8. Atmosphere-Godlovesugly (2002)
I have never been a huge fan of hip hop. Let's be honest(white)people we were just not built to do it. Some artists over the years have been able to find their niche in this at times saturated genre. There was Vanilla Ice, who was an embarrassment and then Eminem who people actually liked in a non-ironic way. Not gonna lie, the Marshall Mathers LP is brilliant, but did not come early enough to make this list. Instead, I take a cue from the "underground" and revel in this indie hip hop masterpiece.
The one thing that makes hip hop great is the production value. The beats and the samples, that is what drives the music. Yes, there are some live instruments, but that's not where this grand tradition of music originated. Ant, the producer and DJ of Atmosphere knows exactly what he is doing on this record. Tons of old soul samples and some great sounding snares and kicks. I have a theory that if you can't listen to hip hop cruising with your windows down in your car, it is not worth your time. This record has that element mixed with the thoughtful and clever lines of Sean Daly aka Slugg. Call it emo rap or love rap, Slugg has great delivery and an even better story telling skill. He is able to, excuse the pun, wrap you into that little twisted head of his. At times humorous, obscene, angry, or just looking for a laugh, Slugg is one the best MCs of the last 10 years. With this album, I was able to grow a stronger appreciation for hip hop as an art form and for that I am thankful.
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