ONE #10’s SOUND CHECK with Sean Daley of Atmosphere shed some light on what’s going on for this underground-hero-turned-chart-topping hip hop artist. At the time we spoke with Sean he was mid-tour in support of “When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold,” acclimating to the reality that their then-recently released album debuted near the top of the charts. In L.A. to play the Troubadour, ONE had a few minutes to pick his brain. This is what we learned…

Right out of the gate to No. 5 on the Billboard 200. To some people that probably means a lot. What, if anything, did that mean for you?

To me, it means that somehow in these downloading times, our fan base was motivated to go out and show in force. I give them all the credit. I think I may have the coolest fans in the world. It also means that it was a slow week for releases… ha.

Friends of mine in Minneapolis say they see you around “the cool part of town” frequently. Can you describe the influence Minnesota and maybe the Midwest in general has had on you and, by extension, your music?

Those friends have not seen me in the cool part of town for about two years. I went into hiding when I realized that everyone in the scene was an opportunist. Well, not everyone, but you get my point. Minnesota, however, is responsible for who I am as a person and as an artist. I would not be who I am had I grown up anywhere else.

Set against the context that lyrically you wanted to stretch your narrative out into more topics, you know, evolve, do you think it’s impossible for people not to compare whatever you create now to a slamming anthem you’ve cut in the past?

I’m sure they will. And I don’t mind. It’s my responsibility to be me. However, whoever decides what that means is up to them.

In that regard, is “When Life Gives You Lemons” a concept album?

Every album I’ve ever made has been a concept album. That’s what I get for wanting to be Prince when I was a kid.

I was reading a review on Pitchfork that discussed the “uniformly drab scenery” found on the new album. What would you say to the guy who wrote that?

I would say his liberal arts college creative writing courses were def a good idea. “Keep up the good work, Skippy.”

As someone who’s been recording and making music for a long time, what’s the process like for you? Are you writing songs all the time or do you procrastinate in the way a lot of writers do, until the last minute when you’re already in the studio, to get whatever’s freshest in your mind? Any specific challenges this album presented?

I write constantly.

I know you have a political edge, so what kind of forecast do you see coming down the Washington, D.C., pipeline? Him, her or the other one?

Obama in ’08.

Quick closers:

Vice?

Third-favorite magazine.

Mp3?

Sure.

Rollerblading?

Never tried it.

Thanks Sean. Good luck with the tour.

—JE (Photo Credit: Dan Monick)

“When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold”

(show cover art)

Rhymesayers

2008