Deviant Nation : Atmosphere : When Life Gives You Lemons You Paint That Shit Gold

Atmosphere - When Life Gives You Lemons You Paint That Shit Gold

Label: Rhymesayers

By: Diesel
Aug 10 08

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Atmosphere is back again with an all new album humorously titled When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold. The two man independent rap group credited with putting Minneapolis on the hip hop map continue strong with their approach, but this time take a musical detour that may very well have helped grab even more attention. Where at one time fine crafted beats were layered with fun yet personal rhymes, Atmosphere’s style seems to have taken a change for the best. This CD was put under Rhymesayers Entertainment.
Atmosphere sometimes is mistaken for the name of the thirty-something lead vocalist of the rap duo. It is easy for someone to simply assume that the guy singing is the band and at first toured alone without the other half but that is not the case. Atmosphere is a double act featuring Slug spitting rhymes and Ant providing the beats to hip hop songs that sing about everything from girls to growing up.

The two have been together since the late nineties and were once more of an underground project but soon grabbed the attention of many with their unique hip hop style.

The two have been together since the late nineties and were once more of an underground project but soon grabbed the attention of many with their unique hip hop style.
While touring, Atmosphere actually sports a band to help provide a more live feel to their performances. After hearing When Life Gives You Lemons… I have a feeling that Atmosphere created this CD as a band and not as a hip hop duo. This time around Atmosphere has slowed down a bit on a couple of the songs making for a more personal project, and even better, their best album to date.
“Like The Rest Of Us” caught me off guard. I was thinking, from past experiences, they would come full force into the CD but instead I was greeted with a very slow piano and guitar melody with Slug almost whispering a conversation he is having with a mirror.

I can’t help but think of Oh Brother, Where Art Thou as soon as “Puppets” begins. The deadbeat reverence track with a great depression like beat gains momentum halfway though just a little after a Beastie Boys reference making for a great track.
The first single off this CD “Shoulda Known” seems to have resorted back to the old Atmosphere with more electronic beats and rhymes focusing around drugs and realization. The song is catchy with witty lines but not nearly as mind absorbing as “You”. The sixth track on this CD reminds me why I dig Atmosphere. The song is incredibly appealing musically and lyrically with a funky bass line and Slug rifling off one lyric after another not seeming to miss a beat.
The CD continues with more of a storytelling like feel as heard in “Painting” and “Guarantees”. Hearing the songs makes me see Atmosphere less of a hip hop act and more of a multi talented group. With the low level guitars backing up Slug, the CD continues to keep me interested.
A shift came once “Can’t Break” started with crazy synthesizer upping the mood accompanied by a nice beat. The song almost made me think I was listening to an entirely different band as my mood was so chilled out from the preceding tracks.
“The Waitress” is my favorite track on the CD with Tom Waits beat-boxing on the track. Yes, Tom Waits beat-boxing, that was not a typo. The song itself, aside from the special guest, is lively and full of energy. The flute connected with the remainder of music is utterly addicting as was Slug’s ode to a certain provider… of meals.
The final track “In Her Music Box” is a brilliant song about everyday realities of a relationship between a father raising one of their own. The song made me smile and is by far one of the more personal tracks I have heard in a long time. Who would have thought a Buick was labeled a music box to a child just trying to fall asleep?
It’s not a surprise to me that this CD debuted at #5 of the US Billboard 200. This is one of the most honest CDs I have heard all year with the mixture of storytelling and just all around pleasant music associated with it. Atmosphere, like I mentioned earlier, scared me at first with such a slow start as I am used to their heavily old school rap influenced style but in turn this was the perfect way to let the fans know that Atmosphere is in it for the long run and can adapt to change flawlessly.