On Sept. 13, Atmosphere's show at the Orpheum will be anything but intimate, says rapper and band member Sean Daley, better known as Slug. The duo also includes Anthony Davis, or Ant. ""The Family Vacation Tour"" brings them back to the Midwest wherein their roots, fondest memories and closest friends lie.
Atmosphere recently released The Family Sign, an album dubbed by critics as a darker, more personal album than their previous work. Slug, however, does not want to be misinterpreted as ""the intimate rapper guy.""
""I just want everyone to know how important honesty, family, friendship and having a strong moral compass is to me,"" he said. ""Many of my songs are inspired by real-life events and experiences. They're a tribute to my surroundings.""
The Family Sign is the first full-length studio album Atmosphere has released in three years. Like past albums, its lyrical content is sincere and filled with certain allegories that attempt to touch on life's miseries and dramatic tendencies.
The message of keeping your best friends close is the impetus behind Slug's music.
""People say ‘all my friends' and use the term so fucking loosely,"" Slug said. ""They're using the same word to talk about someone close to them and someone that you talk to at a bar about nothing.""
Slug notes that his songs on the new album close in on the people he holds closest. Acquaintances are of little matter to him; he stays close with those who have been with him through both good and bad times.
Evidence, Blueprint, DJ Babu and Prof accompany ""the Family Vacation Tour.""
""We are very family oriented, these are my people,"" said Slug. ""We've all know each other for a long time... I can depend on these guys; we can only be defined as family.""
On stage, Atmosphere is not necessarily promoting their new record, but rather playing music that reveals who they are. Slug asserts that Atmosphere's music represents who he is in any given moment.
""I'm in a fortunate position as an artist because I get to be myself,"" he said. ""Hip-hop is a little weird. A lot of people have to act a lot tougher than they actually are. I'm fortunate to be accepted and embraced.""
A Minneapolis native, Slug has enormous amounts of pride for his hometown roots and loves the honesty and work ethic associated with Midwesterners .
At Tuesday's show, the audience can expect Slug and Ant to try to incorporate them into the performance. Slug mentioned that he loves looking out into the audience and seeing people getting physically and emotionally involved in his music, using their voices and bodies to relate to the message.
Slug also includes Atmosphere's fans in the family category he spotlights in his music.
""I consider my fans more than acquaintances,"" he said.
They are vital to the energy of his shows and allow him to be himself through his lyrics and live on stage.
Ultimately, Atmosphere's show at the Orpheum will be a tribute to the music the duo has created since its 1989 inception. With the kind of energy and pride Midwest audiences provide, the night is sure to be enjoyable for both the band and its guests.
Atmosphere's continuing work with the Ryhmesayer's entertainment label is proof of their devotion to the Midwestern hip-hop scene. Through annual performances at Soundset and other inter-artist events, Rhymesayers artists work to keep the local rap vein flowing.
""The land doesn't lie,"" Slug said of the distinctiveness of the Midwest hip-hop scene. ""We value an honest day's work. We are an honest group of people with instilled values and ethics.""
""The Family Vacation Tour"" is sure to bring a unique flavor of hip-hop to the Orpheum and countless examples of honesty and life lessons through Atmosphere's lyrics.
""A lot of times the music industry expects you to play new stuff and promote your record, but when we perform we're not promoting a record,"" Slug said. ""We're just playing our music.""
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