An intricate word design, mesmerizing beats and language you won't hear on the radio basically sums up Atmosphere, a duo of rappers from Minneapolis. Sean Daley (Slug) and Anthony Davis (Ant) have hit it off as a mainstream, independent act.

Slug, the lead vocalist who's now 34, started Atmosphere in 1993 after leaving The Rhymesayers, another rap group out of Minnesota. Siddig Ali (Stress) and Derek Turner (Spawn) were also members of the group and together they earned the respect of underground listeners. In a short time, Stress left the group after the recording of Atmosphere's first album "Overcast!" and went off to do his own thing. Spawn, who was never really officially part of Atmosphere, left and started touring with artist EL-P.

After creating Atmosphere with Stress and Spawn, Slug ended up meeting Ant and they became what Atmosphere is today. Ant is a record producer who has helped out with every disk made by Atmosphere. He also worked with other artists such as I Self Devine, Felt, and Rhymesayers Entertainment. And he has his own solo album, called "Melodies and Memories."

Most of the raps are based upon Slug's personal life, including problems with alcohol, relationships, depression, and tour life. Slug stated in an interview that he would never lie in his raps, but some lyrics are stories that are completely fictional. Others are truer than your name written on your birth certificate.

In almost every song, the name Lucy can be heard. Whoever she may be, she is considered a main character in Slug's life. Using the name Lucy was a way for Slug to write about women and he figured it would be a way to express himself. Lucy is shown mostly as an on-off girlfriend, portrayed as a demon and angel. When asked about by fans, Slug just said that Lucy was a cat he owned while he was creating his first few albums. Atmosphere has over 150 songs spread through eight different CDs. They've earned labels with Entertainment/Warner Music, Epitaph and Fat Beats.