As a teenager, Slug (Sean Daley) became entranced with hip-hop, graffiti, and breakdancing, forming the Rhymesayers label and collective (originally known as Headshots) with two high-school friends, Siddiq Ali (Stress) and Derek Turner (Spawn). After some early gigs as Urban Atmosphere -- where Slug DJed behind Spawn's rhyming -- the pair hooked up with producer Ant (Anthony Davis), as well as like-minded locals such as MC Musab, Mr. Gene Poole, and the Abstract Pack, forming an underground hip-hop clique dedicated to freestyling and clever lyricism. In 1997, Atmosphere released their debut album, Overcast!, which received college radio airplay and earned an underground hip-hop following thanks to Slug's deeply personal, poetic musings, as well as Ant's bare-bones -- but inventive -- production.
Atmosphere participated in the supergroup the Dynospectrum (who released a self-titled album on Rhymesayers in 1998) and Slug contributed to another supergroup, Anticon's Deep Puddle Dynamics (whose full-length The Taste of Rain...Why Kneel appeared in 1999). The Headshots collective concluded their series of underground cassettes with a seventh volume in 1999, later reissued as an Atmosphere release called Headshots: Se7en. The group also began a series of limited releases (often sold exclusively on tour) titled Sad Clown Bad Dub, beginning with an extremely scarce 1999 cassette.
A year later, Atmosphere (then down to the duo of Slug and Ant) released the Ford One and Ford Two EPs, followed by the Lucy EP in 2001. Collected as the 2001 full-length Lucy Ford: The Atmosphere EPs, the three EPs were built around the theme of Slug's complicated relationship with his ex-girlfriend, the lost love of his life. As Atmosphere's following increased beyond underground hip-hop circles, they toured consistently, both at home and overseas; while Ant usually didn't accompany the group on the road, Mr. Dibbs of the group 1200 Hobos often joined in behind the turntables while Slug was assisted on the mike by young rappers like the teenaged Eyedea. In June 2002, Atmosphere unleashed God Loves Ugly, an 18-track effort that returned to previous themes ("F*@k You Lucy"), but also contained the group's pop-friendly single "Modern Man's Hustle," which reached the Top 20 of the U.S. rap singles chart.
By this time indie rap superstars, Atmosphere returned with their fourth album, Seven's Travels, in 2003, followed two years later by You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having. Following the record's success, Ant began regularly touring with the group. They continued to put music out during the next couple of years, including the free download Strictly Leakage in late 2007, a near-party album that they followed up with When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold in April 2008. The record featured plenty of live instrumentation and guest background vocal spots from Tom Waits and TV on the Radio's Tunde Adebimpe; it was also their highest-charting album, hitting number five on the Billboard 200. The "double EP" To All My Friends: Blood Makes the Blade Holy appeared in 2010, with the full-length album The Family Sign following in 2011.
In 2014, the group released the album Southsiders, which featured the single "Bitter" and became another Top Ten-charting hit. The following year, Atmosphere celebrated the ten-year anniversary of You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having by reissuing the album as a four-LP set (including instrumental versions of all the album's songs), in addition to The Fun EP, a picture-disc vinyl issue of an EP of You Can't Imagine outtakes that was originally released as a promo CD in 2006. In 2016, they returned with Fishing Blues, an album that featured the single "Ringo" along with guest appearances from MF Doom, Kool Keith, and Aesop Rock. While the set peaked just outside the Top 20 on the Billboard 200, it became their second album to top the U.S. indie chart. Mi Vida Local, an urgent reflection on middle age, appeared in 2018, followed a year later by the full-length Whenever. The Day Before Halloween arrived on that exact date in 2020, with Atmosphere unexpectedly switching to sci-fi/horror-informed themes over spooky, synth-heavy backdrops. Nearly a year later, Ant and Slug swerved back to their signature sound with Word?, which included guests such as Evidence, Aesop Rock, Sa-Roc, and MF Doom.
