WHAT IS THE STATE OF UNDERGROUND HIP HOP?

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  • dgriotdgriot 388 Posts


    Chops "Virtuosity" was the last underground rap cd i bought like 2 years ago. anybody else like it?

    I liked it a lot; it was really polished for an underground-minded release. I'm glad that Chops sorta distanced himself from the Mountain Brothers and started focusing on production. His mixtape collabs with DJ Lt. Dan are pretty decent, too.

  • dgriotdgriot 388 Posts

    BUSDRIVER T-SHIRT ALERT!

    (From complaining about Anticon and the implied catering to white college students to collabing with members of The Unicorns and signing to Epitaph. Busdriver.)

  • ayresayres 1,452 Posts
    Backpackers and Frat Boys are listening to Southern Rap/Trap/Snap/Crunk right now... ... and everybody else is listening to whatever is on the radio

    Southern Rap/Trap/Snap/Crunk = what is on the radio

  • *** You are ignoring this user ***

  • gambitgambit 906 Posts
    Backpackers and Frat Boys are listening to Southern Rap/Trap/Snap/Crunk right now... ... and everybody else is listening to whatever is on the radio

    Southern Rap/Trap/Snap/Crunk = what is on the radio


  • gambitgambit 906 Posts
    Id say there are 3 variables

    1-Holders on
    Back when underground hiphop popularity was at a high a lot of random groups started coming out guetting support from the scene (the market was bigger). Like a micro version of all the new rapper explosion now. For all the Atmosphere's getting real big success there are the demigodz, apathy, copywrite etc. that were hot for a minute but have not released shit yet and a lot of crew subsiduaries (psychological getting broken down into individual rappers, jedi mind solo shit etc, and a bunch of justice league variations)These groups enjoy a loyal fanbase (holders on) but there output is not super relevant, and there are about a million of them. (think about ordering all the new releases from hiphopsite that are hyped per month)for the record though i have barely listened to any of this shit. Think about it as the opening shows for a good rapper in your local town. There are 3 opening acts from youre city. Some cuts are dope some beats are cool. Will you remember a lot of these guys let alone cop there album...?

    2- The grinders
    Cats that were able to distinguish themselves, Murs, Felt, SV, aesop, blueprint, blockhead and putting out relatively good material (varying on taste please no Faux scratch out) but are oscilating in the underground/commercial limbo and still broke at the end of the day.

    3- Next level shit
    Cats like madlib, Jneiro jarel,count bass D the broken beat/downtempo philly scene, bbc1 that are experimenting with hiphop roots and are branching out to jazz musicians and brazilian musicians and are inter-collaborating. They get high accolades from the "alternative media" and set themselves up with nice situations good label/fanbase/music ala stonesthrow

    thats it
    hard to keep up with this shit though as rap is sprawling faster than California suburbs yet fueled by those same suburbs. Ironic isnt it.

    yeah theres da rant

  • Id 3- Next level shit
    Cats like madlib, Jneiro jarel,count bass D the broken beat/downtempo philly scene, bbc1 that are experimenting with hiphop roots and are branching out to jazz musicians and brazilian musicians and are inter-collaborating. They get high accolades from the "alternative media" and set themselves up with nice situations good label/fanbase/music ala stonesthrow


    word, this is pretty much they only type of stuff I still like/buy/play out i.e. (stuff that is more "fat city" than "hip-hopsite.com"), but I still woudn't say I'm a Madlib fan and I only have a couple Count Bass D singles and never sat down to and listened to his entire albums (That Jniero Jarel was probally one the best things I heard last year though).

  • AaronAaron 977 Posts
    Why does it seem like the graphic design always outshines the music?

  • Why does it seem like the graphic design always outshines the music?


    Counterflow is a good example of this.

  • yuichiyuichi Urban sprawl 11,332 Posts


    Chops "Virtuosity" was the last underground rap cd i bought like 2 years ago. anybody else like it?

    DOOKEY (so was "Chilltown, NY" which I bought at the same time)!!!!! (flush sounds in background).

    Peace,

    Big Stacks from Kakalak

    i thought each track really complemented the emcees, and the album as a whole was well made. i'm really surprised that nobody likes it, besides myself. I thought Bahamadia, Talib Kweli, Planet Asia, all of 'em killed it. Course there's like 5 songs that are crap, but i just skip those. I also think it grew on me, cuz it got a lot of play in the car. I'm not one for sloppy beats and rhymes, ala Hieroglyphics, MF Doom, etc.

    That just wasn't my "flava" of hip-hop. I found it quite corny and soulless, honestly. I didn't like one track.

    Peace,

    Big Stacks from Kakalak

    i'm a new school dude, who isn't grounded in the old styles. i agree, i did find it kind of soulless at first, but it grew on me. yea it probably is a little too polished and synthetic for your tastes in terms of beats, but i can certainly appreciate it, as far as them being really well "composed". probably a lil too backpack for you too, i would assume.

