https://twitter.com/atmosphere/status/286248648998785024

redditors: thanks for the questions. sorry if i sucked at the ama. first time jitters. for future hollers, please attempt me at @atmosphere on twitter.

Comments: 4087 • Responses: 67  • Date: 

socialanxietyyy1840 karma

Remember the kid who jumped off of the stage at smoke out after climbing on to escape the security guards?

That was me.

Slug: "You better run motherfucker!"

slug_atmosphere1737 karma

pac man!!!! i love you bro. hope your legs are ok

Cord27813 karma

I was at a show of yours in 2003 in Chicago. A girl got punched in the back of the head and knocked down in a mosh during your opening act. I tried to help her up and she thought I was the one that hit her. Apparently you knew her and when you came out you asked who did it and she pointed to me. I said I didn't. You said, "Fuck you, I don't believe you" and went straight into singing Scapegoat while pouring a Heineken all over my head.

It was awesome.

slug_atmosphere486 karma

lol. right on. love you bro

booboothechicken580 karma

Thank you for doing this. For the better part of 2007 I was stationed in Afghanistan, spending most of my time in FOB's. I entered a deep state of depression while I was there, which later formed into PTSD. At night I would reflect on my marriage that was falling apart, my son growing up without me, and the deaths I am responsible for.

My only solace in those dark days was my $30 RCA mp3 player filled with your words. There is no possible way I can express my gratitude for you saving my life on countless occasions. I truly believe I would not have ever made it out of there without them. I've been to many of your shows, but I've never attempted to seek you out knowing that I wouldn't ever be able to get a word out in front of you, I would just break into tears, and that would be uncomfortable for the both of us. Hell I'm crying just trying to type this.

I'm sure you already know what an impact your art has on many people, but I just had to give my personal thanks. Thank you - I love you.

http://imgur.com/a/GCWkY Two of my tattoo's. I know they're your words, but we live our lives by them.

slug_atmosphere333 karma

wow. thanks man. be well.

bubby1528 karma

how painful is the hangover today?

slug_atmosphere591 karma

none!

Vidaka428 karma

just comment something stupid on my post please.

slug_atmosphere1494 karma

you smell like a clean bath tub

reactions_385 karma

"The Last To Say" helped me leave an abusive relationship. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I will forever be grateful. What was your inspiration?

slug_atmosphere533 karma

life.

ClassyFap366 karma

How great is Minnesota?

slug_atmosphere779 karma

9.5

MensGymnasticsOutfit366 karma

Is Sage Francis gonna troll this thread?

slug_atmosphere406 karma

yes

deltron2020325 karma

I always wondered what you meant by "discretion is the name of my cement-feathered bird" Can you please tell me? EDIT: this is is actually open to anyone that knows the answer

slug_atmosphere656 karma

it means shhhh. keep a secret. and bare the weight.

berniewithmacsauce314 karma

when did hip hop start paying for bread and butter on the table?

slug_atmosphere666 karma

godlovesugly

DeformedKush310 karma

How do you feel about people pirating music?

slug_atmosphere1222 karma

pirates are an important part of the food chain.

UncleRussel276 karma

Today's my sons birthday. The first song he ever heard was your very own "Little Man".

Could you give him a shoutout? His name is Marcus. He's five and can recite every word - censoring out the bad ones, of course.

slug_atmosphere628 karma

what up Marcus!!!! happy birthday yo.

Terametric268 karma

[deleted]

slug_atmosphere596 karma

stand up comedy.

Croney30238 karma

Will we ever see an album with brother ali?

slug_atmosphere378 karma

hopefully

antandslug216 karma

I got your Rhymesayers jacket you threw off stage in Tempe about 5 or 6 years ago!!!

slug_atmosphere1050 karma

yeeeeaaahhhhh...i'm gonna need that back.

SmartWentCray216 karma

When do you anticipate making another Atmosphere album?

slug_atmosphere820 karma

working on one right now. literally. took a break in my day to do this ama.

quappucinno198 karma

Who do you like to listen too?

slug_atmosphere832 karma

aesoprock

MensGymnasticsOutfit183 karma

  1. What song have you written that you are most proud of?

  2. What is your favorite song to perform live?

slug_atmosphere533 karma

no favorites. i love/hate them all as if they were my kids. no disrespect to my kids yo.

SmartWentCray177 karma

Will you and Murs ever do a Felt tour? And are there any plans to make another Felt album?

slug_atmosphere295 karma

felt is a spontaneous thing. things happen or they don't. i don't have a real answer for that. but probably yes to both questions? maybe?

africanperspective177 karma

Huge fan here, slug. I just have one question.

Could you take us through your writing process?

slug_atmosphere751 karma

coffee. desk. beat on repeat. and then i bang my head against the keyboard a lot, like don music from the muppets.

darktemplardude165 karma

I don't know who you are, or who your band is. What is a good starting point?

slug_atmosphere308 karma

um. crap. maybe, "you can't imagine how much fun we're having"

attackADS145 karma

As someone from Colorado, is Minnesota really that great?

slug_atmosphere703 karma

yep. stay away

stanleyhudson132 karma

What was it like performing at Red Rocks in the winter? (I was in the crowd, and it was freezing but the show was 100% worth the cold I got)

slug_atmosphere612 karma

it was cold. exhilarating. validating. gave me a boner.

