphopsite.com/2011/09/08/luckyiam-for-you-feat-aceyalone-slug/feed/ 1 http://www.hiphopsite.com/2011/05/02/slug-lil-b-odd-future-are-important-to-this-movement/ http://www.hiphopsite.com/2011/05/02/slug-lil-b-odd-future-are-important-to-this-movement/#comments Mon, 02 May 2011 11:46:49 +0000 http://www.hiphopsite.com/?p=33731

Slug from Atmosphere talks with Karmaloop discussing being independent, new blood in hip-hop, and boycotting cocaine.
]]> http://www.hiphopsite.com/2011/05/02/slug-lil-b-odd-future-are-important-to-this-movement/feed/ 0 http://www.hiphopsite.com/2011/04/25/atmosphere-the-family-sign-12-review/ http://www.hiphopsite.com/2011/04/25/atmosphere-the-family-sign-12-review/#comments Tue, 26 Apr 2011 05:37:50 +0000 http://www.hiphopsite.com/?p=33427 [cont.]]]> Atmosphere has been evolving over the last few years. The group’s recent work (When Life Give You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold and To All My Friends, Blood Makes the Blade Holy), has taken the raw, personal and often bizarre nature of their earlier material and turned it into something more reflective, mature and in its weaker moments, corny. Slug’s virtuoso storytelling became more distant, with a tendency to veer into the earnest motivational anthem.

The Family Sign hones this recent evolution into one of their more complete albums to date. A mixture of personal reflection (old friends, old loves, familial relations, mistakes made, hopes for the future) and a haunting, blues-tinged sound render the group’s last couple efforts obsolete.

A huge addition to The Family Sign are the contributions from Nate “The Guitar Man” Collis (on guitar) and Erick Anderson (on the keys), both of whom have toured with Atmosphere over the years.

Collis’ rich guitar sound winds its way through songs like “Millennium Dodo,” with Slug making his way through the night (“All around the world, it’s the same bar/Wishing that the jukebox had some Gang Starr/State to state I chase fate/But my stereo ate all my favorite tapes/So baby girl, you better straighten up the attitude/Or you ain’t gonna make it all the way to Baton Rouge”).

On “Something So,” Slug does some very light crooning over a lush, airy guitar, singing, “They tell me that/I’m not qualified/To lend my voice/To something so beautiful.” He has a point. This is beautiful music. It’s definitely not hardcore hip-hop, but it’s an exhibition of the genre’s range.

Anderson’s keys, meanwhile, standout to great effect on “If You Can Save Me Now” and “My Notes.” On the former, Slug remembers being born, narrating seemingly from the womb: “I hear voices, footsteps/A cop’s radio off to the left/The noise made me reflect/Somewhere along the way I must of caught my breath/Drifting, dreaming/And then I heard somebody screaming.”

“Bad Bad Daddy” is a nice bit of comic relief as Slug demonstrates some questionable parenting skills (“I’m gonna go get bombed/You better not tell your mom”).

On an “Ain’t Nobody,” we’re treated to one more in a deep catalog of Atmosphere songs about leaving your loser friends behind with the great refrain: “Yeah, I came to party, but I don’t wanna party with you.”

Of course, the same theme plays itself out on the very next track, “Your Name Here,” which illustrates the weakness of The Family Sign. Slug and Atmosphere sometimes fall back on the usual suspects. “The Last to Say” is a bit of a heavy-handed cautionary tale against being caught up in an abusive relationship—why does hip-hop always put the onus on the woman in these situations?

But it’s the sonic achievement of producer Ant, along with Collis and Anderson, that make this such a strong record overall—a real album with texture and mood, not just a collection of songs. Slug, meanwhile, balances the abstract with the specific in a way few, if any, MCs are capable of. The Family Sign is Atmosphere finding the right balance—both elegiac and hopeful.

Video for “Broken Wings” off of Tokyo Cigar’s latest album codename:DEVASTOR. Also check out his amazing Felt 3.0: A Tribute To Nancy Sinatra Slug & Murs remix album if you haven’t already.

“I spit slugs like Sean Daley”, says A.G. Word is, this is a bit of a salute to the new Slug + A.G. collaboration recoded for Andre’s upcoming Berri TV LP, as seen above.

A.G. – “Trying To Find A Balance (Freestyle)”