Biography by Dan LeRoy
There are other artists with the same name:
2) A Polish rock group, established in 1993 in Leszno, Poland, with Marcin Rozynek as a vocalist. In 1994 the group appeared at Mokotowska Jesień Muzyczna, where they were runners-up just behind Myslovitz. Two years later they won competition Marlboro Rock In. In 1997, Atmosphere released their self-titled debut album, Atmosphere, and in 1999 released Europa Naftowa. Atmosphere was awarded the Album debut of the year 1997 by magazine Tylko Rock and was nominated for the award Fryderyk in 1998 in the category Debut of the Year. In 1998, Atmosphere appeared at the National Festival of Polish Song in Opole with song Niewielki Skrawek Ziemi. Disbanded after Marcin Rozynek departure for a solo career. However, Atmosphere regrouped recently with a new line-up and is recording a new album.
3) An obscure one hit wonder Italo-disco group of the early 80’s. The group was produced by Franco & Venise Scopinich, and their one single “Swede’s Scandal” was realased on Superradio Reccords (label owned by Franco & Venise Scopinich).
4) A thrash metal band of the same name from Vietnam who have released two demo's.
How I Won the War
Atmosphere Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They were easy to play I acted dumb and grinned
Contrary to what we might assume everybody loves a dummy
Cause you aint gotta squint when the lights are dim
They read their papers out loud to me
I smiled and nodded my head up and down careful not to make a sound
They told me when and where I'm supposed to arrive
Never gave a second thought to whether or not I would oblige
At their face of their clocks, tapping their foot as they wait
How long would it take to realize
I must have skated or got lost on the way before they called it a day
fuck that, I'm on the other side of the city
In a bed breathing heavy with my favourite betty
And I'll be damned if I'm gonna catch a slug for you
So I changed my name to slug so that yall would never catch me
The second time they found me they wanted to drown me
Yes man doesnt't't't like being made into mice
Started running their shmeal about love and dedication
How I should feel, as if I owe their nation my life
Look boy they say, don't you love your freedom?
I told them freedom is a road seldom travelled by the multitudes
And I said they were suckers, as I pulled out my mess
And started jerking off right there on top of their desk
Picture this, me standing their digging my fist
Like, what what what? Bought to bust on a nut on their list
They cursed and gave me an informal dispersal
But I'm like sir wont you let me get my rocks off first yo?
Its weird how acting like a hype islike being a hype
Its just a thin line that separates the two
And now my mind likes to walk both sides of the stripe
If only I could manifest my fate for the way I do
The third time they came was a charm
And I was tired and tried barely hanging from this yarn
The last two times I lost my path and my mind
What the hell I might as well as loose the farm
Take me, make me, train me, break me
Teach me to hold my anger like a lady
Show me the right way to save these babies
Throw me into this world that hates me
Here I am in a land that don't feel foreign
Following a plan, trying to find my portion
Still lost and still fondling my foreskin
Make me into a man but I still feel like an orphan
But I learned how to stand behind a purpose
The world is a circus and I'm a soldier guarding the tent
Weapon in hand, I represent and defend my hip hop nation until the end
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the hip hop cultures four elements
And to the originality in which it stands the Zulu nation under god
Peace love unity and justice for all (x7)
The lyrics of Atmosphere's song "How I Won the War" express a rebellious attitude towards the draft and war, emphasizing the singer's refusal to participate as a soldier. In the first verse, the singer describes how they fooled the draft officers by pretending to be dumb and agreeing to their demands. Flash forward to a later encounter, and the singer is more confrontational, even masturbating in front of the officers. Finally, the third verse sees the singer resigned to their fate and accepting their position as a soldier within the "hip hop nation." The lyrics capture a sense of resistance and defiance against a system that demands conformity and obedience at the expense of individual freedom.
