For over two decades, Atmosphere has maintained a course of rigorous output, releasing over two dozen studio albums, EP’s and collaborative side projects in as many years. In that time, the venerated duo have built a legacy out of bringing honesty, humility and vulnerability to the forefront of their music, continually challenging themselves to evolve without straying too far from their roots. Slug has proven masterful at storytelling and writing compelling narratives, leaving a trail of his own influence while paying homage to the rappers and songwriters that helped shape him. Ant has skillfully molded the soundtracks with inspiration from soul, funk, rock, reggae, and the wizardry of hip-hop’s pioneering DJ’s and producers, creating his own trademark sounds while providing the pulse for songs about life, love, stress and setbacks. At its essence, Atmosphere has been a musical shepherd, and with each new album comes a new journey as they guide generations of listeners through this thing called life.

Brother Ali has no reservations in saying that he’s “trying to be one of the greatest of all time” (on the Molemen track “Life Sentence”). Inspired by golden era legends like KRS-One and Rakim, this undisputed Master of Ceremony began rapping as a means of survival. 

Growing up albino (colorless hair, skin and eyes, poor vision, and extreme sensitivity to the sun) in a world of cruel kids made it strikingly obvious to Ali that he needed a high-powered way to earn some respect and prestige among his peers. As a result, ever since elementary school he hasn’t slowed down with his lyrical grind. In his rare moments of silence these days, if you catch his eyes, you’ll notice that this Minneapolis denizen is rapping in his head. For Ali, hip-hop doesn’t stop when he exits the studio or stage.

Around the turn of the millennium, Rhymesayers Entertainment couldn’t overlook Ali’s talent and drive when he submitted his self-produced demo, Rites of Passage. This rare, cassette-only effort features collections of rhymes, poems, and stories that he wove into his live sets. Its release help make him a welcome member of the RSE family alongside Atmosphere, Musab, and Eyedea and Abilities.


Benjamin Laub – better known as Grieves – is a Seattle-based hip-hop artist. He emerged in 2007 with the independently released Irreversible. This led to touring with some of indie rap’s finest, including artists like Atmosphere, Macklemore, Cunninlynguists, Watsky, Chris Webby, P.O.S, and many more. He’s since followed with four more full-length studio albums: 88 Keys & Counting (2010); Together/Apart (2011) which landed at #1 on Billboard’s Heatseekers and #106 on their Top 200; Winter & the Wolves (2014) which peaked at #57 on Billboard’s Top 200; and his latest release, Running Wild (2017). In the summer of 2019, Grieves released a new addition to his arsenal, a new 8-track EP, The Collections of Mr. Nice Guy.

With 2020 presenting itself with its own unique challenges, some silver linings appeared, one being forced downtime. Grieves took that opportunity and dove heavy into the melodic realm with his newest release, 14 tracks of instrumentals, Canopy (June 2021).

With A Gun Barrel Between Your Teeth You Speak Only In Vowels.

Nigh+Shif+ is following