Joshua Ryan Turner (born May 31, 1992), better known by his stage name Dem Atlas (often stylized as deM atlaS), is an American rapper from

Saint Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississippi River, Saint Paul is a regional business hub and the center ...

. He was formally a member of the group Sifu Hotman alongside rapper Guante and producer Rube. He was formerly signed to

Rhymesayers Entertainment Rhymesayers Entertainment (sometimes abbreviated RSE) is an American independent hip-hop record label based in Minneapolis. History Rhymesayers Entertainment was co-founded in 1995 by Sean Daley (Slug), Anthony Davis (Ant), Musab Saad (Sab th ...

Early life

Born in

Akron, Ohio Akron () is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Summit County. It is located on the western edge of the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau, about south of downtown Cleveland. As of the 2020 Census, the city prop ...

, Turner moved to

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

at age 4. He attended Eagan Senior High School.

Music career

In 2013, Dem Atlas self-released his debut EP, ''Charle Brwn''. During 2013, Dem Atlas signed to

and they re-released the ''Charle Brwn'' EP on their own imprint. After signing to the label, Dem Atlas joined label mate Greives' Running Wild Tour. In 2014 he released the ''Dwnr'' EP to critical acclaim. ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...

'' included it on the "Best MN Hip-Hop Releases of 2014" list. After releasing the EP Dem Atlas joined Atmosphere's summer tour and joined Joey Bada$$ on tour to promote the EP. While touring in 2014, Sifu Hotman, his collaborative project with Guante and Rube, released a studio album, ''Embrace the Sun''. Dem Atlas spent the entirety of 2015 on the road touring the US and released a single, "With a Smile". ''

The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, th ...

'' included him on the "Five Rap Artists to Watch For in 2015" list. In 2016, he released a mixtape, ''MF Dem'', which became an instant cult classic and featured 13 previously released instrumentals from

MF Doom Daniel Dumile ( ; July 13, 1971October 31, 2020), best known by his stage name MF Doom or simply Doom (both stylized in all caps), was a British-American rapper and record producer. Noted for his intricate wordplay, signature metal mask, and ...

. During 2016 and 2017, Dem Atlas, served as opener from Atmosphere's Freshwater Fly Fisherman and Welcome To Colorado tours. In 2018, he released his debut solo studio album, ''Bad Actress''. He then performed at Soundset 2018 and spent the rest of 2018 on the road touring in support of ''Bad Actress.'' Dem Atlas spent the entirety of 2019 on the road touring both the US and Europe. In 2020, Rhymesayers ended its working relationship with Dem Atlas, following allegations of sexual misconduct by various women. In 2021, Dem Atlas signed a management deal wit
San Francisco Supply
On November 12, 2021 deM atlaS self-released the redeMption EP.

Style and influences

In a 2015 interview with '' Star Tribune'', Dem Atlas stated that his influences range from

Pharcyde The Pharcyde (currently known as The Far Side) is an American alternative hip hop group, formed in 1989, from South Central Los Angeles. The original four members of the group are Imani (Emandu Wilcox), Slimkid3 (Trevant Hardson), Bootie Brown ...

to Nas,

Minor Threat Minor Threat was an American hardcore punk band, formed in 1980 in Washington, D.C. by vocalist Ian MacKaye and drummer Jeff Nelson. MacKaye and Nelson had played in several other bands together, and recruited bassist Brian Baker and guitar ...

Bad Brains Bad Brains are an American rock band formed in Washington, D.C. in 1976. Originally a jazz fusion band under the name Mind Power, they are widely regarded as pioneers of hardcore punk, though the band's members have objected to the use of this t ...

, Louis Armstrong, and

Billie Holiday Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday had an innovative influence on jazz music and pop s ...

Discography

Studio albums

* ''Embrace the Sun'' (2014) * ''Bad Actress'' (2018)

Mixtapes

* ''MF Dem'' (2016)

EPs

* ''Charle Brwn'' (2013) * ''Sifu Hotman'' (2013) * ''Dwnr'' (2014) *redeMption (2021)

Singles

* "All We Got" (2014) * "With a Smile" (2015) * "In the Mud" (2017) * "Bad Days Are Over" (2019) *"Retribution" (2021)

Guest appearances

* Irenic - "Angels Lose Their Way" from ''Wisdom Teeth: The Art of Pulling Roots'' (2012) * Beasthead - "Different Son" from ''Tallest Trees'' (2013) * Atmosphere - "Color in the Snow" (2013) * Antioch - "Prozac Daytrips" from ''King of the Forest'' (2014) * Christopher Michael Jensen - "Psychosis" from ''CM Cool J'' (2014) * Atmosphere - "Finer Things" (2015) * Andre Mariette - "Beer vs. Champagne" from ''Cloud 8.9'' (2015) * Doze - "Nice Guys Finish Last" from ''Pay Dues Forever'' (2015) * Atmosphere - "Next to You" from ''

Fishing Blues "Fishing Blues" (also "Fishin' Blues") is a blues song written in 1911 by Chris Smith, who is best known for "Ballin' the Jack". "Fishing Blues" was first recorded in 1928 by "Ragtime Texas" Henry Thomas on vocals and guitar with the intr ...

'' (2016) *

Onry Ozzborn Michael Sean Martinez (born March 25, 1979), better known by his stage name Onry Ozzborn, is an American rapper and producer from Seattle, Washington. He is a founding member of alternative hip hop groups such as Grayskul, Dark Time Sunshine, and ...

- "Figure It Out" from '' Duo'' (2016) *

Brother Ali Ali Douglas Newman (born Jason Douglas Newman, July 30, 1977), better known by his stage name Brother Ali, is an American rapper, community activist, and member of the Rhymesayers Entertainment hip hop collective. He has released seven albums ...

- "Special Effects" from ''

All the Beauty in This Whole Life ''All the Beauty in This Whole Life'' is the sixth studio album by Brother Ali. It was released on Rhymesayers Entertainment on May 5, 2017. It is Brother Ali's first album in five years. Entirely produced by Ant, it features guest appearances fr ...

'' (2017) * YYY - "Wouldn't It Be Nice" from ''A Tribute to the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds'' (2017) * Lady Midnight - "Slide" from ''Midnight Special Vol. 2: Countdown 2 Sunrise'' (2018) * Ultra Suede - "Selfish" from ''Ultra Suede'' (2018) * Atmosphere - "Drown" from ''

Mi Vida Local ''Mi Vida Local'' is the ninth studio album by American hip hop group Atmosphere. It was released on October 5, 2018 by Rhymesayers Entertainment, and was supported by the lead single "Virgo", as well as an accompanying 35-date album tour with supp ...

'' (2018)

References

External links

* on

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dem Atlas 1992 births Living people 21st-century American rappers Musicians from Akron, Ohio Musicians from Minneapolis Rhymesayers Entertainment artists