The band was formed in 1993 by Tony Nwachukwu and Charlie Dark. Charlie Dark was a part time journalist and DJ and had been approached by James Lavelle to produce and engineer tracks for his Mo Wax record label.
Their first release, Vibes, Scribes and Dusty 45's Ep, contained the down tempo classic Contemplating Jazz. Featuring the vocals of third member Roba El-Essawy, Attica Blues' sound contained the trademark trip-hop aspects like heavy beats, vocals and deep dark atmospheres. They released a follow up album, Blueprint.
Attica Blues were also often solicited for remixing and producing.
After the Mo Wax album Blueprint, they released a second album, Test,Don't Test on Sony Records.
Atlanta
Attica Blues Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You've never seen
To talk about a far away place you've
Never been
Imagine a city buried beneath the sea
An ideallic island
Calm and serene
Untouched by civilizations uncivilized
20,000 leagues
Fighting over street corners but never
Own the rocks
Homeboys closest to the foundations when
Lying in a box
Imagining cities butried beneath the sea
And ideallic islands calm and serene
Untouched by civilizations uncivilized
Hand lies a land at
20,000 leagues
Hidden from discovery
Faith remains the same
Underground street heroes never played
The game
And then columbus came
Introduced his ways
His midas touch turned golden sands back
Into dust
Now morals rusting and decaying
Where is where is
Atlanta
The Attica Blues’s song “Atlanta” speaks to the impact of colonization and imperialism on indigenous lands and peoples. The first verse questions the legitimacy of claiming land without actually having experienced it. The singer imagines an idyllic city buried beneath the sea, untouched by civilizations that are described as “uncivilized.” This is a clear nod to the Western concept of progress and civilization being synonymous with colonization and the imposition of European values and norms. The visual imagery of the buried city suggests that this land was once vibrant and thriving before it was destroyed and submerged by outside forces.
In the second verse, the song speaks to the reality for those living in the inner city, particularly communities of color where violence and poverty are all too common. The singer describes how even those fighting over territory on city streets don't truly "own the rocks." The powerful contrast of the two verses, one speaking to a lost utopia and the other to real-life struggles, highlights the profound impact of colonization on both the physical and social landscapes.
The final lines of the song - “Now morals rusting and decaying / Where is where is / Atlanta” - suggest that the harm inflicted by Columbus and his legacy is ongoing and corrosive. The line “where is where is” is particularly poignant, suggesting that the city is lost in more than just a physical sense.
Line by Line Meaning
Is it possible for you to claim a land
Can you really claim ownership of a place you have never physically been to?
You've never seen
If you haven't experienced it with your own eyes
To talk about a far away place you've
Speaking about a distant location you've
Never been
without ever setting foot there.
Imagine a city buried beneath the sea
Picture a magnificent town submerged under water
An ideallic island
A dreamy paradise
Calm and serene
Peaceful and tranquil.
Untouched by civilizations uncivilized
Unaltered by cultures that don't observe proper behavior and respect.
Hane lies a land at
A country lies hidden
20,000 leagues
20,000 units of measurement below the sea level
Fighting over street corners but never
Contesting for territory they don't really possess
Own the rocks
Not actually controlling the land they claim to own
Homeboys closest to the foundations when
Those most familiar with the foundations of their territory still end up
Lying in a box
Dead and buried
Hidden from discovery
Concealed from the exploration
Faith remains the same
Their beliefs remain the same
Underground street heroes never played
Not participating in or being recognized for their efforts
The game
The standard way of moving up in the world, often via illegitimate means.
And then columbus came
Then Columbus appeared
Introduced his ways
Brought with him his customs and habits
His midas touch turned golden sands back
His influence transformed prosperous land back
Into dust
To nothingness.
Now morals rusting and decaying
Principles diminishing
Where is where is
Where can we find
Atlanta
The idealized place we are looking for that no longer exists.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Rafeek Gafoor
Cant stop listening. Havent heard this in a while.
Rafeek Gafoor
3 years later and I keep coming back
Rafeek Gafoor
October 13 2018. 5 years since I first found this and I keep coming back.
Mimich Le Duc
Souvenir !!!
Rafeek Gafoor
18th January 2020. Back again.
SokiN DeadCanRap
xD
Rafeek Gafoor
July 23rd 2022 once again