Line by Line Meaning
The first time they came to get me for their war
When I was first drafted to fight in the war
They were easy to play I acted dumb and grinned
I acted dumb and played along with their requests
Contrary to what we might assume everybody loves a dummy
People like dumb individuals because they are easy to exploit
Cause you aint gotta squint when the lights are dim
Dumb people are easy to manipulate even in the dark
They read their papers out loud to me
The authorities told me what I had to do in the war
I smiled and nodded my head up and down careful not to make a sound
I pretended to agree with them so they would leave me alone
They told me when and where I'm supposed to arrive
They informed me of my obligations in the war
Never gave a second thought to whether or not I would oblige
I never thought twice about following their instructions
I imaged the look on their face as they looked
I imagined their expressions and reactions to me not showing up
At their face of their clocks, tapping their foot as they wait
I imagined them waiting impatiently for me to show up
How long would it take to realize
I wondered how long it would take for them to realize I wasn't coming
I must have skated or got lost on the way before they called it a day
I avoided showing up to the war by either skating or getting lost
fuck that, I'm on the other side of the city
I was on the opposite side of the city from where they wanted me to be
In a bed breathing heavy with my favourite betty
I was in bed with my favorite partner enjoying myself
And I'll be damned if I'm gonna catch a slug for you
I refused to fight in the war and risk my life for them
So I changed my name to slug so that yall would never catch me
I changed my name to evade being caught and forced to fight
The second time they found me they wanted to drown me
When I was found again, they wanted to force me to serve in the war
Yes man doesnt't't't like being made into mice
I didn't want to be made into a helpless follower
Started running their shmeal about love and dedication
They tried to persuade me to fight by using love and dedication to the country
How I should feel, as if I owe their nation my life
They made it seem like I owed my life to the country
Look boy they say, don't you love your freedom?
They tried to guilt me by asking if I loved my freedom
I told them freedom is a road seldom travelled by the multitudes
I replied by saying that true freedom is hard to find
And I said they were suckers, as I pulled out my mess
I insulted them while pulling out my gun
And started jerking off right there on top of their desk
I disrespected them further by masturbating on their desk
Picture this, me standing their digging my fist
I stood there and made aggressive gestures towards them
Like, what what what? Bought to bust on a nut on their list
I taunted them by implying that I was going to ejaculate on their belongings
They cursed and gave me an informal dispersal
They kicked me out of there without any formal punishment
But I'm like sir wont you let me get my rocks off first yo?
I still pushed to finish masturbating before leaving
Its weird how acting like a hype islike being a hype
It's strange how pretending to be something can turn you into that thing
Its just a thin line that separates the two
There is only a small difference between pretending and becoming something
And now my mind likes to walk both sides of the stripe
I find myself fluctuating between pretending and becoming
If only I could manifest my fate for the way I do
I wish I could control my fate based on my actions
The third time they came was a charm
The third time I was found, they finally convinced me to serve
And I was tired and tried barely hanging from this yarn
I was exhausted from all the attempts to force me to serve
The last two times I lost my path and my mind
The previous times I was found, I lost my way and my sanity
What the hell I might as well as loose the farm
I decided to give up and accept my fate
Take me, make me, train me, break me
They took me and turned me into a soldier through training and breaking me
Teach me to hold my anger like a lady
They taught me to control my anger and act like a sophisticated person
Show me the right way to save these babies
They showed me how to fight in a way that would protect innocent people
Throw me into this world that hates me
They sent me off to a world that was hostile towards me
Here I am in a land that don't feel foreign
Despite not feeling welcomed, I was still in my own country
Following a plan, trying to find my portion
I followed the military's plan while searching for my own purpose
Still lost and still fondling my foreskin
I was still lost and struggling with my own identity
Make me into a man but I still feel like an orphan
Even after becoming a soldier, I still felt like an outsider
But I learned how to stand behind a purpose
Through the war, I learned how to have a clear purpose
The world is a circus and I'm a soldier guarding the tent
The world is chaotic and I had to protect those closest to me
Weapon in hand, I represent and defend my hip hop nation until the end
I served as a soldier while also representing and defending the hip hop culture
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the hip hop cultures four elements
I swear my loyalty to hip hop culture's four main components
And to the originality in which it stands the Zulu nation under god
I also believe in the originality of hip hop and the Zulu nation
Peace love unity and justice for all (x7)
I aspire for peace, love, unity, and justice for all in the hip hop community
Contributed by Aaron O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
TijuanaPhysician
Weapon in hand, I'll represent and defend my hip hop nation until the end
N1ghtT3roorz
You speak better than at least a good HALF of the people who's native language IS english... so good on you sir. Fuckin Haters
KJ from OC Podcast
Stuck in my head all morning. Forgot the title. Really hard to find
Chris Flippo
sick ass song
thy bigones
I would like to see one of my drawings on a video of atmosphere :)
gavin.
it sounds like radiohead by cage
Morgan Gardner
GavinTheAmazing agreed
Trevor Z.
whats the sample from?
Alex Fisher
ya just wish the lyrics were a little louder than the beat.
winjose805
thanks for the upload