taking that Minneapolis flavor on the road.

You know when you ask people who their favorite artist, musician, band, or whatever you want to call it, is, and they come back with....The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, or one of the many other bands that have a couple songs on VH1's "BEST 100 ROCK SONGS OF ALL TIME"...well I'm not one of those people. Ask me this question and I'll probably emphatically scream the name Atmosphere in your face. Maybe its his ultra self-depreciating lyrics ladened by funky beats and sunshiney samples or just the fact that he is probably one of the largest pioneers of Minneapolis' hip-hop scene (that has grown out of Minnesota, and is now being heard all over the country), but I just can't get enough of Slug.

Atmosphere is finally hitting the road again (after a year) on The Family Tour, which starts in Columbus, OH on April 20th. This time around it won't just be Slug and Ant, Grieves will be joining the usual duo with Blueprint and Sab the Artist.  Got my tickets for his show @ the FOX in Pomona, May 5th.

Slug is all about his fans and how he can continue to bring them the kind of music he has from his last 6 albums. In an interview with FILTER magazine, Slug talks about the new album and what to expect from his live show, and why he loves what he does.

"There’s a validation that goes along with that.  As artists, we are supposed to say we just love playing music, but really it’s more than that. We could sit in our basement and play music, but to see people appreciating your music and to hold conversations with them afterwards, to see what they like and don’t like—that’s the void I need to fill."

full interview: FILTER: Atmosphere