It’s the east coast, no it’s the west coast It’s public schools, it’s asbestos It’s mentholated, it’s techno It’s sleep, life, and death It’s speed, coke, and meth
We’re jumping in the way back machine all the way to 1997 with Atmosphere’s “Scapegoat” off their debut album, Overcast! I’ve always loved the song because it’s got this kind of slow burn to it as the list of who’s fault it is and what to blame continues to grow longer and more absurd. People generally have a hard time accepting their faults and addressing their shortcomings head on so it’s easier to just blame the fast food giants than it is to get up every day and hit the gym. The irony of this endless feedback loop is particularly biting after hearing Slug name drop dozens of scapegoats over the course of the track.
I did not realize this song was somehow 25 years old. “God’s Bathroom Floor” is a track that bounced around for a while before finding an official home on the Overcast! EP, but it never made the cut on the actual album. “Introspective raps over a jazzy hypnotic melody” also may be the best way I’ve ever heard to describe Atmosphere.
Initially written and recorded when Atmosphere and fledgling label Rhymesayers Entertainment were still making a name for themselves in the Minneapolis hip-hop scene, “God’s Bathroom Floor” was an early standout for the group. Turning heads and drawing new fans in with Slug’s introspective raps over a jazzy hypnotic melody produced by Stress, the song was performed live frequently, quickly becoming an audience favorite before ever appearing on an actual release. Even then, it was only a live performance they made available, and only on a limited mixtape they released in 1996. It would be another year before the 4-track studio recording would surface on Atmosphere’s Overcast! EP—a collection of focus tracks promoting their debut full-length album—but “God’s Bathroom Floor” never made it onto the album itself and slowly slipped into obscurity from there. – @Atmosphere
A featured artist in our #RushHourRap series, a truly original rapper, and a personal favorite of mine, it came out over the weekend that indie rap icon MF DOOM passed away at the age of 49. Yet another truly stunning loss for the music industry as a whole. Known for his lyrical prowess, and unapologetically verbose style, Daniel Dumile (pronounced Doom-ee-lay) AKA MF DOOM has been rapping under various names since the 80s. Dumile was a member of the rap group KMD, going by the name of Zev Love X, but the group broke up in 1993 after the death of his brother. After a few years away from music, Dumile came back onto the scene performing while wearing a Doctor Doom mask and adopted the moniker “MF Doom.” Doctor Doom is even on the cover of his 1999 debut solo album Operation: Doomsday.
Most of MF DOOM’s solo work came in the early-mid 2000s with probably his most well known album, Mm…Food, a clever anagram that included tracks all named after food such as “Rapp Snitch Knishes” to complete the wordplay. His last solo album dropped back in 2009, but he’s done all kinds of collabs over the years like the Madvillainy album where he teamed up with Madlib for what many call his magnum opus.
DOOM collabs often sneak up on you with their completely unique beats and work their way into your brain like the 2018 collab with Czarface, Czarface Meets Metal Face.
Speaking of collabs, I’d be remiss to not include MF DOOM’s 2016 collab with Atmosphere on “When The Lights Go Out.”
You may have never heard DOOM on the radio, but that hasn’t really been a measuring stick of musical quality since *at least* when YouTube was launched, probably earlier if we’re being honest. He was clearly an artist that was held in high regard around the industry. Rap juggernaut Lupe Fiasco even released a freestyle the other day honoring MF DOOM.
Thanx DOOM…I learned so much from you about the art of rapping. Studied and analyzed you for years as recently as a few days ago. I wish I could’ve met you to tell you that. ❤️🙏🏾…here’s some raps…rest easy…Amin… pic.twitter.com/1njyEArfzT
— TAPE TAPE & HOUSE EP NOW PLAYING (@LupeFiasco) January 1, 2021
Check out this interview clip below where DOOM talks about how in his rhymes he always wanted to keep people off guard like he was “keeping a good conversation with the listener.” You can actually watch the whole interview from the “MF DOOM: The Man Behind The Mask” documentary here.
So if you’ve gotten this far, you’re probably wondering, why the Doctor Doom mask?
“It don’t matter what the artist look like, it’s more what the artist sound like. The mask really represents to rebel against trying to sell the product as a human being. It’s more of a sound.”
In a sea of ringtone rap and corporate branding, MF DOOM was truly one of the most unique, genuine, gonna do things his own way type of artists we’ve ever seen. Rest in Peace.
Aesop Rock is a fellow Rhymesayers label-mate of frequent #RushHourRap featured artist Atmosphere and has been an underground favorite for over 20 years. Aesop’s wordplay borders on the absurd at times, but in a good way. Lupe Fiasco once even dubbed Aesop Rock as the greatest rapper alive. High praise from a legend. There’s a lot of great tracks from Aesop over the years, but his 2007 “None Shall Pass” off the album of the same name is probably the best entry point for new fans. Like me you’ll likely find yourself on Genius reading along to his lyrics just trying to figure out what the hell he’s talking about, which admittedly isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. But if you’re looking for elite, rapid fire, intelligent writing then Aesop Rock is your guy.
Introducing the official #RushHourRap playlist curated by The 300s. Dozens of songs compiled from the past 30 years so you can take my obscure music recommendations with you anywhere. Featuring everyone from household names like Eminem and Kanye to lesser known artists, rappers you need to know, and young guys on the come up.
Some of the deeper cuts of #RushHourRap unfortunately did not make the list because Spotify doesn’t exactly have a plethora of obscure mixtapes. So that means you’ll still need to track down hidden gems like Switch by Lupe Fiasco on YouTube.
But if you’re a fan of our morning rap recommendations then make sure you save and share this playlist because it’s a living breathing entity that I’ll be adding to all the time.
It’s cold, it’s raining, it’s an overall shitty day outside so what better time to just slow it down with some chill #RushHourRap. Press play and enjoy a little new Atmosphere with Virgo, the single off their newest album Mi Vida Local.
One of my all time favorite artists, these guys have been around for a longgg time, dropping their debut album, Overcast, back in 1997. Since then they’ve released 7 additional albums, plus countless mixtapes and side projects. So there are a ton of tracks to pick from with these guys, but here’s a good intro for the uninitiated; Trying to Find a Balance.
The 300s 