Slug and Ant have taken their group Atmosphere into the upper echelons of independent hip-hop. Originally their sound was fairly dark, and consequently they were crowned by some as the kings of "emo-hop," whatever the fuck that is. Their latest album, "You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having" sees Ant continuing the funkier, more soulful sound that first surfaced on the Felt 2 album that also featured Murs of Living Legends. Slug's rhymes are still a notch above the rest, telling stories and conveying feelings that aren't normally seen in hip-hop, which is probably what gave rise the emo-hop label.

Beyond the actual music, Atmosphere is/was the core of the Minnesota-based hip-hop collective known as Rhymesayers, which has since expanded into a record store and a label with artists nationwide. Los Nativos is one of the most recent signings to the label, also hailing from the Twin Cities.