It is often among our most downtrodden, poor, dilapidated, and deserted that the weakest voice rings true. In a world where high priced dreams and aspirations lead to a predictable demise all too often artists curb their creative instinct in pursuit of the unattainable goal. Underground freestyle rap artist “Atmosphere” provides a polarized view on the life of an unsuccessful and underappreciated performer struggling with the vices and troubles of a torn musical conscious. His song “Trying to Find a Balance” fosters some of a young man’s frustrations, dreams, and struggles along the path to notoriety. The particular piece is interesting in the sense that the artist operates in three different phases during the production and encompasses the emotional effect of the choices made into a complete entity in perfect union with the three phases of the song. Sean Daley (AKA Atmosphere) is best interpreted on an emotional level in this performance and as an extension of his actual words themselves.
Daley wastes no time in the piece of identifying his discontent with the treatment he and his band had received over the years, as can be identified in this excerpt of the first four lines: “They love the taste of blood, Now I don't know what that means, but I know that I mean it, Maybe they're as evil as they seem, Or maybe I only look out the window when it's scenic…” In this short four-line phrase Daley sets forth several issues worth discussing. While Daley is apparently condemning his critics it is important to concede that the artist identifies his own potential for flaws in the line “…Or maybe I only look out the window when it's scenic…” This admission of human nature comes from the life obstacles the now 32-year-old rapper has been forced to overcome and these experiences themselves are the key element to the autobiographical characteristics of the piece. We also stop to study the first two lines of the phrase which, when looked at closely allow for an interesting perspective on the mindset of the critics referenced. “They love the taste of blood…” is a pure image invoking statement. The taste of blood alludes to the critics as bats attempting to stifle the life of a budding career by the sucking of the metaphorical creative blood. The artist continues to state his own vulnerability, in the line “Now I don’t know what that means, but I know that I mean it…” he concedes the fact that he does not know his critics on a personal enough level to determine the actual degree of malicious intent associated with their actions. This rather optimistic reaction to the vibrant imagery of the “blood loving” critics serves as a dual paradox in the sense that it is both contradictory and complementary in nature to the song as a whole.
The next segment of the work focuses on the frustrations Daley harbors over the commercialized and largely industrialized state of the music industry. “See, I’m not insane, in fact I’m kinda rational, when I be asking {“Yo where did all the passion go”}” these lines lay down a first hand look through Daley’s eyes and magnetize the relationship the listener and the artist share. In this phrase Daley’s vents over the lack of creativity associated with his craft, the second line in particular “…where did all the passion go?” exemplifies the call to a purer trade and a renaissance in ingenuity within the music business. We again see Daley showcase his emotional angst later in the piece when he says, “Emcees drag their feet across a big naked land, with an empty bag of seed and a fake shake of hands”. This excerpt approaches Daley’s perceived fallacies within the trade from a different point a view, this one on a more personal level. This is the first time within the piece that Daley directly accuses his counterparts of being in someway fake. The most obvious example of these feelings can be found when Daley exclaims “…and a fake shake of hands…” this of course alluding to the fact that he believes other artist construct a facade around those who haven’t yet sacrificed creative integrity for monetary gain. This segment bears special importance in the sense that the artist is making a concerted attempt to distance himself from the “corrupted” of his profession. This in turn is also a call to other “original” artists to condemn the actions of a sold out vocation.
Daley is not shy about his aspirations to become a successful musician, however he is sure to make the distinction between the ways to do so. As we see in the lines “…You can't achieve your goals if you don't take that chance, so go pry open that trunk and get those amps (You know!)…” The artist is attempting to convey the essence of hard work and staying true to his roots. Although not in a traditional manner, Daley is attempting to convey the importance of hard work and an exhibition of fortitude on the pathway to stardom. We see this idea evidenced when we pair the first phrase of the segment with “…So go pry open that trunk and get those amps (You know!)…” The language used by Daley is meant to be in some ways a dialectal appeal to his audience. The amps referenced should be thought of as a goal, while “prying open the trunk” is the figurative term for overcoming obstacles. Atmosphere’s ability to relate to his audience in unorthodox manners has made the performer more adaptable to his audience and in this particular piece gives the listener a real life example of the figurative “struggle”. This same general idea can be seen in a different way when Daley says “While everyone was trying to out-do the last man I was just a ghost trying to catch someone's Pac-man…” The same principals apply although in this particular phrase the artist replaces the goal with “Pac-man” (the classic video game) and compares his quest for success to the playing of the game.
Throughout the piece Daley exemplifies his abilities to both relate to his audience in real world ways and to communicate his ideas successfully to his listeners. The union between the three emotional aspects of the work creates a whole foundation for the production. Success is a fleeting entity and through Daley’s eyes can, and should only be achieved through hard work and ingenuity. These and many other ideas are set forth in Daley’s work and the perpetuation of these ideals is the key to the overall accomplishment of the work.
