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.
Keep Steppin'
Atmosphere Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
he doesnt get along with powerful people
the mind is a box kept locked
inside is the pride and the ego and he cant find the keyhole
compensates with alcohol and hate
and contimplates weither or not he wants to be awake
bounce around the words, all the nouns and verbs
but better late then never doesnt work for work
but he can hold a weapon and keep this whole world steppin
another angry arrogent american
one frustrated step away from where you stand
put your hands up for fear or fear itself
or write it off as balances and cheques
or take the sign out the window and change it to say you want to help
maybe we can talk him into walking up these steps
(chorus x2)
keep looking up
try to count them
how many left
look em up
one at a time
until your out of breath
one foot infront of the other
right, left
you can spend your whole life
climbing these steps
(brother)
for every boy that she allows to step on her heart
she comes one step closer to findin what she needs
the sad part is shes still stuck somewhere behind the start
still doesnt know what it takes to make it leave
that tattoo bleeds upon the paid dues
break the rules, to balance the odds, challenge her god
the untrained eye thinks shes got it all together
but the first time i seen her smile i knew better
right down the letters, piece them in order
make sense out of a sentance, give the picture a border
got to sort through the images that clutter the soul
but the photo got fried cause the shutter didnt close
over exposed, too many steps, too soon
killed the pain with a jameson under a blue moon
she climbs, she cries, she waits
how many more can she take before her legs break
(chorus x2)
keep looking up
try to count them
how many left
look em up
one at a time
until your out of breath
one foot infront of the other
right, left
you can spend your whole life
climbing these steps
(sister)
(dont stop)
The song Keep Steppin' by Atmosphere is a reflection upon two life stories, one of an American man and the other of a woman. Starting with the story of the man, he is depicted as someone who has gone through a lot of setbacks in life such as losing jobs and being unable to maintain good relations with powerful people. The lyrics assert that such setbacks have led to serious damage to his self-esteem, and his mind is portrayed as a locked box that he cannot open to find the real source of his problems. The man is shown to be heavily dependent on alcohol and hate to cope with his problems and reaches a stage where he is unsure whether he wants to stay awake or not. In the absence of job stability and relationships, he somehow finds solace in holding a weapon and keeping "the whole world stepping."
The second story mentioned in the song is of a woman who is in search of true love but struggles to find it. She repeatedly allows men to step on her heart (a metaphorical reference to heartbreaks), which only takes her further away from finding what she needs. Despite having a tattoo that reminds her of the struggles she has been through, she is still struggling to understand the key to letting go of her past pain. The song suggests that like the man, the woman is also climbing stairs in her life, which she cannot avoid or neglect.
Overall, the song, through its lyrics, emphasizes the importance of staying positive despite the challenges and setbacks one faces in life. The song advises the listener to keep looking up and take each step, one at a time, until they have achieved their goals.
Line by Line Meaning
it goes job after job after blow to the self value
The constant succession of employment problems is damaging his self-esteem and confidence.
he doesnt get along with powerful people
His personality clashes with influential individuals.
the mind is a box kept locked
The mind can be inaccessible and difficult to understand.
inside is the pride and the ego and he cant find the keyhole
The root of his problems stems from his own pride and inability to find solutions.
compensates with alcohol and hate
He turns to self-destructive tendencies like substance abuse and anger.
and contimplates weither or not he wants to be awake
He struggles with whether he wants to face his problems or continue avoiding them.
bounce around the words, all the nouns and verbs
He uses language and communication to evade having to deal with his problems head-on.
but better late then never doesnt work for work
Procrastination doesn't work well in the context of employment.
cant hold employment, cant hold a girl
He struggles with both career and relationship stability.
but he can hold a weapon and keep this whole world steppin
He seeks control through violence and aggression.
another angry arrogent american
He's representative of American societal problems – anger and arrogance.
one frustrated step away from where you stand
He's only separated from you by a single step of frustration.
keep looking up
Maintain a positive outlook and persevere in the face of challenges.
try to count them
Take stock and account for every step.
how many left
Determine how much further there is to go.
look em up
Keep your focus forward and keep climbing upward.
one at a time
Take each step contemplatively and deliberately, not carelessly.
until your out of breath
Don't give up until you can't physically continue anymore.
one foot infront of the other
Focus on incremental progress, don't get bogged down by the big picture.
you can spend your whole life
Achieving progress in life can take an entire lifetime, but it's worth the effort.
climbing these steps
Personal growth and development is a gradual process of taking steps forward.
for every boy that she allows to step on her heart
Every relationship failure is a setback for her emotionally.
she comes one step closer to findin what she needs
Each heartbreak brings her closer to finding a fulfilling relationship.
the sad part is shes still stuck somewhere behind the start
She's still struggling with the same issues and hasn't made much progress.
still doesnt know what it takes to make it leave
She's uncertain what it would take to break free from her current situation.
that tattoo bleeds upon the paid dues
The tattoo represents her struggles and their toll on her life.
break the rules, to balance the odds, challenge her god
She's willing to take risks to change her circumstances, even if it goes against established norms and beliefs.
the untrained eye thinks shes got it all together
Others misunderstand her and think everything is fine based on outward appearances.
but the first time i seen her smile i knew better
A deeper understanding of her struggles is necessary to truly know her.
right down the letters, piece them in order
The key is to take everything step by step and put it all into perspective.
make sense out of a sentance, give the picture a border
Making sense of her situation requires looking at it objectively and setting clear boundaries to define the problem.
got to sort through the images that clutter the soul
She needs to separate the helpful from the harmful influences in her life.
but the photo got fried cause the shutter didnt close
Her attempts to clarify her life's direction have been thwarted by external factors outside of her control.
over exposed, too many steps, too soon
She's been pushed too hard too quickly and it's had negative consequences.
killed the pain with a jameson under a blue moon
She's resorted to self-soothing and self-medicating rather than properly addressing her problems.
she climbs, she cries, she waits
She perseveres through the emotional turmoil of making progress and fails, but also waiting for growth to occur.
how many more can she take before her legs break
She struggles with how much more she can endure before reaching her breaking point.
sister
A sign of female solidarity and support.
brother
A sign of male solidarity and support.
dont stop
Persevere and keep moving forward, no matter what.
Contributed by Lillian C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@mattstacey6058
Yesterday
Modern Man's Hustle
Painting
One of a King
Little Man
Insomnia 411
Became
Turntablism
The Loser Wins
God's Bathroom Floor
Always Coming Back Home To You
The River
Woman Tonight
Some highlights. Enjoy!
@VenOlmsted
Who is still listening in 2022.I will never forget the times this music takes me back to.
@sean78745
"killed the pain with jameson under a blue moon" had so much emotion it hit me
@robwiens2675
Slug is just awesome man. Seen Atmosphere live a couple times in my city, was always there early and lined up to get into the venue. Slug always came out before the doors opened and gave every single person in the line a hug or a handshake, thanked them for the support, and wished them well. Always remembered that.
@michel9749
He was shaking hands last Friday at the Melkweg Amsterdam. Great stuff
@CapnKorl
one day i hope to move people the way slug moved me.
@chrisheid5532
Karl Eulberg have you? I hope you have
@zepzeven226
You will
Reap what you sow
@dimavalentino1699
Just for that he's my favorite artist of all time.
@mikelorla8941
I never quit looking up. I don't stop looking up
@JaredGH26
Mike Lorla beautiful buddy