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.
Party For the Fight to Write
Atmosphere Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
[Slug]
Hides the eyes beneath the bill of the cap
Walks amoungst the flies that hover over the mat
He lies, but only when there's a reason
Mentions life by the tragedy, the comedy, the season
Poor at handling and managing income
Been done, that there a name you can trust
Read the whole match book and put a flame to the brush
Good with packs, and rips up sacks
Put the show in biz, try to give what you get
When you let him run free with the thought
Pull the line in, try to see what you caught
I ain't all that bad, but I ain't all that great
I Went back to the lab and began to mutate
Wait. I still look the same, still got the same dumb name
Ain't a damn thing changed
But if you like surprises, I know of a party
Where they all dance around to your heart beat
Bring your own agenda and embrace your flaws
Lets put a face on this common cause
chorus:
And he said some got pencils and some got guns
Some know how to stand and some of them run
We don't get along, but we sing the same song
Party for the fight to write, and write on
Stay gold Pony Boy, stay true outspoken
Make a record Mr. Gangster and get 'em all open
The theories, the stories, the truths, the myths
Its all therapy, on top of turntablists
This indutry's big, so big in fact (and fat?)
We can all get some, and we can give some back
And if its done correct, we'll make more than noise
So pick it up, and pick me up when you're bored with the toys
As a child Hip Hop made me read books,
And Hip Hop made me want to be a crook
And Hip Hop gave me the way and something to say
And all I took in return is a second look
Son, you're shook, 'cause ain't no such thing as half way there
Gettin' good at actin' like you just don't care
The circle of life trying to make it square condition
And self sit still
And Still.. where have all the sheep gone
Burnt down the farm and turned the TV on
John Coltrine, Marvin Gaye and Bob Marley all get invitations to my party
chorus
And if I spent anymore time inside my head
I'd probably need some leather straps attatched to my bed
And if I go another day without eating a meal
I'm gonna show you what it means to keep it real
And if they keep shootin' guns up and down my block
I Swear to God I'll be the first one to call the cops
And if I gotta hear that song ever again
You gonna have to share some of that beer my friend
They mistake me as happy-go-lucky
Just another base-head bobbin' nobody
But from where I stand, they sould like spies
Fillin' all the children's head with lies
Well alright, get your money right
But right now tonight I want you to pick a side
So when you got your power and you got your chedder
Let's get together soldier over throw this hold and make these roads better
Bring it on.. he said bring it on (right now)
Ain't nothin' but a party y'all... lets get it on
chorus
Atmosphere's song "Party for the Fight to Write" appears to be a commentary on the state of the music industry, particularly within the hip hop genre. The first verse describes the struggles of a person who is trying to manage their income and balance their personality traits. The chorus speaks to the idea that there are different types of people with varying skills and abilities, but they are all united in their love for writing and creating music. The second verse discusses the potential for success within the industry, as well as the influence music can have on people's lives. The bridge expresses frustration with the status quo and encourages people to band together to create something better.
Line by Line Meaning
Hides the eyes beneath the bill of the cap
He hides his eyes under his cap brim.
Walks amongst the flies that hover over the mat
He walks around and ignores the distractions around him.
He lies, but only when there's a reason
He only lies when it is necessary.
Mentions life by the tragedy, the comedy, the season
He understands and describes life through different aspects.
Poor at handling and managing income
He is not good at managing his money well.
Got enough love to pass around and then some
He has lots of love to give to others.
Been done, that there a name you can trust
He has been there and done that and he is trustworthy.
Read the whole matchbook and put a flame to the brush
He has read the whole matchbook and lit a fire to ignite a change.
Good with packs, and rips up sacks
He is good with backpacks and can rip them easily.
Put the show in biz, try to give what you get
He is in the business of putting on a show and giving what he receives.
When you let him run free with the thought
If you let him run free with his thoughts, you might be surprised.
Pull the line in, try to see what you caught
He wants to pull in the line and examine what he has caught.
I ain't all that bad, but I ain't all that great
He is not bad, but he is not extraordinary either.
I Went back to the lab and began to mutate
He went back to his workspace and started to change himself.
Wait. I still look the same, still got the same dumb name
Even though he has changed, his name and appearance are still the same.
Ain't a damn thing changed
Nothing has really changed despite his attempts to mutate.
But if you like surprises, I know of a party
He knows of a party that can surprise people.
Where they all dance around to your heartbeat
At this party, they all dance to the beat of your heart.