Meth_Damon123 karma

How did you celebrate your new year?

slug_atmosphere746 karma

o.g. teenage mutant ninja turtles season 3 marathon

igor6661112 karma

Hey Slug. I remember one time you took a picture with the girl I lost my virginity too before your concert at the Masquerade in Atlanta. She posted a picture of you her and some other dude on Facebook and that's how I found out she was dating someone else.

slug_atmosphere252 karma

awkward. sorry bro.

agarunov107 karma

no question, I love your music. thank you!

slug_atmosphere130 karma

thanks

trevor100 karma

When are you going to beat down the door of Pretty Lights and demand he feature you on a track?

slug_atmosphere113 karma

lol

ADefiniteDescription98 karma

Is there any up and coming artists you'd like to throw out there for the masses to listen to, hip hop or otherwise? I started listening to MaLLy and Roma Di Luna based on a Current In-Studio you did a couple years ago, so bring on the recommendations!

slug_atmosphere201 karma

check out these dudes: haphduzn. mike the martyr. prince

lwalsh4209493 karma

you rock. want to see django unchained?

slug_atmosphere185 karma

seen it. was great

Bazgul89 karma

Dang the one AMA I am actually interested in. Unfortunately I can't think of any good questions. How was your New Years?

slug_atmosphere126 karma

mellow, thanks.

busteross83 karma

Is "Became" about Michael ?

How are the people on Rhymesayers (Aesop, Ali, Ev, etc...) ? They all seem like good people.

slug_atmosphere148 karma

nope. it is not about mikey. all rhymesayers artists are great people. some of the best humans i know.

Egdelwon83 karma

Why did The Orphanage never release an album?

slug_atmosphere357 karma

we made the same song 12 times.

notenoughcharac82 karma

Hey Slug, after years of touring, do you ever feel nervous before a show?

slug_atmosphere248 karma

always. every time

KayGeeWhat75 karma

Best advice you've ever gotten?

slug_atmosphere370 karma

"stop fucking around"

VanitySick75 karma

Your music has enabled me to climb out of the deepest and darkest ditches in my life, so for starters I just want to give you a big thank you.

What does "I live life like the captain of a sinking ship" mean from the man who wrote it?

Also, What was the hardest song for you to write?

slug_atmosphere127 karma

it meant everything was always so serious. i never took the time to relax and breathe.

GrimDeceiver72 karma

Did you work at the Electric Fetus at one point in your life?

slug_atmosphere97 karma

for a few years in the mid 90's.

AdManLandon69 karma

Does it annoy you that some critics have dubb you as "emo-rap."?

slug_atmosphere461 karma

i invented that term. real talk. i invented it and we used it during a deep puddle dynamics interview, and the term never went away. i'm not mad at that. i invented a genre of music. i'mma try to invent a new one called prom-core.

quappucinno66 karma

Have you ever skydived?

slug_atmosphere475 karma

nope. i rap. real rappers don't sky-dive.

ShadowOnTheSun64 karma

What's your most prized possession?

slug_atmosphere312 karma

soul.

nefarit61 karma

your top 5 MCs? thanks for answer :)

slug_atmosphere196 karma

as of right this minute, in no order: scarface, rakim, krs one, big daddy kane, ice cube.

GoobleDooble58 karma

First of all, the music you put out is incredible, and I'd just like to thank you for that. Question: how did people initially act when you told people you wanted to join the hip-hop scene?

slug_atmosphere118 karma

i never told anyone. didn't have to. i grew up in the scene here. have been a small part of the southside scene since i was 11.

tylerADrock55 karma

Hey Slug, thanks for doing this AMA, can't wait to read through your responses later. I was just curious to how you felt about the rise of "queer-rap" and artists like Frank Ocean taking a much outward stance on gender roles, specifically in hip-hop. Do you think there's going to be a time in the next few years where an artist's sexual preference can be overlooked in their music, or do we still have much more time to go before that will happen?

slug_atmosphere203 karma

we live in a culture of dotted lines. i think people will always box each other in or out with those lines. sex, race, religion, etc. but with that said, i think it's dope that people are taking the outward stance for many reasons. mostly because it inspires others to be themselves as well.

rntnicky3354 karma

Who is your favorit mc to work with and what is your favorite song you have done? I liked your work with Murs and Modern Man's Hustle is awesome!

slug_atmosphere152 karma

i don't really have favorites. it's art. it all sucks just as much as it all rules ass.

arobertclark48 karma

Can you give some quick thoughts on the Deep Puddle Dynamics days? I think those were some of the most ground breaking songs in modern/independent hip hop. What do you think about when you reflect on those days? Are you still in touch with Dose and the rest?

slug_atmosphere66 karma

we did that over the course of 2 weeks. so it wasn't so much "deep puddle days." it was just a fun project that some strangers who shared mutual respect got together to do. they all stayed together to form anticon out west. but i stuck it out with my minneapolis people. we are all still friends though. all of those dudes are incredible artists.

poetichigh44 karma

Huge fan, thanks for doing the AMA!

