By the year 2002, Sean "Slug" Daley and Anthony "Ant" Davis, the masterminds behind Atmosphere, had become some of the most prominent and anticipated names in the entire underground hip-hop scene. Their blend of powerful and often unexplored concepts in the lyrics spit with emotion unrivalled by the best actors, over smooth, melodic, often sample-rich beats was such a unique one that it seemed they had created an entire new subgenre all by themselves. While the first two projects I listened to gravitated occasionally towards more typical unpolished 4-track shit with basic instrumentals and bars that were perhaps a little too long for the beat, it was the third one that really grabbed my attention as something unlike anything else I'd heard in the genre. Lucy Ford: The Atmosphere EP's was definitely their most polished project so far, as the concepts and passion put into discussing them were simply unparalleled in a genre that, as much as I love it, does often find it difficult to stay on topic. This project has really got me excited for what's to come - the group have clearly found their sound, and now it's time to see if they can perfect it.
God Loves Ugly is the second official studio album by the duo, although it's the first where they are actually a duo at all, as Overcast! was of course back when Spawn was still readily available for a quick verse or three. On this effort, however, Sean and Ant seem much less willing to let collaborators into their universe, with I Self Devine being the only guest appearance on the entire 18 track project - this is gonna be a long one. Out of all their works thus far, this one clearly seems to be the most ambitious, and furthermore, many fans consider it the best, with Atmos classics such as "Fuck You Lucy", "Modern Man's Hustle", and of course the title track being some of the duo's most revered work.
So I'm feeling pretty excited! Everything I've heard so far from these guys has been dope as shit, and I'm sure this one will be too. Even the title is innovative - anyone else hear about last year's JID album? It's high time I get into this - it's been like 8 months since I added to this series. Jeez.
All songs are produced by Ant.
1. Onemosphere
Not exactly what I expected would open this disc up, but nonetheless this track was pretty awesome. Unlike "Between The Lines", which of course opened up the last full length, this track has a very angry feel, with hard drums and almost tuneless piano keys which sit in the instrumental to punctuate a word of every aggressive bar that Slug spits. And while the opening lines here feel a little too positive and PG for what this album is presenting itself as, most of the shit spit here is dope as fuck. "And the moral of the story comes equipped with a sting / once again I'm picked for the wrong fucking team" he says before the hard ass drums quiten down for a moment of relaxation in-between the two intense verses. This song seems to basically present this duo as underdogs in the game who have come to prove their worth now with international distribution, and so far it seems to be going well. This is a very strong opener. And I love that title!
2. The Bass and The Movement
This song also has a pretty fucking awesome title, and it's similar musically too, if a little more skeletal instrumentally. Not that that's a bad thing at all, as this beat is in fact dope as all fuck. The disjointed drums teamed with the samples of what sound almost like people screaming is all at once familiar and unlike anything I've heard before. I mean sure it could have perhaps used a little shaking up during the chorus that seems to aim to be chanted at concerts, but I'm really not here to be nit-picky. And as for Slug, his lyrics here are even better than they were on the previous song, with the line "You can catch a face full of phallus" standing out in particular to me for how hilarious it is. But really, this whole song just seems to exemplify the man's personality on the mic, with many moments feeling almost relatable, whether that happens to be worrying or not. This shit was fucking brilliant.
3. Give Me
Unfortunately it seems we've ran out of all time song titles, as this one opts for something incredibly generic. What a shame. Thankfully, the quality of the music hasn't deteriorated with it, because this instrumental from Ant is goddamned hypnotic, more jazzy than the previous two cuts, reminding me of some of the better moments on Overcast!, which by the way I still think is a very solid album. On this track, Slug goes into detail about some of his goals for his rap career, and also starts to make it more clear what he means by "Ugly" - in Slug's mind it means to be an outcast, an underdog, someone who has been brushed away and left to collect dust by society, and that's who this music is meant for. I think. That's what I'm getting anyway. But regardless, the song itself is very good - Sean seems to be going more in-depth than on the previous tracks, and the instrumental is really really nice. This is definitely a keeper.
4. Fuck You Lucy
A stark departure from the previous three tracks, "Fuck You Lucy" is the first emotional high on the record, and my God is it good. Backed by Ant's intense piano and chopped vocal samples, Slug goes on a rant against "Lucy", a character who could be interpreted as a metaphor for quite a few different things, although most tend to agree that it's either hip-hop or alcohol that Slug is ranting about here (and also referenced in the title of the previous project we discussed). The lyrics are a mix of sometimes poetic, like on the chorus, or simple and biting, such as the repeated shouts of the title within the verses. It's a very emotional song, certainly one of the most aggressive I've heard from this duo yet, but it's certainly one that's worth returning to, whether that's for the passion in the verses or the incredible instrumental. These guys really fit like a glove don't they. This might be the best song yet.
