Minneapolis rap outfit Atmosphere has become a fixture on the national hip-hop scene for its talent, and slew of political and personal lyrics bye main rapper Slug. Commonly touching on issues of race, society and relationships, Slug has been regarded as one of the vanguards of bringing hip-hop to the forefront of the Midwest, and the suburban landscapes that permeate it.
The Daily Cardinal recently talked with Slug about his thoughts on Madison's hip-hop culture, Atmosphere's latest album 'You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having' and the term 'emo-rap.' Atmosphere will be performing in Madison Sunday at the Orpheum Theatre, 216 State St.
The Daily Cardinal: What is your take on the Midwest hip-hop scene in comparison to perhaps the Houston scene with Paul Wall and Mike Jones, and where does the Midwest scene fall into the mix nationally?
Slug: I don't know. There's no sound to the Midwest scene. There's no such thing as a Midwest scene the way there is in Houston. Just 'cause you can't identify Wisconsin and Minnesota through a certain sound. You can't identify it through a technique. I don't know yet. We aren't really allowed do that until we come up with a sound or something that actually unifies all the people from our area, and that hasn't happened yet.
DC: What do you think would be the unifying force? Do you see any sort of a grassroots movement; a specific artist, perhaps?
S: What really unifies people from Chicago, Minneapolis, Madison and Milwaukee right now, as far as rap goes, is how people go about getting their music out, but it's also common for the people in New Mexico and Atlanta and Canada as far as independent rapping goes, so that isn't even part of a regional scene. I don't think we have any regional characteristics here, I just don't think there are any.
DC: Have you had as good of a reception to your latest album?
S: I don't know yet how people are responding to it... aside from fans, and fans seem to be really into it.
Editor's note: 16-year-old Marissa Zvaifler was raped and murdered two years ago during an Atmosphere show by a registered sex offender working as a janitor in Albuquerque, N.M. Slug raps about the incident in the recent track 'That Night.'
DC: How have your fans reacted to speaking out against such actions, and against actions that have taken place at your own shows?
S: I haven't really seen the long-term reaction yet. Right now there's a lot of kids that never even knew that it took place, so right now I'm really in the middle of kids saying, 'Is that a true story'? and when I say, 'Well yeah, it is,' I get immediately, 'Wow, that's fucked up.' So we haven't gotten a chance to see the domino effect yet of how kids are reacting to it after they dialogue with each other about it, or what they think or how they stand on it. So it's still a little premature for me to, like, figure out what kind of reaction it's gotten.
DC: How do you react to the term 'emo-rapper' that you have been labeled with?
S: It makes my penis erect, it really turns me on sexually. I can feel little tingles going down my spine as if someone were kissing the back of my neck. No, I'm just kidding. I don't really care any more. I don't really have a reaction. I understand why that happens. It happens because the record journalists have to figure out how to explain stuff to a group of people that don't know shit. Whoever coins the new phrase is the 'cool journalist' for the day. Do you remember trip-hop?
DC: Do you think that because someone has labeled you that, it has brought kids that would otherwise not be drawn to your music into it?
S: I don't know; I'm not certain. I'm sure there's a handful of people that came because they were curious about what that meant. I'm sure there's a handful of people that were turned off by it and walked away, so I don't really necessarily know whether something like that is a help or a hindrance.
DC: What are your thoughts on Madison and its hip-hop scene?
S: We've been playing Madison for like eight or ten years now, and I've always seen its hip-hop scene as being actually very special. There's a scene in Madison, though, that's much bigger than hip-hop and it's called beer. And it's the most interesting thing to see those two scenes cross. 'Cause they play all ages shows at the Union or there used to be that teeny rec center thing [The Loft], and I've always had due respect for the kids there. Because you know, it's like a lot of kids that come from other places. And they're coming from Boise, Idaho and somewhere in the middle of Wyoming and somewhere in Minneapolis and somewhere all over to go to college, and they're bringing their version of hip-hop with, and so when they get there for school... I always really liked what that would do to a scene. Now even the people that aren't super rap fans, but they are more into the beer culture, are coming to the shows. It's a little different, now that we're like, big enough to be attractive to not just rap kids, but also to beer kids, it definitely changed what our shows are like a little bit, but its still a great time. It's just not quite as elitist.
DC: Do you think your brand of hip-hop will find a place on the national music media scene?
S: I mean I hope so, you know, we all give Kanye West all of our money and say, 'Go do it dawg, go do it, go make it so that they like us too,' and I don't know if they'll ever put my music on MTV. I don't really care. I don't want to be on MTV. I want Brother Ali to be on MTV, but I'm getting old, man, I'm 43 year old... the last thing I want is to be on the cover of Rolling fucking Stone at this point. Now all I'm looking for is a comfortable place to have a semi-comfortable bowel movement and a good sandwich.
DC: Do you think that you have a better position [than new artists starting out] to be rapping, having done this for over ten years?
S: I mean ten years ago when I was 33, however the fuck old I am, I wouldn't have been developed enough or mature enough to handle what some of this check of success brings you. I don't go party, I do go hang out, I don't go and have sex with strippers, well, actually--I do. I think that I'm a lot more rational now and whatnot. Ten years ago I would have lost myself in the mix of it.
DC: Where would you like to be in five years, professionally and personally?
S: You know, I don't know how to answer that question. I've always shied away from doing any of that five-year projection bullshit that people do.
DC: Well then, where would you like to be in one month?
S: I want to be back home and off tour, and I want to be eating a sandwich and I want, I don't know, I don't know, ma'am, I don't know where I want to be, I guess that's the question that... if I could answer that then... I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know.
DC: Well, let me ask you this then; are you happy with where you have been?
S: Yes. I love where I have been. I am fortunate. I am blessed. I have eaten fine foods. I have visited exotic places, and I have made love to beautiful women (laughing)... But yeah, I am very happy with the success that I've had and with what I've realized and I feel very fortunate. (laughing) Because I was supposed to be a fucking courier. You know, I was supposed to be on a bike bringing YOU some kind of package, YOU KNOW (laughing) but I'm not, you know, I'm not. I'm rapping, which is almost like being a courier, but it's a little different.