I was wondering with such a solid discography how do you choose which songs will be played at live shows?

slug_atmosphere75 karma

usually depends on what mood we are in collectively

OopsCats44 karma

Thoughts on Macklemore & Ryan Lewis?

slug_atmosphere90 karma

dope.

Codiddy42 karma

How does it feel when 2k+ people sing/state your lyrics with you when you're on stage? Awesome, right

Edit: letter

slug_atmosphere92 karma

pretty awesome yes.

Codiddy37 karma

Slug - I have been a fan for damn near a decade now. I recently moved out to Colorado and you seem to have a HUGE fan base here. Why did you get so known in Colorado compared to other states?

P.S. You put on one hell of a show the last 2 times at Red Rocks. Thanks for the good times.

slug_atmosphere46 karma

luck. and thanks.

ILIKECATS0136 karma

Are you happy?

slug_atmosphere76 karma

mostly. sometimes. maybe?

snydrmonkey32435 karma

You're one of my heroes. Who is your hero?

slug_atmosphere107 karma

prince

Claxxamatic35 karma

dynospectrum is fucking awesome, man. why'd you guys only make one album?

slug_atmosphere33 karma

there was no real gameplan with that. that's just how it worked out. everyone had projects and lives that they were already invested in.

iwish4zombies30 karma

Do you ever get pissed that joy division-atmosphere still comes up as #1?

slug_atmosphere81 karma

lol. hellz no bro. that's my jam.

misshappimess29 karma

What's the number one thing I should do when I visit Minneapolis? (besides check out a rap show)

I've been an Atmosphere fan for 15 years, thanks for that! Much love from Vancouver, BC. Happy New Year!

slug_atmosphere125 karma

go to a twins game if you like baseball. or go to victor's cuban cafe if you like breakfast

drgalactica28 karma

Would you considering doing a show in Fargo, ND soon? I saw you in St. Cloud, but really want to see you again man! Happy new year!

slug_atmosphere42 karma

we played there in september. we'll be back eventually.

grons7127 karma

How has getting married and having kids changed the way you approach your music?

slug_atmosphere50 karma

it makes it a little more difficult to budget time. but that's about it.

nate_petro24 karma

Any chance we'll get to hear some unreleased tracks from mikey on an upcoming album of sorts?

Also, any plans for more sad clown eps?

slug_atmosphere38 karma

no more sad clowns. as for mikey, i'm not sure what the plans are with his unreleased material.

Waythor22 karma

people call you blue collar hip hop. hip hop for the working man. what do you say to this? do you care? try to? or do you just make the music you want to make?

also: life gives you lemons so paint that shit gold is just about my favorite album title ever

slug_atmosphere111 karma

i don't really care what they call us. just don't call us late to the blood orgy

trio_fi21 karma

I noticed that Seven's Travels seems to be broken up in sections. I know the tracklisting is important when constructing an album.

Do you have the final say in the track order?

And how important is that to you?

I notice the link in samples between Lovelife and Breathing on God Loves Ugly...

slug_atmosphere34 karma

ant and myself sequence the albums.

B_CreativeMpls19 karma

Do you personally play any instruments or do you just typically write and rap. I know you use to DJ ever bust out the DJ set and spin a few records?

slug_atmosphere73 karma

no instruments. just raps. but i can still do the wikki wikki when i need to.

tin_ocean19 karma

[deleted]

slug_atmosphere55 karma

i tell people not to lie to each other. it only gets in the way of progression.

bcouri19 karma

Hey sluggo, long time fan here, can you tell ant to release another part to his "Melodies and Memories?" Maybe like a '90-'95. Pretty please :p. Also, thank you for Insomnia 411. That song has gotten me through so many rough times.

slug_atmosphere19 karma

i will mention that to him

theguyonthatshirt17 karma

When did you write slug? Where can I find flicks?

slug_atmosphere23 karma

in the early 90's. very few flicks out there. not sure where you could find them. i wrote jest.

FATBOYxOP13 karma

When you're broke, do you use your girl's deodorant?

slug_atmosphere18 karma

always.

non-vtec11 karma

How has your relationship been with Mac Lethal since he left Rhymesayers?

slug_atmosphere61 karma

cordial. he's a good dude. we don't call each other after episodes of glee or anything. but when we see each other it's all respect.

SenorFantasticFox10 karma

Do you get recognized a lot in different cities? And not a question buy a comment I saw you back in August 2011 at the Greek Theater. You didn't play Fuck You Lucy but I named my car Lucy by the end of the night cause when we came out of the concert we had been towed. Lucy left me and I was stranded in Hollywood, but I still love her.

slug_atmosphere17 karma

not often. and thanks for the anecdote.

wesatloldotcat9 karma

Why do you travel with spoon to mix this cake batter?

slug_atmosphere19 karma

technology.