Atmosphere & Brother Ali
25th February 2017
Powerstation, Auckland, New Zealand
Words by Sarah Kidd. Photography by Mike Thornton.
Atmosphere is a hip-hop duo hailing from Minnesota in the USA. Formed in 1998 the current duo consists of ‘Slug’ (Sean Daly) and DJ Ant (Anthony Davis). After getting together as a bunch of high school friends Atmosphere eventually joined with other rappers such as Black Hole and Musab to create a collective known as ‘Headshots’ [the group later evolved into the record label Rhymesayers].
It was with their 1997 EP Outcast! and the very popular track ‘Scapegoat’ that managed to garner airplay on the college radio stations that really set Atmosphere on the path to success. 10 albums later, including their latest ‘Fishing Blues’ released in 2016 and Atmosphere are still going strong. Apart from a few tracks here and there, DJ Ant has produced every single album, a fact that many contribute to the success of the duo.
Slug has been noted for his allegorical usage of women in much of his early work; the character of Lucy becoming so common that Atmospheres 2001 album was even named ‘Lucy Ford: The Atmosphere EP’s. It has also been said that the “lover” he often speaks of in his songs is actually an allegory for hip-hop itself.
Brother Ali (Ali Douglas Newman) is a hip hop artist and community activist from Wisconsin. Converting to Islam when he was 15yrs old, Brother Ali was inspired by many of the late 1980’s rappers, most importantly Public Enemy. Brother Ali’s songs are often inspired by the events in his life, including his role as a father and as a husband (he has been married twice). Admirably Brother Ali also isn’t afraid to tackle topics such as racial inequality, slavery and the political system of the United States. This penchant for rapping about the hard issues has endeared him to many of his fans.
His 2007 album The Undisputed Truth heavily criticised the US political system and caused some controversy due to his conversion to Islam and the paranoia around terrorism in America. While Brother Ali has not released any recent works (last studio album was the 2012 Mourning in America & Dreaming in Colour) he continues to be a respected force in the Hip-Hop scene. Together, Atmosphere and Brother Ali make a formidable onstage team!
Atmosphere
Brother Ali
PHD
Were you there at Powerstation to witness this awesome show? Or have you seen Atmosphere or Brother Ali live somewhere else? Tell us about it in the comments below!