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This album was released on September 23rd in 2003. I have pretty much nothing to say before I check this album. I’m just looking forward to hearing more dope shit. It’s too long tho. 20 tracks is way too long. Honestly, God Loves Ugly was probably too long. Actually, now that I think about it, pretty much all of Atmosphere’s albums have been too long so far. I think this is the longest one so far tho. It’s like an hour and ten minutes. That’s way too long. There are more music videos for this album tho. That might keep things interesting. I guess. Anyway, it’s not that I’m not expecting this to be good. It just feels like a chore to have to review these long ass albums sometimes. I’m expecting to enjoy it tho. As always, every song is produced by Ant. Alright, here we go.

Track 1: History

This beat is dope af. Man, Ant is a really underrated producer. I guess it might be because he doesn’t really do that much work outside of Atmosphere. Well, I don’t really know if that’s true. He might do a lot of work for other Rhymesayers artists. Oh shit. This track just ended. I guess this isn’t really a song. It’s just an instrumental intro. I mean, I could hear Slug talking in the background, but he didn’t rap at all. I’m not gonna rate this since it isn’t a full song, but I definitely enjoyed the beat from Ant. I’m not gonna delete this track.

Track 2: Trying To Find A Balance

This beat is great. The way Slug is building up to the verse on this intro is awesome. Woah… What the fuck? “They would respect the cock whether or not they believed in it.” Wha… WHAT? Wow. I’m sorry, I just REALLY wasn’t expecting him to say something like that. It just came outta nowhere. He just sounds so serious on the intro, so hearing him say that kinda caught me off guard. This beat is fuckin’ awesome. Slug’s goin’ the fuck in right now. The first verse is really aggressive. The hook is dope. This is pretty much the best way he could’ve possibly opened up the album. He’s just tellin’ all these wack MCs that they should go fuck themselves and quit rapping. “I got some last words: fuck all of ya’ll / Stop writing raps and go play volleyball.” The second verse was dope af. The music video was nothing special, but the song itself is fantastic. I definitely fuck with this. This is dope af. 5/5

Track 3: Bird Sings Why The Caged I Know

Oh my lord. This beat is amazing. Ant, man… This guy seriously doesn’t get the credit he deserves. This beat is dope af. Jesus… This song is really fucked up… If I didn’t know what a metaphor was, I would think Slug was fuckin’ insane. He’s talking about how he wants to murder a bird because it thinks it’s better than everyone else. He’s obviously talking about an ex-girlfriend or something tho. “See her up in the tree looking down at you and me / Like she’s chosen over those who walk around on two feet.” The way he talks about murdering the bird at the end of the verse is kind of disturbing. “I’ll shake her from her branch, tear apart her nest, break her skinny legs and fry her eggs up for breakfast.” The outro lasts a little too long for me, but I still fuck with this song. This is dope to me. 4/5

Track 4: Reflections

This beat is great. The hook isn’t bad. This subject matter isn’t really for me… “I’m thinking we should jump into your ocean / Let’s go girl, this ship is sinking.” I just listened to the whole song, and I can’t decide whether or not I like it… I like the beat, and the verses weren’t really bad at all. I don’t know. I guess this is just one of those tracks that isn’t really bad at all, but I still don’t think I’d come back to it very often. It’s a decent song. I just don’t really love it personally. It’s not for me. It’s not bad tho. It’s alright. 3/5

Track 5: Gotta Lotta Walls

This beat is cool. The first verse was dope. The hook isn’t bad. The second and third verses were dope. This is just another dope Atmosphere song. Nothing about it really stands out. I still enjoyed it; there just isn’t really much to say. It’s a typical Atmosphere song. I really have nothing to say. I liked it. I wasn’t in love with the hook, but everything else was pretty good. This is dope to me. 4/5

Track 6: The Keys To Life Vs. 15 Minutes Of Fame

This beat is fantastic. Hmm… I don’t know why, but I just don’t have anything to say. This is kinda like the previous track. I enjoyed the first verse, and the hook is cool, but nothing about this song is super unique. The production is great, but that’s pretty much the only thing that really stands out. The second verse was dope. The song just ended. I enjoyed it, but, again, nothing really stands out. I guess you could say he played it safe. I enjoyed it tho. This is dope to me. 4/5

Track 7: Apple

Wow. I just listened to the whole song. This is actually a really underwhelming track. The beat was fine, but… I wasn’t feelin’ Slug’s flow or delivery on this shit. It’s just one long verse, but… I don’t know. It felt like the whole song was an intro leading up to something that never came. This track did absolutely nothing for me. I wasn’t really feelin’ it. The verse was fine lyrically I guess. It was just… It just wasn’t very good. It’s a super underwhelming song. I’m not feelin’ this one. This is wack to me. 2/5

