Hip Hop Underground

Underground Artists and Beat Makers

In todays world of the overly hyped rappers, untalented pop artists and unworthy top 40 rock bands there's no question as to why more and more people are turning to the littler known more unconventional artists. Being someone who became disheartened with most mainstream music while in my early teens myself I, luckily before I gave up completely gave up on music, was introduced to the underground hip hop scene. The first artists I stumbled upon in my quest for good music was Mos Def and Talib Kweli, I was introduced to them at relatively the same time and they're first albums constituted my first two underground albums, Mos Def's “Black on Both Sides” and Talib Kweli's (along with DJ Hi-Tek) “Reflections Eternal.” These two albums were and still are some of my favorite works from these two and still some of there best (especially on Mos Def's Part).

Though Kweli and Mos were a big step a way from the high profile rap that I'd been seeing and hearing on the tv and radio, there was still another artist that would be so vastly different that it would be difficult for me to listen mainstream music ever again, Del the Funky Homosapien as Deltron Zero as he's called when paired with beat maker Dan the Automator. For many people the album Deltron 3030 was so vastly different from anything they'd ever heard before and for many the beginning in a long line of new and innovative artists that they would be introduced to.

In my own experience, after Del there was a long dry spell of artists that would satisfy my new found music tastes until I found the underground hip hop label called Definitive Jux. Definitive Jux or Def Jux for short bore a new era in underground, founded by ex-member and producer for rap group Company Flow formerly of legendary hip hop label Rawkus Records, to which there was a bitter departure. This label was comprised of an assortment of already moderately known artists in the underground world such as Aesop Rock, Mr. Lif, Cage, and Murs, it also introduced some new talent like RJD2 and Hangar 18 just to name a few. This label with it's eclectic grouping of artists and producers kept me occupied for a long time and still does.

From then on I found new artists by looking up the artists that collaborate with the ones I already discovered, discovering new artists at shows a concerts, and word of mouth.

Atmosphere

Sage Francis

Brother Ali

MF Doom

J Dilla

Madlib

Ghostface Killah

De La Soul

Cannibal OX

Company Flow

Mr Lif

Aesop Rock

Mos Def

Nas

Common

Black Star

Blackalicious

Deltron 3030

EL-P

Quasimoto

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien

Gang Starr

Immortal Technique

Raekwon

Danger_Mouse

Rob Sonic

Murs

Cee-Lo

Perceptionists

Cage

C-Rayz Walz

Dungeon Family

Jaylib

Lupe Fiasco

Gnarles Barkley

Cool Calm Pete

Ol'Dirty Bastard

Despot

Little Brother

Mick Boogie

Danny!

Speach Impediments

Prefuse 73

Nobody

Main Sequence

Consequence

Rhymefest

Arsonists

Dr. Octogon

K-OS

Guilty Simpson