5. Hair
A far more lighthearted affair than the previous track, "Hair" is more of an interlude than anything else, as the instrumental here is quite simplistic compared with most of the other Ant beats I'm familiar with, and Slug's story about meeting an attractive girl after a concert is told with a delivery that feels kind of tongue in cheek, as if he's utterly gleeful that he has the opportunity to let his fans know about this encounter. Of course, fans of the duo will know that things don't end quite so well for Slug at the end of this song, as an unexpected twist occurs that shatters the pleasant mood of the track pulling us straight back in to the dark and depraved mind of Slug....
6. GodLovesUgly
7. A Song About a Friend
Another song about meeting a girl, although not only is it framed more seriously than "Hair", the track has an almost creepy vibe to it, not least because of Ant's jingling piano keys that almost remind me of some kind of horror film at times. But even Slug's lyrics are odd, especially during the chorus where he admits to looking up this girl's skirt on a staircase, possibly without her knowledge. I mean, dude, what the hell are you doing? I love the beat here though, and as the song progresses to Slug seeming to start falling for this girl, only for the relationship to sadly crumble to the point of no contact, the lyrics start to become much more profound and moving - as I've said before, Slug was never one to hide his emotions, and here's where that skill comes in handy, as the song does get to you in the end. This is a pretty strong effort overall.
8. Flesh (feat. I Self Devine)
Over a percussion heavy Ant instrumental with a bassline that's sure to have you moving, Slug teams up with I Self Devine to rap about violence and rapping prowess in a shit talking cut that still does engage in amounts of lyrical prowess and vocabulary dense spitting, that is exactly what you'd expect from the hungry underground rappers of this scene. While Slug and I Self kill the verses, I'm not as keen on the gimmicky hook, which is pretty miserable to listen to in all honesty. Still, this one is a goddamn banger, with a very unique instrumental for the 'Sphere. Things so far are going very smoothly.
9. Saves the Day
Kind of a sentimental sounding track, although Slug is still spelling out his ambitions for the future on here, and how he wishes to "save the day", whatever the hell that means. The song lyrics here seem kind of disjointed, even if the last couple bars were pretty powerful, but my favourite moment of the track comes at the end anyway, when the music kind of breaks down and the echo of the word "music" fades in and out - it's a nice switch up in the production that I wasn't really expecting to hear on a record like this. The song as a whole is okay though - it just feels a little repetitive for my liking.
10. Lovelife
This smooth cut refers to a literal interpretation of the common phrase it uses as it's title - Slug encourages the listeners to love life and work their hardest at it, despite what things God (who is addressed in the very moving chorus of the song) may throw their way. This is lyrically definitely one of the most intriguing songs of the whole record - sure, it's brilliant when Slug is battle rapping and insulting opponents with hilarious insults on a track like "The Bass and The Movement", but if it weren't for the more powerful and passionate moments like these then the duo probably wouldn't be quite as legendary as they are today. This is certainly one of the best songs yet, and Ant's haunting violins compliment the subject matter perfectly. Great stuff.
11. Breathing
After that more emotional moment, we're back to another somewhat fun cut, with a bouncy beat utilising somewhat dated synths that are still pretty good mind you, and a catchy hook that seems tailor-made for concerts - Kanye West would later use something similar on his song "Breathe In Breathe Out". I think, based on the final couplet of both verses here, that the concept of this song is Slug airing out his frustrations and thoughts about the world to a somewhat uninterested bartender, and I for one think that's a pretty unique idea, and one that works pretty damned well too - it's certainly one of the funnier moments of this record when he states "so just pour me another and ignore me my brother" after a legitimately powerful verse. This is a dope joint.
12. Vampires
The vampires in question being... well, pretty much every sentient being on Earth as well as the Earth itself according to Slug, who clearly fell out of bed the morning of creating this track (and perhaps others on the album as well). "Vampires" is one of the darker tracks on this record, dealing with thoughts about the inherent evils of the world, be that corrupt policemen or corrupt governments who leech off of the general public for their own sick needs. It's all punctuated by Ant's instrumental, full of guitar licks and hard drums, which feels pretty typical of the producer, but deeply suited to the themes of societal disarray nonetheless. It makes you realise by the end of this track that Slug's metaphor is actually quite apt, which is really quite a depressing thought when you look at it. I think I need a lie down.
