i am slug from a band called atmosphere. ama

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!"

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

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.

lol. right on. love you bro

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.

wow. thanks man. be well.

how painful is the hangover today?

none!

just comment something stupid on my post please.

you smell like a clean bath tub

"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?

life.

How great is Minnesota?

9.5

Is Sage Francis gonna troll this thread?

yes

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

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

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

godlovesugly

How do you feel about people pirating music?

pirates are an important part of the food chain.

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.

what up Marcus!!!! happy birthday yo.

[deleted]

stand up comedy.

Will we ever see an album with brother ali?

hopefully

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

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

When do you anticipate making another Atmosphere album?

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

Who do you like to listen too?

aesoprock

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

2. What is your favorite song to perform live?

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

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

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?

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

Could you take us through your writing process?

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

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

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

As someone from Colorado, is Minnesota really that great?

yep. stay away

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)

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

How did you celebrate your new year?

o.g. teenage mutant ninja turtles season 3 marathon

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.

awkward. sorry bro.

no question, I love your music. thank you!

thanks

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

lol

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!

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

you rock. want to see django unchained?

seen it. was great

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

mellow, thanks.

Is "Became" about Michael ?

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

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

Why did The Orphanage never release an album?

we made the same song 12 times.

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

always. every time

Best advice you've ever gotten?

"stop fucking around"

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?

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

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

for a few years in the mid 90's.

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

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.

Have you ever skydived?

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

What's your most prized possession?

soul.

your top 5 MCs? thanks for answer :)

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

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?

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.

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?

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.

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!

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

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?

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.

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?

usually depends on what mood we are in collectively

Thoughts on Macklemore & Ryan Lewis?

dope.

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

Edit: letter

pretty awesome yes.

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.

luck. and thanks.

Are you happy?

mostly. sometimes. maybe?

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

prince

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

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.

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

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

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!

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

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!

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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...

ant and myself sequence the albums.

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?

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

[deleted]

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

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.

i will mention that to him

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

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

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

always.

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

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.

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.

not often. and thanks for the anecdote.

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

technology.