Tuesday, 01 July 2008
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Written by
Matt FInk
Continuing their never-ending quest to stay one step ahead of those who leak albums to the internet a few months before their release date, Rhymesayers (the label owned and operated by Atmosphere’s songwriting duo Slug and Ant) decided they wouldn’t send out promotional copies of their latest release at all. Instead of When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold, critics were treated to a 16-track “greatest hits” compilation of tracks from the last 10 years, charting Atmosphere’s illustrious rise from Minnesota’s underground rap scene to a band whose most recent release landed at #5 on the Billboard Top 200. Given that their five full-length releases and four EPs have made them somewhat hard to keep up with, the set provided some much needed context, revealing artists who have been remarkably consistent in crafting the sort of soulful ...