Bring your own agenda and embrace your flaws
Bring your own plan and accept your imperfections.
Lets put a face on this common cause
We need to turn this shared goal into something more tangible.
Some got pencils and some got guns
Some people have power through ideas, while others have it through force.
Some know how to stand and some of them run
Some people stay and fight while others flee.
We don't get along, but we sing the same song
Even though we don't always agree, we still have the same goals.
Party for the fight to write, and write on
We need to party for our shared goal of fighting through the power of writing.
Stay gold Pony Boy, stay true outspoken
Be true to yourself and speak your mind.
Make a record Mr. Gangster and get 'em all open
Make a record that makes a strong impact in the hip-hop industry.
The theories, the stories, the truths, the myths Its all therapy, on top of turntablists
The music, theories, stories, truths, and myths all help people through their problems, in addition to the DJ's music.
This industry's big, so big in fact (and fat?) We can all get some, and we can give some back
The music industry is large, and there's enough for everyone to prosper.
And if its done correct, we'll make more than noise So pick it up, and pick me up when you're bored with the toys
If we do it correctly, we can make more than just noise. We need to keep pushing and help each other out in the process.
As a child Hip Hop made me read books, And Hip Hop made me want to be a crook
Hip Hop influenced him to read more and want to be a criminal.
And Hip Hop gave me the way and something to say
Hip Hop gave him a way of expressing himself and something to talk about.
And all I took in return is a second look
All he received in return was a second chance.
Son, you're shook, 'cause ain't no such thing as halfway there
You are scared because you realize that you cannot halfway achieve your goals.
Gettin' good at actin' like you just don't care
You seem to be getting better at hiding your feelings.
The circle of life trying to make it square condition
Trying to change the cycle of your life into something more equitable.
And self sit still
He needs to stay still and reflect on his actions.
And Still.. where have all the sheep gone
He wonders where everyone has gone, and why he feels so alone.
Burnt down the farm and turned the TV on
He burned his old life down and now spends his days staring at the television.
John Coltrane, Marvin Gaye, and Bob Marley all get invitations to my party
He is inviting some of the most influential musicians to his party.
And if I spent anymore time inside my head, I'd probably need some leather straps attached to my bed
He thinks too much and is worried that he is going crazy.
And if I go another day without eating a meal, I'm gonna show you what it means to keep it real
If he goes hungry another day, he will prove that he can handle any challenge thrown at him.
And if they keep shootin' guns up and down my block, I swear to God I'll be the first one to call the cops
If he has to deal with violence on his block, he will not hesitate to call the police.
And if I gotta hear that song ever again, You gonna have to share some of that beer my friend
If he has to listen to the same song again, his friends will have to share their beer with him.
They mistake me as happy-go-lucky, Just another base-head bobbin' nobody
People perceive him as carefree and nondescript.
But from where I stand, they sound like spies, Fillin' all the children's head with lies
From his perspective, they're like spies who feed children falsehoods.
Well alright, get your money right
Get your money in order.
But right now tonight I want you to pick a side
Tonight he wants people to choose a side.
So when you got your power and you got your cheddar, Let's get together soldier overthrow this hold and make these roads better
When you have the power and the money, let's work together to take down the establishment and create a better future.
Bring it on.. he said bring it on (right now)
He wants to face any challenge that is thrown his way.
Ain't nothin' but a party y'all... lets get it on
It's just a party, let's have some fun.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Matt Marvin
The second verse is one of my favorite verses in hip hop.
Brendan Ward
Definitely one of my favorite Atmosphere songs of all time. Bring your own agenda, embrace your flaws, let's put a face on this common cause!!!!!!!
msgolds89
This is one of my favorite Atmosphere songs of all time, and that's saying something!
martinhousemuse
One of my favorite hip-hop albums of all time. And this is one of the best tracks on the LP.
klhlkvkjhvj
One of my favorite songs by Atmosphere :)
Greg Mann
One of the best of from slug and Ant for sure in my opinion been listenin to this since freshman year when everyone was bumpin tupac.
Stah zonedout
i play this shit everyday every week every year show it to my son my sons son, my grandma even seems to bop her head to it even though she dont know what it says! 2013 atmosphere paints a perfectly abstract picture!
Amber Davis
beautiful lyrics love this MAN
Deliciously Harmful Productions
i love the vibe and "atmosphere"
seriously though, can't go wrong with a walking bassline and raw bars
The Doodleman
The live version is even harder. Hiphop needs more artists like this.