Atmosphere

Like Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde, Atmosphere front-man Slug has two sides. Most noticeable is the introspective, self-deprecating writer whose subject matter includes being poor and undesirable; in other words, the titular ugly. Slug lays himself open to the public quite often, especially for stories of his failed romance with the ubiquitous and elusive Lucy Ford (a name that not only figures heavily in past recordings, but appears here, most noticeably on "Fuck You Lucy"), as well as other relationships. Even when things seem to be going well with the ladies, as they do on "Hair," Slug sabotages the writing so that he and his newfound groupie friend die in a car accident. But proving that God Loves Ugly, there's the other side of Slug. On "One of a Kind," Sluggo raps, "Cats still criticise my frustration raps," which may help explain this other, more boastful MC who proclaims his desire to be unique with that track. And like a good writer, he presents his disses with great wit. Still, a humble sense of character comes through, giving rise to lines like, "I'm not the best, but I'm in the top two," ("Saves the Day"). And it might just be the right combination to get Slug some notice. After all, it worked for Eminem. Plus, Ant, the production half of the duo, runs the gamut of hard bangers, slow jams, reggae dubs and underground freak fests. God Loves Ugly is likely to find a wide variety of listeners.