Hip-hop duo Atmosphere returning to Alaska

ANCHORAGE — The iconic hip-hop duo Atmosphere is coming to Alaska to perform for the first time since 2019.

Rapper Slug (Sean Daley) and DJ/producer Ant (Anthony Davis) are set to perform at Williwaw Social in Anchorage Friday June 2 and Saturday June 3.

Atmosphere originated out of Minneapolis, Minnesota in the mid 1990s and hasn't skipped a beat since, releasing over two dozen studio albums, EP's and collaborative side projects over the years.

They're known for their thoughtful and unique style of rap that ultimately made a major impact in the underground hip-hop culture.

Daley participated in a question and answer interview to discuss their impending return to The Last Frontier, their new album and reflections on their musical career.

Q: How's everything been going?

A: "It's been a fun campaign…The making of this album, the releasing of this album, and now the running around and touching down again in places that I haven't seen since before the lockdown… For a minute, during lockdown, we didn't know if we would ever go back to work again… I never realized I was taking it for granted until we had to consider it being gone. Now, I think we walk with a little bit more intention and a little bit more gratitude than we used to."

Q: What was your impression of being up here in Alaska?

A: "For how much space there is and how big it is, it kinda felt like the community was very well woven together. It felt like people knew each other. There was like, a vibe of familiarity amongst everybody and I appreciated that. It's beautiful up there."

Q: What was the process like on your latest album?

A: "We took our time with this one

This one we took our time with because there was an actual sense of concept and direction we wanted to honor and stay true to.

Q: How do you feel about the final product?

"I can't speak for Anthony, my better half but I can speak about him. I think him and I both put a lot of care and thought into this but at the same time also felt the freedom to dismiss our own care and our own thoughts in the process."

Q: How would you describe the musical chemistry you've had with Anthony over the years?

"We are both aggressive people looking to get reactions from each other. He is trying to force me to react to the music, and I'm trying to force him to react to the words. So, if I get a reaction out of him and he gets a reaction out of me, then we know we can let somebody else hear it… The first time I met him, we made two songs that night."

Q: What was it like during the early days as you two were getting into the groove of things?

"I did not know what I was doing. He actually taught me a lot about how to do this. I knew how to rap but I didn't know how to write songs. He taught me everything about structure, about arc… I was a freestyler, and he's the reason I became a songwriter."

Q: What's been some of your favorite aspects of being on this journey?

"Aside from the ability to have the freedom to express myself as well as get paid to express myself… I'm just grateful that I haven't been fired yet. It's the best I've ever had and I'd like to keep it for as long as possible."

For more tickets and information about the upcoming concert, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/williwaw-social-presents-atmosphere-with-dj-abilities-sa-roc-and-hebl-62-tickets-586388703397

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com