VIDEO: Muja Messiah - Get Fresh

Muja Messiah is seeing some deserved success as Thee Adventures
of a B-Boy D-Boy will be re-issued through Koch November 11th. This video has cameos by Slug (Atmosphere), Manifest, Samahra (Black Blondie) and others. Check out City Pages Poll article on Muja. I'm not a hustler who raps, I'm a rapper who hustled to pay for studio time.

NEWS: Atmosphere Tour Dates

Following up their sold out When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint Your City Gold Tour, Atmosphere just announced their upcoming Paint The Nation Tour, 50 dates starting on September 10, featuring DJ Rare Groove and Rhymesayers label mates Abstract Rude and Blueprint. Fan presale starts August 6th over at ducatking.com. Info first on SDSU.

PAINT THE NATION TOUR Dates
09.10- Fargo, ND @ The Venue
09.11- Sioux Falls, SD @ Sioux Empire Expo Center
09.12- Omaha,NE @ Slowdown
09.13- Red Rocks, CO @ Monolifth Festival *
09.15- Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory
09.16- Missoula, MT @ Wilma Theater
09.18- Eugene, OR @ McDonald Theatre
09.19- Sacramento, CA @ Empire
09.20- San Diego, CA @ Street Scene*
09.21- Bakersfield, CA @ The Dome
09.22- Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst
09.25- Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern
09.26- Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
09.27- Phoenix, AZ @ Edge Fest*
09.28- Tucson, AZ KFMA Fall Ball*
09.30- Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
10.01- New Orleans, LA @ Tipitina's
10.02- Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution
10.03- Orlando, FL @ Firestone
10.06- Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
10.07- Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel
10.08- Richmond, VA @ Toad's Place
10.10- Baltimore, MD @ Ram Head's Live
10.11- New Haven, CT @ Toad's Place
* Atmosphere Only

LISTEN: Atmosphere - Dreamer

STREAM Atmosphere - Dreamer (MP3)

Atmosphere's new record is called When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold, which may be the best album title of the year so far. Which is actually quite fitting since after spinning it a mere 3 times (in a row) I am going to go out on a limb and say it might also be the best record of the year so far. The artistry shines through. The care the artists took in crafting this album easily outshines the financially-oriented, cookie-cutter, formulaic approach most rappers seem to take. The packaging of the deluxe release (includes DVD & book) is exceptional as well, which seems to indicate they take this serious on every level. This is not a collection of songs. This is an album. I have put 'Dreamer' up in the SDSU Music Player in the sidebar. It's one of my favorite tracks and reminds me of 2Pac's 'Brenda's Got A Baby' and other tracks from the past where conscious, inspiring rhymes were still cool to most fans. The beats are quality and relying on nice piano loops and other acoustic instruments matched up with classic drum sounds. Pick this record up kids. Out now.

NEWS: Confirmed Artists For Soundset '08

In 1997, Rhymesayers gathered over two dozen local artists and more than a dozen local DJs and B-Boy’s to perform at a South Minneapolis warehouse until dawn to a capacity-filled crowd. Two years later, Rhymesayers expanded the concept at First Avenue, with Soundset Wednesdays, drawing a crowd of over 1700 people for the opening night and maintaining sellout capacity for its entire run. This was the birth of Soundset and a catalyst for the success of Rhymesayers, now one of indie Hip Hop’s most successful and respected labels worldwide.

Confirmed artists for Soundset 08 include: Atmosphere, Dilated Peoples, Aesop Rock w/ Rob Sonic and DJ Big Wiz, Little Brother, DJ Babu, Rhettmatic, J-Rocc of the World Famous Beat Junkies, Brother Ali, Eyedea & Abilities, P.O.S, Blueprint, Mac Lethal, Abstract Rude, I Self Devine, Musab, Psalm One, Grayskul, Los Nativos with more to be announced soon. More info on the festival here and check out a playlist of the confirmed artists there too.

VIDEO: Atmosphere's Paint it Gold - Episode 6

VIDEO: Atmosphere - Paint It Gold Ep. 5

Here's the fifth episode in Atmosphere's Paint It Gold video series.

