God Loves Ugly [LP]

Atmosphere: Slug (rap vocals); Ant (programming).
Additional personnel: Mankwe Ndosi, Sara Lindsay, Sara Schrantz (vocals); I Self Devine (rap vocals); George Faber (harmonica).
Recorded at A440 Studios, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Move over Eminem, and tell Slim Shady the news. Not only is Twin Cities white rapper Slug (the voice of Atmosphere) more interested in storytelling than in venting his personal frustrations, his partner Ant culls together more innovative beats and tracks than anybody this side of Timbaland or El-P. Together they present GOD LOVES UGLY, a slice of progressive, underground hip-hop whose rhymes are full of rich detail and imaginative construction, and whose music is both funky and, well, atmospheric. Though the album did make its way onto the charts, it's probably not lowest-common-denominator enough to connect on the level of Eminem, but that'll just make Atmosphere our little secret.