“When Life…”
AUDIO By TSSCrew on May 16, 2008 at 11:09 amWords By Patrick M.
Atmosphere’s never been my cup of lemonade (no pun), but I still gotta give them props. Their latest LP When Life Gives You Lemons You Paint That Shit Gold is moving critic’s pens and more importantly, people’s pockets. Listening to the album did not cause me to rethink my previous stance on the group, but the masses’ interest show they’re doing something right. And even my ears can admit there are some very solid tracks worth noting.
“Puppets” has an old school feel, returning sonically to the pre-Kanye days when all a beat needed was a dominant piano loop and simple rhythm section. Lyrically, Slug, Atmosphere’s sole MC, stays old school thematically, but with a twist. Rather than glorify the past, he questions the intentions of those who do so at the expense of the present. The song plays to Slug’s strengths as an MC. He creates vivid characters, (in this song’s case, an old-school head bemoaning) and his rhymes show intelligence and irony. Is it the music that the ol’ G misses or the stardom and the excesses that come with it?
“Guarantees” asks questions as well. But like many of the songs on the album, focuses on the plights of the downtrodden and forgotten. This song is more blues than Hip-Hop, with a wampy guitar taking the place of “Puppets’” piano. This is Slug’s finest performance on the album, a rap version of Bill Clinton’s “I can feel your pain.” The regrets he exposes through the song’s character are his own, and real. To anyone who had dreams deferred, the lyrics hit too close to home:
“These warehouse wages kill the ends introduction man/I shoulda schooled it up when I was younger shoulda stuck to plan/Always had the dreams of being more self-assertive/and my kid’s a teenager now he needs the health insurance so, Break my body, Break break my soul down/Just another zombie walking blindly through your ghost town.”
The message is clear. Just cause it looks shiny on the outside doesn’t mean it isn’t bitter on the inside. Kudos to Atmosphere for calling that out.
Atmosphere – “Guarantees” and “Puppets”
Previously Posted — “What Would You Do If”
Vast Aire – The Crush (Prod. by Melodius Monk)
Daddy Yankee – Posse
Immortal Technique – Third World (Prod. Green Lantern)
Papoose – My Girl
Blood Raw Feat. Young Jeezy & Rick Ross – Chevy Boyz
Robin Thicke – Magic
Jedi Mind Tricks – Gun Ballad
Lloyd Banks – Top 5
Jadakiss Feat. Big Lou & Crooked I-From Now Till Then (Remix)
Posted in AUDIO, GENERAL, LOOSIES, MUSIC — Tags: Atmosphere, When Life Gives You Lemons Paint That Shit Gold
Tweet This
Digg This
Save to delicious
Stumble it
27 Comments
if I must….
Been trying to take this LP for a test drive before copping, but no dice….
EASILY the hardest album on the innernutz to d/l
Madonna & Mrs. Cannon got nothing on this dude
I had it & trashed if in less than 45 minutes. Who the eff is buying this joint?
It definitely isn’t my favorite release from the group and doesn’t hold up well when comparing it to their last LP (You Can’t Imagine… – check that if you haven’t. That’s a great album) but I still like it and thought what they did with the Youtube videos before the release was a cool idea to generate a buzz and it must have worked.
Not to be racist, but I don’t see Cats who look like Me goin’ out & supporting this.
Don’t even make it sound like that, Amp. You listen to any and everything as a fan of good music, but I hear what’cha saying on that “other damn level of the game” – Geto Boys
Been looking just off the strength of a few reviews and the difficulty I’ve had finding an active link.
^ True. My point is that I just don’t really relate to that album even though I kinda see the appeal. Just not My cup of cocoa. I’m intrested to hear other TSS regulars opinions on it though.
Sidebar- New joint from the kid, Corey Gunz & this new Cat outta Harlem, Charles Hamilton. Dude just signed to Interscope but I’ve heard nothing about Him till this.
Charles Hamilton & Corey Gunz-Neh Neh Neh (Produced By DJ Green Lantern)
http://www.zshare.net/download/120390496f2349cc/
Thoughts?
