August 13, 2004

BY DAVID JAKUBIAK

For a decade, Chicago rapper Pugslee Atomz was synonymous with the Nacrobats, a hip-hop collective with a constantly shifting roster that would flux in numbers from dozens to few.

Last year, the Nacrobats disintegrated.

"It felt kind of weird at first because I was so used to thinking about a group of people," Pugslee says. "Everything would revolve around making the group known, not just Pugslee and some people. It's been kind of wild to be like, 'Practice! Oh, I can practice.' Because now all I need to practice is myself and [DJ] Intel. It's been a lot easier and there is more time to focus on my ideas."

MF DOOM, GUNKHOLE, PUGSLEE ATOMZ WITH INTEL AND DRAWINGS CREATED LIVE BY COMIC BOOK ARTISTS JIM MAHFOOD, JOSE GARIBALDI, DAVE CROSLAND AND MIKE BIANCE 11 p.m. Saturday Metro, 3730 N. Clark Tickets, $17 (18-over show) (773) 549-0203

Atomz has taken advantage of this freedom by putting together a new CD, becoming a television host and continuing his work on radio.

Later this month, Chicago-based Audio 8 Recordings will release his latest solo CD, "Playing with Matches," which chronicles the Chicago graffiti scene of the early 1990s.

"I'm painting a picture of the everyday life of a graffiti writer, the trials and tribulations," he says. "It's kind of similar to how 50 Cent is to gangster culture. I'm giving the inside scoop and talking about how [graffiti] brings you to all of the hip-hop elements."

Atomz says he was inspired to do the project because he's seen a splintering in the hip-hop culture between the elements of DJ-ing, break dancing, MC-ing and graffiti writing.

"When I was a kid, everything went hand-in-hand. If you did graffiti, you were into rhyming," he says. "Now everything is getting bigger and there is corporate money. If they are giving money for DJ battles, some people might think it's not important anymore to look at the other stuff. I had to bring it all back together."

Saturday's show at Metro is a pulling together of different elements in its own right as Chicago hip-hop merges with the comic book world of this weekend's Wizard World Chicago convention.

"It will be wild," Atomz says. "There will be classic guys like MF Doom [KMD, Madvillain] doing their thing onstage, while guys like Jim Mahfood [40 oz. Comics] are doing sketches live onstage and in the balcony."

But Atomz isn't only focusing on his rhyme book. He recently became host of "Barbershop Hip Hop," a Chicago cable-access program that places a spotlight on local hip-hop and hip-hop artists who are playing in Chicago.

Atomz says the creator of the show, Slim the Barber, asked him to come on board as the host.

"I studied video in college and loved it," Atomz says. "So far, the reaction to the show has been really good."

Shot at the Model Barbershop at 3452 W. Irving Park, the next episode of the show airs on Saturday at 11:30 p.m. on Channel 19 in Chicago. All episodes also can be seen online at www.barbershophiphop.com.

His foray into TV hasn't interrupted Atomz's job as co-host of "CTA Radio" every Wednesday night from 9 p.m. to midnight on WHPK-FM (88.5). Atomz, Thaione Davis, DJ Verve and Cosmo Galactus take to the airwaves each week to promote fresh Chicago hip-hop.

"It's become a staple in South Side hip-hop," Atomz says. "We have a pretty open-door policy in terms of letting people get heard and get some feedback and criticism." Artists who would like to have their music played on the show can e-mail Atomz at ctaradio@hotmail.com.

Despite all of his new and continued work, Atomz has not ruled out reviving the Nacrobats name with new projects.

"There probably will be [a new Nacrobats], because it seems like turnover in the roster has gone in two-year spurts since 1993," Atomz says. "But I think it will be more like the traditional albums I used to do, where it will just be a compilation of artists I like."

David Jakubiak is a local free-lance writer.