VIDEO: Atmosphere - Shoulda Known

Atmosphere drops their first video single 'Shoulda Known' today.

VIDEO: Atmosphere - Paint It Gold Ep. 4

Atmosphere brings us episode 4 of Paint It Gold.

LISTEN: Atmosphere - Shoulda Known

DOWNLOAD Atmosphere - Shoulda Known (MP3)

The lead single off of Atmosphere's album When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold out on Rhymesayers April 22nd. Powerful little diddy to pick for your first single. Lil' Wayne should give it a listen, leanless. More here.

Insane Clown Posse? Nah, never heard of'em.

NEWS: Atmosphere Tour Dates

Rhymesayers mainstays Atmosphere are hitting the road again, this time in support for their upcoming new album When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Sh*t Gold. Dates Below. But first look at this picture of Slug of Atmosphere looking like a Simpson's character next to Chuck D.


Atmosphere - 2008 Tour Dates
04.19 St. Paul, Minnesota, Fitzgerald Theatre w/ Brother Ali & Chuck D @
04.22 Chicago, IL The Metro
04.23 Chicago, IL The Metro
04.24 Toronto, ON Opera House
04.26 Boston, MA The Roxy
04.27 New York, NY Webster Hall
04.29 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
05.02 Austin, TX Emo's
05.03 Austin, TX Emo's
05.05 Phoenix, AZ Marquee Theater
05.06 Los Angeles, CA Henry Fonda Theatre
05.07 Los Angeles, CA Henry Fonda Theatre
05.08 San Francisco, CA Grand Ballroom at The Regency
05.09 San Francisco, CA Grand Ballroom at The Regency
05.12 Portland, OR Crystal Ballroom
05.13 Seattle, WA Showbox
05.14 Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom
05.16 Salt Lake City, UT In The Venue
05.17 Denver, CO Ogden Theatre
05.18 Denver, CO Ogden Theatre
Dates via BV.

LISTEN: Grayskul - The Office (Featuring Slug & Aesop Rock)

DOWNLOAD Grayskul - The Office (Featuring Slug & Aesop Rock) (MP3)

Aesop Rock and Slug (of Atmosphere) assist Seattle's newbies Grayskul on this great new track. Nothing funny about this Office.

LISTEN: Atmosphere - Strictly Leakage (Full Mixtape)

DOWNLOAD Atmosphere - Strictly Leakage (Full Mixtape) (MP3)

Props to Ant and Slug of Atmosphere for Strictly Leakage: a free mixtape of "thirteen songs to chase away the winter doldrums." They can be seen playing chess in front of a fireplace below.

Mini Roundup

A few interesting Hip Hop News items elsewhere. (If anyone knows how I can get rid of these flower bullet points and just have regular ones, hit me up.)

Japan's DJ Krush is releasing a DVD.

Lyric's Born is interviewed on CanIBringMyGat.

Weiss shares his thoughts on Wild Style's 25th Anniversary.

Soulico is playing Studio B this Saturday as part of the After The Jump Fest.

Attorney St explains the historal relevance of Kid N Play.

Nahright shares Snoop Dogg ft. The Game - I’m Here.

Kanye West previews two tracks off of Graduation. Great stuff.

Surprise, surprise. Jay-Z tops Forbes list for richest rappers.

Atmosphere release a tour only EP, Sad Clown Bad Summer - Number 9, with the best cover for a rap record in years.

New Atmosphere EP

DOWNLOAD Atmosphere - Sunshine (MP3)


Atmosphere at work in Dallas (cred).
Unfortunately I didn't get to see Slug and Ant at Rock The Bells this weekend. They always put on a great show and have released the 9th installment of The "Sad Clown" series: Sad Clown Bad Summer Accompanied by Piano. The EP has a bunch of rare and limited tour only recordings, one of which can be downloaded above. Very pleasant little EP. It will only be sold at Paid Dues and Rock the Bells and online through Minneapolis' Fifth Element while they last. CMJ writes about the EP too.