LOL @ Amp
Dissin’ white dudes but previously defending homosexuality?
*steps back out of comments & removes Devil’s Advocate cloak*
Not my thing either. I give everything a chance, after listening to these dudes….this skater/suburban rap ain’t for me. I needs my Hip-Hop with a little soul. Personally, Hip-Hop has to have some connection with the streets for my to feel it. Atmosphere has none.
Keith Sweat – Just Me [2008]
01. Somebody (Feat. Chris “F.L.O.” Conner) 04:02
02. The Floor 03:27
03. Girl Of My Dream 04:16
04. Sexiest Girl 04:00
05. Butterscotch (Feat. Athena Cage) 04:19
06. Me And My Girl 04:09
07. Suga Suga Suga (Feat. Paisley Bettis) 04:01
08. Never Had A Lover 03:42
09. Love You Better (Feat. Keyshia Cole) 04:36
10. Just Wanna Sex You 03:22
11. What’s A Man To Do 03:38
12. Teach Me 03:43
htp://rapidshare.com/files/112115500/KS.JM.08.cleanupman.zip
J-Dilla-Pay_Jay_Unreleased_MCA_Album-2008
01 02:53 Diamonds (Prod. Nottz)
02 04:06 We F’ed Up (Feat. Frank-N-Dank) (Prod. Kanye West)
03 02:35 Fuck The Police (Prod. J Dilla)
04 03:33 Remember (Feat. Bilal) (Prod. Pete Rock)
05 03:10 Fight Club (Feat. Nottz & Boogieman)
(Prod. Waajeed)
06 02:55 Creepin’ On You (Producer Unknown)
07 03:58 Trucks (Producer Unknown)
08 02:20 No One Knows (Prod. Supa Dave West)
09 02:28 Drive Me Wild (Prod. ?uestlove & Kareem Riggins)
10 01:18 Unknown Track (Prod. Bink Dawg)
11 03:29 Remember Remix (Feat. Bilal) (Producer Unknown)
http://link-protector.com/499830/
Release Notes:
unreleased album dilla did for mca but never got released
I don’t know if this has been posted before, but this iis just gangster…
Straight Outta Compton (NWA Cover)-Nina Gordon
hxxp://www.zshare.net/audio/12121660d99fc08e/
LOL @ Sir Gotty
I tried to preface it by saying I wasn’t trying to be racist even though some might take it that way. As I type, I’m banging that new NIN “The Slip” & I don’t see alot of Cats who look like Me bumping that joint either.
And for the record, I wasn’t defending homosexuality. I was more so opposing homophobia. Cats have a right to do what they wanna do & live the lifestyle they wanna live. I don’t have to agree with it, but I’m not gonna condemn someone for it either.
co-sizzle Amp…
a 93-pound (I’m purely speculating) chick sitting on a wooden stool with a guitar is about as gully as it gets…
lmao
I’ve said it once and i’ll say it again…When Life Gives You Lemons… = Best of ‘08 so far.
Props on the mini-review PM.
What’s wrong with defending homosexuality?
And he’s not suburban hes from minneapolis
^ Uh….because I’m not a homosexual?
“What’s wrong with defending homosexuality?”
There should be more gays. More gays=more women for me.
And he’s not suburban hes from minneapolis
Only Black people in Minnesota are Prince and Kirby Puckett – Chris Rock
Kirby Puckett RIP
^ LMAO!
the albums dope, i had the funny face on when i played it at first, but it grew on me quickfast, most of the comments about it being subpar to the last release make me think more of AZ than atmosphere
Correct me if I am wrong.
(And perhaps he was just messing with me)
But Slug told me he is half black.