    'course i'm the same dude that would probably rock stuff like The Documentary over more "rough around the edges" sounds.

    blah.

  • SwayzeSwayze 14,705 Posts
    every major city has their own underground hip hop scene. and in that scene you will find everything ranging from nasally white dudes rhyming about metaphysics, to asian dudes rhyming about cars, white dudes trying to sound like eminem, black dudes trying to sound like 50, canadians trying to sound southern. pretty much anything you could imagine or want, exists somewhere. last year i was in croatia and i saw a croat dude rhyming in sizzla style in croatian (?!!). and it was actually better than it sounds.
    just like any underground scene of any type of music, you have to dig to find the good shit. but everyone knows that....

  • SwayzeSwayze 14,705 Posts


    Just some recent favourites...



    i have to cop that harry love. this man is a wicked producer (and a wicked dj too), and virtually unknown outside of the UK. i just looked at my klashnikoff- murda 12, and saw that he produced that track too! that beat is sICK! everything i've heard from him has been on point...





  • I DJ'd a party last weekend, and this was the only record that we played that people asked to hear again. "Raw," the first track on here gets people excited if nothing else.

  • I know nothing about it... Generally I don't like 99.9% of the music in most modern genres, underground rap included. I think it about as on-par as any other modern music.

    Some records I think will be good, and that I will buy if Montreal ever gets another shop where I can get anything other than Non Phixion promos...

    Dilla Donuts (yeah, I am slow, I should go cop today, what is the verdict here btw?).
    New Cut Chemist LP (loved that last Edan Torture Chamber remix, even though I'm not a big fan of Edan, if that is a hint at the direction, I think I will like it alot...)
    New Jel full length (single with Wise Intellegent and the Joe Quixx remix is real cool).

    I dunno.
    What is good?

  • pcmrpcmr 5,591 Posts
    I know nothing about it... Generally I don't like 99.9% of the music in most modern genres, underground rap included. I think it about as on-par as any other modern music.

    Some records I think will be good, and that I will buy if Montreal ever gets another shop where I can get anything other than Non Phixion promos...

    Dilla Donuts (yeah, I am slow, I should go cop today, what is the verdict here

    Donuts is extremely recommended
    I feel you on montreal shops, actually HMV (no corporate promo) has some stuff from rather underground labels. I spoke to the guy ordering and he knows his shit.

  • I consider this thread null and void until Danno3000 chimes in with his opinion, we all know he is the true authority on all things hip-hop.
    I guess he must be busy consulting with Busta on how to handle the shooting situation.



  • Just some recent favourites...



    i have to cop that harry love. this man is a wicked producer (and a wicked dj too), and virtually unknown outside of the UK. i just looked at my klashnikoff- murda 12, and saw that he produced that track too! that beat is sICK! everything i've heard from him has been on point...



    that ghost stuff is pretty good and the production on that mod.ill reminded me of some Prefuse shit (in a good way). That's probally one of the last indie records I reaaaaaaly liked. Plus Truth Enola is that dude with the right production.

  • Glad people are checking for Ghost, he makes some DOPE beats, Alien Invasion with Finale (or whatever the guy is called) is real nice... if you're not feeling the uk accents on most of his stuff, then check it for the instro's alone...



  • is rather good.

  • Is that the Acey RJ thing?

  • bull_oxbull_ox 5,056 Posts
    Why does it seem like the graphic design always outshines the music?

    Its funny that you say that, cuz most of these pictured scare me off by the sleeves alone (ESPECIALLY that new Aceyalone, looks godawful)

    Not that I think the G-Unit records look good or anything

  • BrianBrian 7,618 Posts
    Not that I think the G-Unit records look good or anything

  • SwayzeSwayze 14,705 Posts


    Chops "Virtuosity" was the last underground rap cd i bought like 2 years ago. anybody else like it?

    no but this is pretty dope:




  • Is that the Acey RJ thing?

    Yep and its hot.
    some serious beats and rhymes.

  • DubiousDubious 1,865 Posts
    Generally I don't like 99.9% of the music in most modern genres,

    why caveat that with "modern" i dont think most people like more than 1% of ANY GENRE regardless of time / place / era.. there's ALOT of music out there.

  • The underground is thriving; this guy loves it:





    I don't bump mainstream, I knock underground/All that other shit sugar-coated and watered down



    And this guy is like, the king of undgerground rap:





    I'm happy to hear that real headz down under are helping to keep underground rap alive. Good on ya, mates!

  • kicks79kicks79 1,345 Posts
    I think it's funny that underground cats from the states probably get more love in australia than their own country.
    The new Aceyalone album is dope. The first single Fire has a dope disco boogie sample. I think most of the people here would like it if they gave it a chance.
    Soul Strut to me seems to have a big cultural cringe to the States underground/indy rap scene.
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