By Will Sevy
Staff Writer
“Southsiders,” the new album by the group “Atmosphere” is both electrifying yet mainstream, which is the opposite of Atmosphere’s interesting and different style of music.
“Southsiders” is an exciting new album that combines awesome beats, honest lyrics, and a variety of instruments to bring together a smooth sounding album that inspires and excites.
“Atmosphere” is a duo comprised of rapper Slug and Dj and producer Ant. “Southsiders” is their eighth studio album and provides a new side to the duo.
The independent group once defined the underground hip-hop movement, but they have progressed to become more traditional in their music, evolving with time.
The strongest song on the album is “Camera Thief,” which describes Slug’s problems in his past and has powerful and honest lyrics that people can relate to either through their experiences or sympathy. He paints a picture with his words and the frenetic beat complements his flow while he is rapping.
Another powerful song is “Kanye West.” Obviously named after the rap and hip-hop star Kanye West, this song has a catchy tune that perfectly portrays Slug’s inspiring lyrics that create a negative type of imagery that basically defines Slug’s type of rap, which is about death and usually negative.
“My Lady Got Two Men” is the most creative track on the album. It uses a guitar and piano along with a cool, smooth beat to complement Slug’s slow, deliberate rapping. It shows the variety of instruments and the lyrics in this song seemed smoother and more natural than any other, making the track easy to listen to and overall an interesting and wonderful song.
The most moving track is “Flicker,” which is about mourning the loss of one of Slug’s closest friends. The words are powerful and heartfelt, making the song emotional and eloquent. He speaks about regretting how they grew apart, and anyone who lost someone would easily pick this song as his favorite. Slug’s emotional, intense rapping along with the cool beat make this song very special.
The fantastic beats made by Dj Ant are what make the songs fun and easy to bop your head to. With varying rhythms and instruments, such as guitars, drums, and piano, it makes some tracks surprising and exciting, and keeps the songs lively. This variety makes sure songs do not get boring.
Slug’s lyrics are harsh but honest, and provide inspiration and wisdom through his words that are backed up by such captivating beats. His words are powerful but sometimes they seem forced and out of place, disrupting the flow of the song.
One of the problems with this is its exactly what one would expect from this duo. Although they have changed and progressed, there are no surprising parts to this album and everything is typical of a normal rap album, which is not normal for “Atmosphere.”
“Southsiders” is fun to listen to with its inspiring lyrics and captivating beats, but has parts that are forced and boring. However, the album is solid and beautifully portrays the duo’s evolution as musicians.
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