Track 8: Suicidegirls

This beat is noisy as hell. It’s dope tho. I’m definitely not feelin’ this long ass intro. Is this a song? It sounds more like an interlude so far… Oh shit, never mind. Slug’s goin’ in now. This vocal effect he’s using kinda sucks… It’s kinda hard to hear him. It’s like the beat is louder then the actual vocals. It just ended… What the fuck was that? Lmao… I don’t know how I feel about this one. I liked the beat, but that’s pretty much it. There was just a single verse from Slug, and it was cool I guess, but… This just isn’t a good song… I can’t fuck with this one. The beat was cool. That’s really the only good thing I can say. It’s not even that Slug wasn’t rapping well. It’s just the way this song is structured. The intro was just a bunch of women yelling at Slug, and it just went on and on… After the intro Slug comes in with a decent verse, but you can barely hear what he’s saying. I’m not feelin’ this one. This is wack to me. 2/5

Track 9: Jason

Okay, I’m starting to get worried… This album is startin’ to go downhill. Hopefully they can pick things up soon… This track is a 47 second long interlude in which some guy named Jason leaves a voicemail for Slug telling him to hurry the fuck up. I wasn’t really paying attention to be honest…

Track 10: Cats Van Bags Feat. Brother Ali

Okay, this song’ll probably be dope. I’m not as familiar with Brother Ali as I’d like to be, but I’ve heard a few songs from him. I know he can rap his ass off, and that’s all that really matters. You know what? Before I listen to this song I think I’m gonna get myself a delicious bowl of Cheerios. Honey Nut of course. Okay, I’m back. The song’s starting now. Yeessss. This beat is fucking incredible. It’s really fuckin’ dark and grimy. FUCK YESS. Slug & Ali are trading bars just like Slug & I Self Devine did on Flesh. This is fucking perfect. I couldn’t have asked for a better collaboration. This is fucking awesome. Brother Ali’s voice sounds so fucking dope over this beat. This is already my favorite song on the album so far. This is just fucking perfect. They killed this shit. I don’t even know what else to say. This is just a great fuckin’ song. This is easily one of my favorite Atmosphere songs. This song is amazing. I definitely fuck with this shit. This is dope af. 5/5

Track 11: Los Angeles

This beat is kinda weird. It’s really dope tho. Oh. The song just ended. It’s just a single verse. I enjoyed it. It’s definitely not the most memorable track, but I don’t think it’s bad at all. This is another song that feels more like an interlude. It’s a little underwhelming. I enjoyed it tho… Hmm… I don’t know if I should give this a 3 or a 4… I guess if I’m being honest I doubt I’ll come back to this again. The verse about LA was cool, but it’s just an underwhelming song. It’s kinda like Apple. It’s not that bad of a song. I just don’t really feel comfortable calling it good. It’s alright. 3/5

Track 12: Lifter Puller

This beat is dope. It sounds like Slug is describing a struggling relationship. The second verse was good. The hook isn’t bad. Those female background vocals that came in during the bridge sounded really good. I don’t have any problems with this one. I don’t think the subject matter is that interesting personally, but he did it pretty well. I enjoyed this one. This is dope to me. 4/5

Track 13: Shoes

This beat’s cool. Slug’s rapping in the present tense about how he’s trying to smash some chick that he just met even tho he’s drunk. “Here we are sitting on your living room floor / Listening to some records from your collection / Boredom; in between a coma and an erection.” I definitely fuck with this really simplistic hook. The third verse was funny. I really fuck with this track. It’s not a mind blowing song or anything, but I enjoyed it. It was kinda funny. This is dope to me. 4/5

Track 14: National Disgrace

Damn. Slug just dissed Rick James, Anna Nicole Smith, Bill Clinton & Mötley Crü. The beat is pretty dope. Slug’s rapping about being a stereotypical American. In other words, he’s rapping about being a fucking asshole. The hook is dope. The second and third verses were dope. This’d resonate with me more if I was a proud alcoholic douchebag. I still enjoyed it even if it isn’t really relatable tho. I think I’m starting to get tired of Atmosphere. Maybe that’s why I have barely anything to say about each track. This is just another cool song. It’s not the most memorable track, but I enjoyed it personally. This is dope to me. 4/5

Track 15: Denvemolorado

Slug’s rapping about being drunk in an airport. Hmm… This is another song with just one verse. A lot of these songs just sound kind of incomplete. A lot of the tracks have just one verse, and none of them are super amazing or anything. These songs feel more like half finished ideas with long intros or outros. I can’t really say that I would’ve liked this even if it was longer tho. The beat was cool, but it didn’t really stand out that much. I wasn’t feelin’ Slug’s melodic delivery and flow on the verse. The lyrics are kinda cool, but, again, I’m just really not feelin’ this melody that he keeps singing. I’m not really feelin’ this one. This song is wack to me. 2/5

