The Best Underground Rappers You Aren't Listening To

[rousseau]

I have no one to talk about hip-hop with so I'm just going to put this here:

https://seatgeek.com/tba/music/the-t...-listening-to/

Some of the tunes in the article are instant classics.

[ronburgundy]

Shouldn't Tupac count as an "underground" rapper?

[Smoker]

I prefer Aesop Rock over A$AP Rocky, and Wu-Tang over all these half ass rappers that can't make their own beats.

[Smoker]

[tantric]

kudos for immortal technique, so here's some 3rd world rap. pitch black afro (zulus knock out their front two teeth for beautification)

[DrZoidberg]

Riff Raff and Danny Brown rock my world

Japanese breakers Hifana are another favourite. They're a hoot

[PyramidHead]

Not to hijack the thread. But I'm trying to get into hip hop. I'm in love with the beats and the sampling style, especially DJ Premier, J Dilla, and that ilk. But every time I try to enjoy a hip hop some with actual lyrics, I come up short. Most of them seem to primarily rap about how good they are at rapping, or how hard things are in the ghetto. Not that there's anything wrong with either of those topics, but there must be other stuff they care about. Right now the only MC I really dig is MC Ride from Death Grips. His lyrics are abstract and chaotic, full of self-loathing at the same time as they are braggadocious. I've never come across another guy who can rap in that way. Any suggestions, or am I listening to the wrong genre?

[DrZoidberg]

Not to hijack the thread. But I'm trying to get into hip hop. I'm in love with the beats and the sampling style, especially DJ Premier, J Dilla, and that ilk. But every time I try to enjoy a hip hop some with actual lyrics, I come up short. Most of them seem to primarily rap about how good they are at rapping, or how hard things are in the ghetto. Not that there's anything wrong with either of those topics, but there must be other stuff they care about. Right now the only MC I really dig is MC Ride from Death Grips. His lyrics are abstract and chaotic, full of self-loathing at the same time as they are braggadocious. I've never come across another guy who can rap in that way. Any suggestions, or am I listening to the wrong genre?

Hip hop doesn't talk to your brain. It talks to your ass. Hip hop is fundamentaly dance music. It's all rhythm. Try listening to it standing up. It should be an all body experience.

I have never a clue what the words mean. Don't hear them. In hip hop the voice is just a percussion device. That's what makes it special. Listen for the rhythm!

[Playball40]

Try listening to the Hamilton soundtrack.

Not to hijack the thread. But I'm trying to get into hip hop. I'm in love with the beats and the sampling style, especially DJ Premier, J Dilla, and that ilk. But every time I try to enjoy a hip hop some with actual lyrics, I come up short. Most of them seem to primarily rap about how good they are at rapping, or how hard things are in the ghetto. Not that there's anything wrong with either of those topics, but there must be other stuff they care about. Right now the only MC I really dig is MC Ride from Death Grips. His lyrics are abstract and chaotic, full of self-loathing at the same time as they are braggadocious. I've never come across another guy who can rap in that way. Any suggestions, or am I listening to the wrong genre?

[another1]

Death Grips are the strangest and most distorted kida stuff I've heard in the past couple years, PyramidHead. Bitch Please is intense, and I looped it in the truck for all day listening many a time. If you can play it down to 33rpm its like a friggin rap black mass. Spooky and just unconventional sound. Das Racist has some strange side projects. Everything is so weirded out in rap lately. As far as actual substance I've got to vote for Immortal Technique. He's not much of a lecturer but he can write and speak some unmatched stuff in a studio huh.


(View video on YouTube)

This guy raps with his eyes closed, so we know he isn't reading from his phone or whatever. He is the best I know of, as far as unsigned and relatively unknown. And white. Untreated vocals and just a dude in his room doing it right.