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Sittin'
Down With Slug
by:
carmela
wiese
We
recently were lucky enough to talk to Slug, the frontman of Minneapolis
Hip-Hop group, Atmosphere to find out what it's like to be at
the start of what may just be something big. We met up with him
just after Atmosphere's first show of their current tour - find
out what he has to say...
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MC:
That was a great show last night! Madison is always craving a
good hip-hop show, since the music scene here is pretty much one-dimensional.
How did you think it went?
We had a lot of fun…the crowd was way better
than we were….
MC: What did you do to prepare for the tour?
I consumed
a lot of beer and fast food. I would wake up after a binge with
these guys and realize “Wow, I’m on tour!”
MC:
So last night you were in Madison and tonight you all are playing
in Iowa City. How do you unwind from the monotony of being on
tour?
Uhm, well,
Game Boy is always good, we have a mini DVD player in the van.
Beer is a good way to unwind too. Oh, and making out with random
girls.
MC: And right now on tour, it’s not just you, right? You
all have a bunch of people on tour with you. How did you decide
whom you wanted on tour with you?
Everyone I’m
on tour with I’m friends with, but it’s different
every tour. Right now I am at that stage where I’m not a
huge name, but I’m not unknown either, so I can provide
an opportunity for other artists that are as good as me or better
but don’t have the opportunity to go on tour. I consider
it manipulating the system. Except Murs who I made a album (Felt)
with so it made sense for him to go on tour with us.
MC:
You have been doing this for quite a while. How have things changed
for you as far as your style goes?
I don’t
know, I guess the way I view the industry. I used to be pessimistic
and hate how things were, but now I don’t care. I just do
what I want.
MC:
I wanted to ask you how you felt about more popular TRL type hip-pop,
like Ja Rule.
I’m
fine with it. I used to be all about "fuck the mainstream,"
but now it’s not like that. If the beats are bad and the
voice is bad and it’s detrimental to hip-hop then I won’t
like it. But if the beats are good, and it sounds good, then it
doesn’t matter. Ja Rule’s good at what he does. I
just feel like hip-hop is a tree; I’m on one branch of it
and he’s on another, but it’s all rooted in the same
spot.
MC: When did you know that this is what you wanted to do this?
Was there one defining moment, or was it more of a gradual process?
It was really
a gradual process. I was never aspiring to become a famous rapper.
When I was around 18 and got started I just did it for fun. I
just consider myself a fan that took it to the next level.
MC:
So,
how & when did you hook up with the rest of the Rhyme Sayers
crew?
I’m
one of the four founders. We all grew up in the same area (south
Minneapolis), so it made sense. We were all into the same music.
MC: So right now you are promoting your new album God
Loves Ugly. How would you describe it?
It’s
terrible, don’t buy it.
MC: How does it stand out from your previous albums?
It’s
way better than the others.
MC: What’s your favorite track on the album?
“Modern
Man’s Hustle”. It is as close to Billy Joel as I could
get, set aside of course the different genres. The structure is
the best as far as the verses go and the chorus is really catchy.
It is the most correct as far as how music should be written
MC:
Who are you listening to? What was the last that you bought?
Queens of
the Stone Age, but I listen to really anything someone puts in.
If there is one thing that I am listening to it is rock. But I
don’t really enjoy music anymore. I really only listen to
study it.
MC:
Who were some of your musical influences when you were younger…?
Prince….
MC:
Have you been to paisley park?
No I haven’t
actually been to the studio, but I have been past it when I was
a courier….
MC: What do you see as the best album of the year, besides yours
of course?
That’s
a good question. So far this year I would have to say Pigeon Jon.
He’s from a group called the LA Symphony and his solo album
is really good.
MC:
Do you see anyone as an up & coming artist for people to look
out for?
Aesop Rock
and Soul Position, Blueprint’s group with RJD2. Those guys
go way beyond underground hip-hop.
MC:
If you were president, what would be the first thing that you
would do?
I
would copy Canada’s Health Care System.
MC: Any idea when you are going to be coming through Madison again?
I
don’t know. Maybe this spring.
MC: Well, thanks for taking some time off to do this interview.
Yeah no, problem. Thanks for doing it.
MC: Good luck with the rest of the tour.
Thanks…have
a great day.
10-Sep-2002
10:30 PM
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