Track 16: Liquor Lyles Cool July

I just listened to this whole song. It’s pretty short. Again, there’s only one verse. This verse was more entertaining than the previous one tho. Lyrically, this song is just Slug aggressively thirsting over some waitress. It’s not that interesting lyrically, but I liked his flow and delivery. The beat’s nothing special. I don’t think this is a bad song, but it’s really just not something I’d ever wanna return to. It’s a decent song. I’m pretty bored right now tho. This song didn’t do anything to change that. 3/5

Track 17: Good Times (Sick Pimpin’)

This beat isn’t bad. I’m a little over halfway through this song right now, and I’m bored as SHIT. Seriously, I think I’m just getting tired of Atmosphere at this point. I’ve heard almost 100 of their songs in the past 6 days. I don’t think this song is that bad, but I feel absolutely nothing when I listen to it. I’m tired of hearing about how desperate Slug is to be in a stable relationship with someone. The smooth, laid back vibe of this song is putting me to sleep. I’m not feelin’ this one personally. This is wack to me. 2/5

Track 18: In My Continental

This beat is cool. The hook is fine. Okay, the way Slug’s rapping on this first verse is actually pretty dope. He actually sounds like he has energy, which is keeping it interesting. I’m actually enjoying this one. The first verse was nice, and the second verse is pretty good so far too. “Nowadays cats think they on some next / And they sacrifice their voice just to go over heads / If I felt as if I had somethin’ special to tell / Why would I work against myself, and hide it under my belt?” The hook’s not that great, but it doesn’t ruin the song. This is definitely a lot better than the last few tracks I just heard. I fuck with this song. This is dope to me. 4/5

Track 19: Always Coming Back Home To You

Okay, I guess Seven is returning home from his travels in this song. This should be interesting. This beat is dope af. This song is already better than damn near every track on this album. The production sounds more polished, and Slug sounds great over it. I don’t even know why, but I’m much more interested in what he’s saying in this song than I was in almost every other track. FUUUCK. I just started the song over by accident. God. That’s so annoying. Okay, I’m back to where I was. So far this just sounds like a series of anecdotes that occurred as Slug was walking around his hometown. It’s actually interesting tho. “Took a right on Lyndale; I’m getting near / But then the road became empty, and the people disappeared / The clouds ran away, opened up the sky / And one by one I watched every constellation die.” The song just ended. It’s fucking great. I love the beat, and Slug’s story is really poetic & well-written. I definitely fuck with this song. This is dope af. 5/5

Track 20: Say Shh…

I guess this wouldn’t be an Atmosphere album if it didn’t have a hidden track. This beat is dope. Slug’s rapping about being proud of where you’re from, even if it isn’t a popular city like New York or Atlanta. I guess I can relate to that. Every time I tell the white kids at my school that I’m from Durham, they laugh and ask me how I haven’t gotten shot yet, which is actually pretty fucked up when you think about it. It’s not something that I’m super self conscious about. I don’t worry about not seeming cool because I’m not from a popular city. I never really got why people have so much pride in where they’re from. I don’t give a shit about patriotism. I just live here. It’s not like I couldn’t live in any other country. To me, patriotism is synonymous with xenophobia. Sorry. I kinda got off topic there. Anyway, I fuck with this song. It’s not the most interesting thing to rap about, but I think he did it well, and the beat was pretty good. This is dope to me. I fuck with this. 4/5

Final Thoughts:

Holy FUCK that was one LONG ass album. This is easily my least favorite Atmosphere album. It’s still a good project tho. It’s just a little disappointing compared to their previous work. Due to the album’s long length, I got REALLY goddamn bored during the second half. They thankfully picked things back up with the last few tracks tho. The production was kinda hit or miss with me. When this album first started I was kinda… Well… If I’m bein’ real, I was kinda dickridin’ Ant a little bit. The production was pretty solid at the beginning tho. However, as the album progressed, it just got more and more underwhelming, especially on the second half. I kinda had a problem with the way a lot of these songs were structured too. As I mentioned earlier, a lot of the songs feel like incomplete, half finished ideas because they only contained one verse. I think the concept of this album was a cool idea, but I just wasn’t in love with the execution. A lot of the stories on this album are just about Slug getting drunk in miscellaneous locations. I spelled “miscellaneous” correctly on the first try by the way. There’s not really anything wrong with that, but it felt like half of the songs were the same. Slug would just get really drunk, and then talk about how he wishes he could smash some random chick in front of him. It just became predictable. That’s probably why I didn’t really have anything interesting to say about the majority of these songs. It just felt like I’d already heard Atmosphere make better versions of these songs at some point. The formula’s starting to get stale. I enjoyed it tho. There’s still enough material on here that I found entertaining. It’s a heavily flawed album, but I still think it’s dope for the most part. It’s a good album. It’s just that I’ve heard much better stuff from Atmosphere.

Favorite Song: Always Coming Back Home To You

Least Favorite Song: Suicidegirls

Verdict:

71%

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