Hip-hop outfit and Rhymesayers label heads Atmosphere represent the Twin Ci… Read Full Bio ↴Hip-hop outfit and Rhymesayers label heads Atmosphere represent the Twin Cities with introspective rhymes, creative storytelling, and classic production (often incorporating live instrumentation), building a devoted grassroots following with prolific output, collaborations, and consistent touring. First appearing as a trio during the mid-'90s, Atmosphere settled into the core duo of rapper Slug and producer Ant, and first made a major impact on the hip-hop underground with 2001's Lucy Ford, a collection of three early EPs. Slug's lyrical focus shifted from personal struggles to character-based narratives with releases like fifth full-length When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold, which landed at number five on the Billboard 200 when it arrived in 2008. With releases like 2011's The Family Sign and 2018's Mi Vida Local, Atmosphere's songs reflected on middle age and fatherhood, while 2020's The Day Before Halloween was an electro-tinged detour into dystopian paranoia. 2021's Word? was a more lighthearted return to a vintage boom-bap sound. As co-founders of Rhymesayers, they are also affiliated with a roster of like-minded hip-hop acts and curators of the annual Minneapolis music festival Soundset.
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.
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.
Won't Look Back
Atmosphere Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Any way that the cold wind blows
I'll go cause you're in my home
Be leaving and I won't look back
Gone with my life, I can't save my past
Any way that the cold wind blows
I'll go cause you're in my home
Be leaving and I won't look back
Gone with my life, I can't save my past
First love
Who was your first love?
And I ain't talking about your first crush
I'm referring to the first one that'll make you wanna curl up
Or get you worked up enough to
Try and burn the world up
And I don't care about your regrets
You can keep those secrets to death
I don't need to know what you speak underneath each breath
But we learning, how to read what's in between the text
And when you feel like enough was felt
If you ain't trying to eat another helping of hell
That's when you tell farewell to that well you fell down
Fall out the frame, take care of yourself now
It's no thang, come out of the cold rain
Make giant steps, gotta catch the cold train
Everybody wishin' on some better days
Don't let the storm door hit ya
And don't ever change
Any way that the cold wind blows
I'll go cause you're in my home
Be leaving and I won't look back
Gone with my life, I can't save my past
Any way that the cold wind blows
I'll go cause you're in my home
Be leaving and I won't look back
Gone with my life, I can't save my past
Second guess your own instinct
Probably best to just listen and think
And don't expect anything less than the kitchen sink
It feel like you're still trying to lead a horse to drink
And I don't dig dramatic
But it was signal static
When the thunder struck
It doesn't matter how much clean the vulture up
It never look like a dove
You still gave it your blood
And that's love
I never hated your guts
I never even understood where that phrase was from
But why would you believe that I could trust your touch
If you would never make me wanna sleep in my truck
It's more than a drug
It's more than any liquor you could pour from a jug
Trying to find a little normal on the bus with the windows cracked
It's why we don't look back
It's why we won't be back
Right?
Any way that the cold wind blows
I'll go cause you're in my home
Be leaving and I won't look back
Gone with my life, I can't save my past
Any way that the cold wind blows
I'll go cause you're in my home
Be leaving and I won't look back
Gone with my life, I can't save my past
Third time's the charm
You've heard that before
Display the scar
You've earned that at war
Turnt on alarm, a guard at the door
But ripped out the heart, was par for the course
But if the furnace doesn't burn at the core
Maybe your purpose ain't to learn anymore
Dinosaur can't soar if he trying to snore
And ain't nobody leaving with a perfect score, on the board
But we never got bored of the wind
The memory of how it tore through the skin
By the end of the week it's going to weaken
Pinned in between depend and discipline
Can't nobody judge
But we can pretend, we got it all figured out
No questions left, when the truth is
We never even move one step
Just do it all over again and again
And again
Any way that the cold wind blows
I'll go cause you're in my home
Be leaving and I won't look back
Gone with my life, I can't save my past
Any way that the cold wind blows
I'll go cause you're in my home
Be leaving and I won't look back
Gone with my life, I can't save my past
Any way that the cold wind blows
I'll go cause you're in my home
Be leaving and I won't look back
Gone with my life, I can't save my past
Any way that the cold wind blows
I'll go cause you're in my home
Be leaving and I won't look back
Gone with my life, I can't save my past
I'll go cause you're in my home
Be leaving and I won't look back
Gone with my life, I can't save my past
Any way that the cold wind blows
I'll go cause you're in my home
Be leaving and I won't look back
Gone with my life, I can't save my past
First love
Who was your first love?
