In history, but hip hop especially, it is almost impossible to say that someone was the first to do something. With all the different hearths and birthing grounds for different styles and sub-genres, it is nearly impossible to attribute the development of any style to a single individual or group. Despite that, I think most would agree that Slug is one of the first people to openly sound like a bitch on a record. I say that with all of the respect in the world, but Slug was a pioneer in rhyming about having a broken heart and other emotional problems. That did not take away from his ability to rap his ass of, though. He can absolutely spit with the best of them, it's just that he rarely does. It might sound redundant how often Slug speaks about common topics, such as his love life, but this gave hip hop a new audience of emotional people, who still wanted to keep up the image of a decently tough person that listens to rap. Atmosphere is also innovative in the way that they used guitars and other forms of live instrumentation to make them sound more like an alternative band than strictly a hip hop group. Slug is solely a rapper, but singing would not sound at all out of place on Ant's production. He is able to infuse sounds from all genres to make some straight up good music. This unique style has given Atmosphere a cult like following and has made them one of the most acclaimed groups of all time, pushing them past the label of "Backpacker White People Rap Band."
Throughout his life, Sean Michael Daley, known to his fans as Slug, has always been a bit emotionally unstable. Whether it be anger, dealing with alcoholism, or a broken heart, he has always been one to throw his feelings on the table. That is until now. That's right, Slug has two children, and a domestic existence of sorts, and he's trying to figure out how to make an Atmosphere record about that. As a rapper who really only spits about real life feelings and situations, it's hard to imagine some fire bars about how he packed his kid's school lunch this morning. He's proven to be a durable emcee, so I trust that Slug will make the most of his situation, but one can't blame him if his rhyme style grows a little stale given his current situation; contentment is damnably hard to write about. That's no excuse to suck, just to not be on the same level as he was when he was love sick on God Loves Ugly and wrote "Fuck You Lucy", or when he was struggling with addiction on "Pour Me Another."
This album was set for release months in advance and actually never got pushed back, so my personal anticipation was building to a high degree. The only single I heard before the album was "Kanye West", and while the song has grown on me, I hated that shit at first. It sounded like a filler track from The Family Sign, and really saw no purpose for the song existing. Once I calmed down and gave it a few more listens, I found some interesting material, as Slug revisits some well-trod codependency-addiction territory. While this song wasn't great by any means, I was still excited for the album seeing as how The Family Sign fell flat for me. This is a perfect chance for Atmosphere to make themselves relevant again and establish a fan base amongst the youth today, because if we're being realistic, Atmosphere hasn't gained many fans from their last few projects. Artists like them have a pretty nasty habit of catering to their already established fans. That being said, maybe this album is the beginning of a new era. After all, it seems to be a mainstay on the iTunes home page.
The first thing I want to say is very important: I like this album, but you probably won't. Most people will think it's decent, but unless you love Atmosphere, I doubt this project will wow you. The first two tracks may very well be the two best on the album. There are some personal, introspective bars as is to be expected, but especially on "Camera Thief", there is a bit more straight rapping than I was expecting, which is awesome. After that, though, it sinks straight into classic Ant and Slug. Well, let me take that back. It is classic Slug, but Ant seems to have really updated his style. There's an influence of electronic music on here, some more gloomy production and he may very well steal the show on this one with how solid his production is. The thing about Slug, though, is that he keeps on talking about the same things, and while I like it, its obviously redundant. Southsiders excels when Slug gets more risky with his writing, such as on "Flicker" where he barely mentions the late Eyedea, but you automatically know who he's talking about. The track that immediately follows, "January on Lake Street", also includes harder bars than the bulk of the album combined. Still, the most interesting aspect of Southsiders is seeing the maturation and contentment of Slug. The image of him enjoying life is living proof to everyone listening to his tortured music from a decade ago that things do in fact get better.
As for the negatives I have with this album, "The World Might Not Live Through the Night" may have the worst hook Slug has ever thought up. "Sing a song we will recite/ Worked so long to build your life/ But it could feel so wrong to feel alright" is a nice sentiment, but not a terribly incisive thought, and it's hard not to flinch a bit. That hook is an exaggerated example of my biggest problem with the album: the uplifting tracks come off very cheesy. I'm sure Slug is genuine, but after a while it comes off as forced. That and as a cynical listener, I've always enjoyed songs with more solemn messages. Also, there is the issue that Slug rarely opts to just spit on a track. The introspective storytelling is what made him famous, but I'm sure I speak for most when I say that we want to see what this dude can really do on the mic. I'm never going to feel comfortable putting him with the other greats because of how little time he spent lyrically flexing. That's more of a gripe for other people, though, as I always love to hear what Slug has to say. Something about a dude pouring his heart out and leaving himself completely vulnerable on a track has always been impressive.
Southsiders does little to expand the "quietly durable" style that the group has been utilizing over the past few years. It's obvious that they have found a formula that they are going to stick to, and you either love it or you don't. I suggest that if you haven't liked the last few albums to just give up, because I can't see them abandoning this style anytime soon. If you're anything like me, this album is satisfying. It had some catchy hooks, introspective verses, and great beats. That is essentially what I want from an Atmosphere project at this point, and having gotten my wish, I really can't complain. I simply urge you to refrain from expecting another God Loves Ugly in the future, because that simply isn't going to happen. Slug isn't at that juncture of his life anymore, and I for one am happy for him. Just know what you're in for with Southsiders and you'll receive an album that feels both pleasant and noncommittal, but oddly rewarding.
Rating: 3.5/5