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Atmosphere is probably the biggest independent hip-hop act ever to emerge out of the Midwest. Comprised of emcee Slug (Sean Daley) and producer Ant (Anthony Davis), the Rhymesayers heavy-hitters have been selling out shows for decades. Slug co-founded Rhymsayers Entertainment in 1995 along with Ant, Musab Saad and Brent Sayers. It boasts a colorful roster of artists ranging from Aesop Rock to Brother Ali to P.O.S. of Doomtree. Currently on studio album number 6, Atmosphere has embarked on a massive national tour with Slightly Stoopid and The Living Legends' Eligh and Grouch. He took a few minutes to talk addiction, hip-hop and his accomplishments. RAPstation: Artists like Macklemore and Eligh are very candid about their struggles with addiction. Do you think that could be a new tr

Bay Area icon, The Jacka, and Space Age Entertainment's Dubble-OO team up for the release of their collaborative project, "Futuristic Mob" which promises to have the perfect mixture of The Jacka's signature Mob sound that his fans have grown to love and Dubble-OO's spaced out-futuristic style which speaks to the younger generation that just wants to have fun. The two blend the generational and musical styles perfectly. Originally meeting on at a tour date in Seattle, WA four years ago, The Jacka and Dubble-OO immediately clicked and quickly made plans to work together once they were both back home in the Bay Area. Once in the same area, the two went full-tilt into the studio and began building an undeniable rapport in and outside of the studio - frequently running into each other on the

As an emcee, Aesop Rock has consistently pushed the boundaries of what is considered "traditional hip-hop." His wordy rhymes are often unintelligible and each bar is so cryptic, it's nearly impossible to figure out exactly what he's talking about. Nonetheless, he's produced incredible bodies of work beginning with 1997's Music For Earthworms and culminating with 2012's Skelethon (Rhymesayers Entertainment). In between, he dropped 2001's Labor Days and 2007's None Shall Pass. Both cemented Aesop Rock's rap career securely in place, allowing him to be even more experimental with his style. So it's no surprise the San Francisco-transplant teamed up with indie-folk darling Kimya Dawson of The Moldy Peaches for a new project. Simply called The Uncluded, the u

If you've seen MTV2's reality show, Mac Miller and the Most Dope Family, then you have a little insight into how the 21-year-old rapper is living these days. In one word, he's living large. The Pittsburgh native catapulted to superstardom as soon as his first full-length album, Blue Park Slide, debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts and sold over 144,000 copies in its first week—independently. He's been on Forbes Top 30 Under 30 List, Billboard called him the "new blueprint for success" and he was featured on the cover of XXL's 2011 Freshman Class issue. The trajectory he's on seems to just get higher and higher. Millers' sophomore effort, Watching Movies with the Sound Off, dropped June 18, 2013 on Rostrum Records. Curren

On the heels of the viral sensation, "Hold Me Down," Ricky Rude has once again teamed up with Philly's most notorious hustler, AR-AB, for the melodic jam, "Friday The 13th," which will be found on Ricky's forthcoming mixtape, "The Unprofessional Professional." Ricky sprints through the track, proving it's his "season to ball" before AR grabs the mic to close out the track. AR has long endorsed Ricky for his tenacity and work ethic and can be seen doing so here http://bit.ly/12idpCz in a viral video that recently hit the web. A music video is set to accompany the track later this month, the bulk of which was filmed before AR-AB's recent incarceration. For those who aren't up-to-speed, Ricky Rude is a Southern New Jersey lyricist whose style is as eclectic as his musical influences

Open Mike Eagle is the subject of Monday's Marc Maron's legendary WTF podcast where Mike discusses his life, career, and the evolution of indie rap. This follows an acclaimed taping of NPR's "Wits" show in Minneapolis last month with his friend and ally Hannibal Buress. Please visit http://www.wtfpod.com/podcast/episodes/episode_406_-_mike_eagle to check out the "WTF" podcast. To coincide with the appearance on "WTF" and the upcoming tour, Open Mike Eagle is releasing a brand new EP - the Frank Black approved Sir Rockabye. The EP's lead track, "Degrassi Picture Day (Hellfyre Jackets)" features Busdriver and production from Kuest 1. "Degrassi Picture Day" will strike a chord with anyone who ever went to school. Please visit http://openmikeeagle.bandcamp.com/album/sir-rockabye to d