And I ain't talking about your first crush
I'm referring to the first one that'll make you wanna curl up
Or get you worked up enough to
Try and burn the world up
And I don't care about your regrets
You can keep those secrets to death
I don't need to know what you speak underneath each breath
But we learning, how to read what's in between the text
And when you feel like enough was felt
If you ain't trying to eat another helping of hell
That's when you tell farewell to that well you fell down
Fall out the frame, take care of yourself now
It's no thang, come out of the cold rain
Make giant steps, gotta catch the cold train
Everybody wishin' on some better days
Don't let the storm door hit ya
And don't ever change
Any way that the cold wind blows
I'll go cause you're in my home
Be leaving and I won't look back
Gone with my life, I can't save my past
Any way that the cold wind blows
I'll go cause you're in my home
Be leaving and I won't look back
Gone with my life, I can't save my past
Second guess your own instinct
Probably best to just listen and think
And don't expect anything less than the kitchen sink
It feel like you're still trying to lead a horse to drink
And I don't dig dramatic
But it was signal static
When the thunder struck
It doesn't matter how much clean the vulture up
It never look like a dove
You still gave it your blood
And that's love
I never hated your guts
I never even understood where that phrase was from
But why would you believe that I could trust your touch
If you would never make me wanna sleep in my truck
It's more than a drug
It's more than any liquor you could pour from a jug
Trying to find a little normal on the bus with the windows cracked
It's why we don't look back
It's why we won't be back
Right?
Any way that the cold wind blows
I'll go cause you're in my home
Be leaving and I won't look back
Gone with my life, I can't save my past
Any way that the cold wind blows
I'll go cause you're in my home
Be leaving and I won't look back
Gone with my life, I can't save my past
Third time's the charm
You've heard that before
Display the scar
You've earned that at war
Turnt on alarm, a guard at the door
But ripped out the heart, was par for the course
But if the furnace doesn't burn at the core
Maybe your purpose ain't to learn anymore
Dinosaur can't soar if he trying to snore
And ain't nobody leaving with a perfect score, on the board
But we never got bored of the wind
The memory of how it tore through the skin
By the end of the week it's going to weaken
Pinned in between depend and discipline
Can't nobody judge
But we can pretend, we got it all figured out
No questions left, when the truth is
We never even move one step
Just do it all over again and again
And again
Any way that the cold wind blows
I'll go cause you're in my home
Be leaving and I won't look back
Gone with my life, I can't save my past
Any way that the cold wind blows
I'll go cause you're in my home
Be leaving and I won't look back
Gone with my life, I can't save my past
Any way that the cold wind blows
I'll go cause you're in my home
Be leaving and I won't look back
Gone with my life, I can't save my past
Any way that the cold wind blows
I'll go cause you're in my home
Be leaving and I won't look back
Gone with my life, I can't save my past
The lyrics of "Won't Look Back" by Atmosphere feat. Kim Manning explore the theme of leaving the past behind and moving forward. The repeated phrase "any way that the cold wind blows/I'll go cause you're in my home" suggests a willingness to follow wherever life takes them as long as they have someone they care about with them. The refrain "be leaving and I won't look back/gone with my life, I can't save my past" emphasizes the idea of letting go and not dwelling on past mistakes or regrets. The first verse, sung by Kim Manning, references first love and how it can consume a person, making them want to "burn the world up" or "curl up." It also touches on the idea of reading between the lines and learning to let go when a relationship is no longer healthy. The second verse, rapped by Atmosphere, urges the listener to trust their instincts and not expect anything less than the full truth. He also acknowledges that love is more than just a feeling and can be addictive like a drug. The third verse is more abstract, with references to dinosaurs and the importance of continually learning and growing.
Overall, "Won't Look Back" is about accepting the ups and downs of life and love, but not getting stuck in the past. It encourages the listener to move forward, even if it means leaving some things behind.
Line by Line Meaning
Any way that the cold wind blows
No matter what direction my life takes or what obstacles I face
I'll go cause you're in my home
I'll keep moving forward because you are important to me
Be leaving and I won't look back
I am moving on and not dwelling on the past
Gone with my life, I can't save my past
I am leaving my past behind and moving forward towards a better future
Second guess your own instinct
Don't doubt yourself and trust your gut feeling
Probably best to just listen and think
It's important to take a step back and reflect on the situation before making a decision
And don't expect anything less than the kitchen sink
Expect the unexpected and be prepared for anything
But it was signal static
There was confusion and miscommunication
If you would never make me wanna sleep in my truck
I need to have a strong emotional connection with someone before fully trusting them
Third time's the charm
Failure is okay, but don't give up and keep trying
Maybe your purpose ain't to learn anymore
Sometimes we have to let go of certain things in life and move on
But we never got bored of the wind
We never lost our sense of adventure and were always willing to take risks
Can't nobody judge
No one can truly understand another person's experiences and struggles
Just do it all over again and again
And again
Life is a continuous cycle of ups and downs, and we must keep pushing forward despite setbacks
Lyrics © UPSIDEDOWN HEART MUSIC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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