13. A Girl Named Hope
I was kind of skeptical coming into this much shorter track at first, thanks to the terribly corny title that sounds like a children's story book written in the modern day more than a song from some of hip-hop's finest artists - but thankfully, this song was actually pretty good, if Slug's understated delivery was a little jarring in comparison with some of these other tracks. This one more seems to be a metaphor about Slug being ground down until he's lost all hope for the world, and it's quite sad really, especially with those repeated female vocal samples in the background punctuating the relentless stress life pushes at us from all angles. For a glorified interlude, this was awesome - shit, it could hold its own against most of the full length cuts here as well.
14. GodLovesUgly Reprise
Meanwhile this one is just weird. Slug gives up on rapping here for a sung approach, something I understand he ventures more into on an abundance of tracks later on in his career, for better or worse. Thankfully, he utilises many backup singers here to help him, and the results are pretty interesting - think of this as the hip-hop underground's weird answer to that "Iron's Theme" from Supreme Clientele, only it's not as catchy and sounds like something a creepy circus clown would recite to you in its torture dungeon.
15. Modern Man's Hustle
16. One Of a Kind
Finally, Slug delivers another creative "suck my dick" type of bar, this time in the form of "open invitation to catch today's ejaculation all across the front of your pretty little apron". That kind of sets the tone really, as this song is pretty damned aggressive - Slug calls out all the whack copycat rappers, none of whom have a lick of uniqueness about them, unlike he who is, as he so humbly claims, "one of a kind". The album has been due a joint dissing the sucker MCs for a while now (it is an early 2000s underground record after all), and with this track it finally has one - although I will say that this track doesn't quite deserve to be one of the most beloved songs on the entire record. It's good, sure, but better than "LoveLife" and "The Bass and The Movement"? I'm not so sure. Still, I liked it, so that's all that matters really.
17. Blamegame
For the third time, Slug mashes together words that should be separate for a song title on this album. Why? Who cares. This track is... interesting. I'm not sure who's idea it was for a reggae style track to be introduced to this project, but it seems he was quite an aggressive and potentially dangerous chap, as otherwise the artists would probably have laughed it off - this simply isn't the right fit for the record. I mean, the track as a whole is fine, but I don't think this album at all benefits from its inclusion. It's a small blemish on a record that, for its length, has been otherwise incredibly consistent. Oh well.
18. Shrapnel
Anyone else feel like this instrumental really reminded them of Ghostface's Ironman album? The resemblance is almost uncanny - in particular the bassline here feels particularly similar to that on "After the Smoke Is Clear". Man, now I want to go back and listen to that for the millionth time. But that's okay, because we've now reached the last track on the album - and what a last track. After the weirdness of "Blame Game", "Shrapnel" pulls us back into an underground feel, with a dark and bleak instrumental punctuating Slug's vocals perfectly, whether that be during the two long verses or the very esoteric chorus here. But perhaps the best parts of this one are when the beat is left to ride out by itself - an under-appreciated art in the genre, when the producer gets his moment, and you are given time to really take in what the MC has just said. I really appreciate that. As closers go, this is one of the best in the Atmosphere discography yet. Wow.
In conclusion, God Loves Ugly might also just be Atmosphere's best work yet full stop. While it is a little too long, and contains the odd moment that hints at being a teensy bit of album filler (looking at you, "BlameGame"), for the most part this album is everything I hoped it would be. Slug's lyrics are even more interesting, his delivery more passionate, his hooks catchier - and Ant's production has improved tenfold too, especially with beats such as those on "GodLovesUgly" and "Lovelife", some of his most haunting and memorable work yet. God Loves Ugly also feels more of a curated experience than other Atmosphere projects. The way that this album constantly weaves from (somewhat) lighthearted moments such as "Hair" and "Flesh", straight back into tracks like "Fuck You Lucy" and "Vampires" that are passionate, dark and oftentimes quite haunting, is unlike anything I've seen outside of maybe some of Tech N9ne's early work. But the vibe of this album is completely different. It's like Ironman mixed with Anghellic mixed with 3:16: The 9th Edition, and with a little something else thrown in there as well, that unique Atmosphere magic. It's fucking incredible. And yes, I didn't think this was a perfect album. There were some songs that were placed where they perhaps shouldn't have been, some songs that followed a structure a little too formulaic, even moments that ever so slightly bored me. But I guess the whole message of this album is to accept those who are different, those who are perhaps... imperfect. And while it is that, this album is damned excellent nonetheless, and certainly a highly influential classic of the hip-hop underground. And the pair certainly capitalised on their success quickly, releasing another immensely ambitious independent release just one year later, intriguingly titled Seven's Travels... . I'll see you for that one folks. Thanks for reading!
Best Track: "God Loves Ugly"
Worst Track: "BlameGame"
Other Atmosphere write-ups are available!
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