Jason Tate
04/09/08, 01:24 AM
Thank you to Will at WMG for setting up this interview and the Atmosphere camp for answering our questions. Check out the band's new album, When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold, when it hits stores on April 22nd. Thanks to the members and Heather for submitting questions for this interview.
There has been a significant change in your sound from Overcast! to Lucy Ford to God Loves Ugly. The new material has a bit of a jazzy, slam poet feel and seems a bit more dancy, breakbeat, and mainstream. What brought the shift on?
personally, I dont see the change you are referring to. the only change that I really notice in the writing, is that Ive become more focused with the actual stories/resolutions that I write. as for the beats, the only real noticeable change I find is in the quality of the drum sounds. which I think are for the better. but overall if there was a noticeable change in our sound, I would suggest that its because Ive conciously tried to get away from sounding poetic/ambiguous. I wanted to re-focus and get better at illustrating what I try to communicate.
Do you think you will ever go back to the more simple beats like Overcast! or Lucy Ford type stuff?
god, I hope not.
I know you've explained this before, but could you explain story behind Lucy for anyone who has only recently started listening to Atmosphere?
lucy was my cat.
Your lyrics and beats are such a deviation from mainstream hip-hop; they really stand out and hold their own. What inspires you (musically speaking)?
the people and surroundings in my life.
How do you feel growing up in Minnesota has influenced your music? Did the music community accept you, or did you feel the need to prove yourselves?
growing up here meant that we had to teach ourselves everything. there was no mentorship, or examples that we could watch firsthand. I believe every artist (any art) anywhere feels as if they have to prove themselves.
What makes this album different from your others? What motivated you to release the book along with the album?
the only traditional samples on this record are the drum sounds. everything else was played by friends of ours and then we sampled them and I made a conscious choice to write as much fiction as possible, since Im tired of writing rap diaries.
Any themes or major influences on the album that you'd like to explain right here?
optimism up, cynicism down.
What message would you like for your fans to get out of the album?
optimism up, cynicism down.
What do you have to say about your growing fan base?
a growing kid need to eat all of the vegetables on their plate.
Are you disappointed by the way some people reacted when you played the album for the public in New York and Los Angeles, rather than sending out promos? Do you think this attitude is harmful for the industry?
no, and no. I dont think there is anything profound about what we chose to do for this cycle. I think if it harms anyone, it will just be us. and Im willing to take that risk obviously.
Do you feel you and your label can make a difference and impact on the future music industry?
not sure. but honestly, I dont really care. Im not here to fix the industry. Im just an underground rapper, and Im ok with that.
How do you guys feel about being labeled as "activists"?
I have never heard anyone label us that. I guess I dont mind. we dont really have control over what people call us. we just do what we do, everyone else can make up their own mind about what they wanna call us, or how they feel about us.
How do you see the hip-hop/rap of today? How do you like the hip-hop/rap of today?
I love hiphop/rap every day. forever.
How much collaboration with other members of the Rhymesayers family was there on this record? Are there any other artists who you would like to collaborate with?
there are no other rappers on this album. collaborations are something I only do with friends nowadays, and if they happen, great. and if they do not happen, thats ok too.
How did you feel about performing with rap legends like Public Enemy and Wu-Tang at the Rock the Bells festival this summer in New York? Did you get to meet anyone cool?
it was a lot of fun. Ive met most of those people before. meeting people who are not famous is where its really at.
Will you come back to play Warped Tour?
maybe, yeah.
What keeps you motivated? How far do you want to take Rhymesayers?
Imma ride this rollar coaster until the wheels fall off.
Do you think you'll continue releasing the Sad Clown EPs at the same clip? How do you find the time to keep churning those out?
I have no idea, and I have no idea.
Any music recommendations? What are you currently listening to?
x-clan. to the east, blackwards.
Is there anything that you would like to add that these questions have not addressed?
obama 08.
There has been a significant change in your sound from Overcast! to Lucy Ford to God Loves Ugly. The new material has a bit of a jazzy, slam poet feel and seems a bit more dancy, breakbeat, and mainstream. What brought the shift on?
personally, I dont see the change you are referring to. the only change that I really notice in the writing, is that Ive become more focused with the actual stories/resolutions that I write. as for the beats, the only real noticeable change I find is in the quality of the drum sounds. which I think are for the better. but overall if there was a noticeable change in our sound, I would suggest that its because Ive conciously tried to get away from sounding poetic/ambiguous. I wanted to re-focus and get better at illustrating what I try to communicate.
Do you think you will ever go back to the more simple beats like Overcast! or Lucy Ford type stuff?
god, I hope not.
I know you've explained this before, but could you explain story behind Lucy for anyone who has only recently started listening to Atmosphere?
lucy was my cat.
Your lyrics and beats are such a deviation from mainstream hip-hop; they really stand out and hold their own. What inspires you (musically speaking)?
the people and surroundings in my life.
How do you feel growing up in Minnesota has influenced your music? Did the music community accept you, or did you feel the need to prove yourselves?
growing up here meant that we had to teach ourselves everything. there was no mentorship, or examples that we could watch firsthand. I believe every artist (any art) anywhere feels as if they have to prove themselves.
What makes this album different from your others? What motivated you to release the book along with the album?
the only traditional samples on this record are the drum sounds. everything else was played by friends of ours and then we sampled them and I made a conscious choice to write as much fiction as possible, since Im tired of writing rap diaries.
Any themes or major influences on the album that you'd like to explain right here?
optimism up, cynicism down.
What message would you like for your fans to get out of the album?
optimism up, cynicism down.
What do you have to say about your growing fan base?
a growing kid need to eat all of the vegetables on their plate.
Are you disappointed by the way some people reacted when you played the album for the public in New York and Los Angeles, rather than sending out promos? Do you think this attitude is harmful for the industry?
no, and no. I dont think there is anything profound about what we chose to do for this cycle. I think if it harms anyone, it will just be us. and Im willing to take that risk obviously.
Do you feel you and your label can make a difference and impact on the future music industry?
not sure. but honestly, I dont really care. Im not here to fix the industry. Im just an underground rapper, and Im ok with that.
How do you guys feel about being labeled as "activists"?
I have never heard anyone label us that. I guess I dont mind. we dont really have control over what people call us. we just do what we do, everyone else can make up their own mind about what they wanna call us, or how they feel about us.
How do you see the hip-hop/rap of today? How do you like the hip-hop/rap of today?
I love hiphop/rap every day. forever.
How much collaboration with other members of the Rhymesayers family was there on this record? Are there any other artists who you would like to collaborate with?
there are no other rappers on this album. collaborations are something I only do with friends nowadays, and if they happen, great. and if they do not happen, thats ok too.
How did you feel about performing with rap legends like Public Enemy and Wu-Tang at the Rock the Bells festival this summer in New York? Did you get to meet anyone cool?
it was a lot of fun. Ive met most of those people before. meeting people who are not famous is where its really at.
Will you come back to play Warped Tour?
maybe, yeah.
What keeps you motivated? How far do you want to take Rhymesayers?
Imma ride this rollar coaster until the wheels fall off.
Do you think you'll continue releasing the Sad Clown EPs at the same clip? How do you find the time to keep churning those out?
I have no idea, and I have no idea.
Any music recommendations? What are you currently listening to?
x-clan. to the east, blackwards.
Is there anything that you would like to add that these questions have not addressed?
obama 08.