What is underground rap

Labels know their audience and trying to give them new music is a risky move for their finances and their reputations. Underground hip hop has a story to tell.

The artists write their music with a purpose in mind. They discuss social issues, politics, the fate of the world, and the future of our children. Underground hip hop is a forum for divisive opinions. And it is a huge pile of potentially dangerous material to put a company name on. Record labels are large entities. Associating themselves with politically charged music can have serious consequences.

More than that, hip-hop is a genre that was created to challenge the status quo. At its roots, hip hop defies authority. And record labels embody authority when they force music to fit into a predefined mold. Put yourself in their shoes, and try listening to this:. Record labels are terrified of signing music like that, and radio stations are terrified of playing it.

Radio stations are already walking on eggshells, and underground hip hop is a pair of lead shoes. Artists absolutely abhor being told what to write, or how to write it. Honestly, that says a lot about the music industry that they shut down anyone who tries to speak up and promote social activism through the art of music.

Luckily, underground artists are not dettered. If anything, their rejection has only served to solidify their beliefs, and encourage them to shout out at the injustices of the world through their raps.

Underground hip hop artists have developed a community culture where intellectualism and social justice encouraged and respected! That only goes to show that the greatest of movements are born in the most unforgiving circumstances. Beyond the values of social activism, underground artists have a steadfast belief in the value of hard work.

These men and woman do their own work every step of the way from production to sales. And they still find time to speak out for their overworked and underpaid friends, family, and comrades. Where big corporations have failed to take on the responsibility of social justice, hard working independent artists have taken up the slack. They may never get along. Hip hop has an absolutely fascinating history.

The music finds its origins in the Jamaican tradition of toasting. Toasting is the practice of talking over a beat Sound familiar , usually in rhythm. Sometimes pre-written, and sometimes spontaneous, the tradition of toasting found a home in the poor areas of the Bronx, where it evolved into rapping. Rap originally began as a social movement, where the poverty-stricken teens of the ghetto found an outlet for their frustration with their situation. Hip-Hop brought kids out of gangs and crime, and gave them a place to gather, and a place to vent.

In its early days, hip hop was a voice for the voiceless. Latinos and blacks were able to speak out through the music and be heard by a much larger audience. Nobody had ever listened to hoodrats from the slums until now. In the s, the message of hip-hop music changed forever. Gangsta rap began to rise, glorifying violence and money.

Gangsta rap dehumanized women and proclaimed that status and wealth were the greatest pursuits in life. Gangsta rap became wildly popular on a global scale. To this day, popular hip hop has retained the core values of gangsta rap. Socially conscious rap was pushed underground, where it has stayed ever since. Maybe socially conscious hip hop is underground for a reason. When big name executives get involved, they have a very specific formula for producing music. If their every song is a YouTube video, they want to maximize likes and minimize dislikes.

Controversial opinions most definitely do not fit into that profit plan. Underground hip-hop is a far cry from appealing to a wide audience. It actively calls out the listeners and challenges the status quo. The big names who create that status quo in the first place do not appreciate being called out. We have seen a few rare instances of underground rappers seeing mainstream success. Immortal Technique, Macklemore, Aesop Rock, and Chance the Rapper are all famous, independent hip hop artists who managed to do well on their own.

In the future, hopefully we will see more artists gain success on the premise of their message and their music. To those who have never seen i…. May 15, Now YouTube is commonly used for songs and videos of the underground under specific accounts and iTunes is used to release albums and mixtapes.

Reh Dogg is a rapper who has gained great success in the "internet underground". Rap Wiki Explore. Wiki Content. Big Hawk. Explore Wikis Community Central. Register Don't have an account? Underground hip hop. Edit source History Talk 0. Categories Pages with reference errors History Add category.