Atmosphere has been solid ever since “God Loves Ugly”. It is a different style but it’s still Hip-Hop. You just gotta take for what it is and once you do you’ll here the difference. And I don’t but the White thing, if your good your good and Slug can definitely hold his own on the mic. Same goes for Ant on production. Oh and “Lemons” is gonna be considered one the best albums of 08.
http://link-protector.com/499569/
http://www.mediafire.com/?ciz6oz6vhhv
Code:
+—————-+——————————————+—————-+
| |
| Artist : Jaheim |
| Title : Smooth Jazz Tribute |
| |
+—————-+————–[Release Info]————–+—————-+
| |
| Source : CD (LP) |
| Label : Copycat Records |
| Genre : Jazz |
| Rip date : 2008-03-31 |
| Store date : 2008-03-04 |
| Encoder : Lame 3.97 -V2–vbr-New |
| Size : 43.39 megs |
| |
+—————-+—————[Track List]—————+—————-+
| |
| 1. Never 3:39 |
| 2. My Place 4:14 |
| 3. Struggle No More (The Main Event) 2:38 |
| 4. Every Time I Think About Her 3:45 |
| 5. Somethin’ New 1:55 |
| 6. I Ain’t Never 4:05 |
| 7. The Chosen One 3:19 |
| 8. Put That Woman First 4:01 |
| 9. Fabulous 3:37 |
| 10. I’ve Changed 3:35 |
| ———————————————————————– |
| 34:48 |
| |
+—————-+————–[Release Notes]————-+—————-+
| |
| http://entertainment.circuitcity.com/Music/Album.aspx?prodid=CCEC9600.2& |
| si=ccity-prod&store=Music |
|
J-Live – “Then What Happened?”
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=FB7XUGRB
http://rapidshare.de/files/39412907/J-Live_-_Then_What_Happened.rar.html
http://rapidshare.com/files/115240316/Soundpieces__Da_Antidote_.zip.html
lootpack – the antidote
Teedra Moses – Complex Simplicity (Import)
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=LATJZXUQ
1. Still Got Love
2. Doin You
3. Be Your Girl
4. You’ll Never Find [A Better Woman] (Feat. Jadakiss)
5. Caution
6. Backstroke
7. No More Tears
8. Rescue Me
9. Take Me (Feat. Raphael Saddiq)
10. Chic (Raphael Saadiq Feat. Teedra Moses)
11. I Want You Back (Raphael Saadiq Feat. Teedra Moses)
12. You Better Tell Her
13. Outta My Head
14. Complex Simplicity
15. For A Lifetime
16. Caught Up
17. Last Day
18. I Think Of You [Shirley's Song]
19. Still Your Girl (Feat. Raphael Saadiq, Truth Hurts & Scipio)
I dunno about this particular Frayser Boy joint, but Me Being Me = solid motherfuckin album. I think there’s a post on it somewhere round these parts.
68
AmpGeez a.k.a Guilty Simpson
May 16, 2008 @ 8:35 am
Frayser Boy-Me Being Me
http://rapidshare.com/files/113419921/frayser_boy-me_being_me-_retail_-2005.rar
Atmosphere’s album is the best album of 2008 so far. I honestly don’t feel there’s any comparison. I’m a huuuuuge Buckshot fan, NYC hip hop are my joints, love the Roots joint, etc. etc.
No features, ANT flips his production style, and Slug has improved as an emcee every album since I started checkin for him 5 years ago. I’m not a diehard Atmosphere fan, but slowly with every LP they’ve turned me over…
If you say you can’t feel this CD, then you’re really not listening. Give it a shot… There’s a story for everyone on this joint.
“Glasshouse,” “Music Box,” and “Me” are some of the dope joints on here… but they’re all dope in their own way. Come back in a week after you’ve dissected it… Slug > 90% of emcees pushed on this site…
Co-sign my ninja AmpGeez, I ain’t feeling this either. Best of ‘08??? No chance!!! I’m not racist either but I find it funny that the majority of blogs and sites (which are run by white/asian hiphop heads) are praising this album, touting it as a “classic”. On the opposite side of the coin however, they criticize the shit out of most of the Black artists’ work. Hmmm…..interesting isn’t it???
to be fair, it is harder to criticise white hip hop artists because there’s fuck all about, and nearly all of the ones that do exist are pretty good. i guess as a white guy, if you’re shit, you wouldn’t even bother.