In the early 2000s, Minneapolis duo Atmosphere would almost single-handedly redefine indie-rap with their two landmark records God Loves Ugly (2002) and Seven’s Travels (2003).
Rapper Slug is uncomfortably confessional, and chaotically emotional—everything Kanye got credit for bringing to rap later in the decade. Slug was also a clever lyricist and managed to make some of the most poetic lines sound like a conversation he was having directly with the audience. As the lines separating indie and mainstream rap became more blurred, Atmosphere continued to push the boundaries of the genre into odd and creatively adventurous territory—nd they’re still creating great records.
INFO: 8pm. Sunday, Feb. 9, Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $32.50/adv, $35/door. Information: catalystclub.com.
WANT TO GO?
Go to santacruz.com/giveaways before 11am on Friday, Jan. 31, to find out how you could win a pair of tickets to the show.
