Underground Hip Hop.

[Deman]

So this is one area I'll probably end up being mostly alone in, but how many of you listen to underground Hip Hop? I'm talkin people like Atmosphere(earlier on), Sage Francis, Aesop Rock, Del The Funky Homosapien, and Brother Ali. It explores a much broader topic range than Assembly Line Rap. I know you'd probably recognize Del since he collaborated with the Gorillaz in Clint Eastwood playing the part of the ghost possessing Russ.

So anybody else know similar artists that are awesome enough to check out?

 

[Deathshot]

Del The Funky Homosapien is a beast. I used to listen to him all the time. He was the Ghost in Clint Eastwood by Gorillaz.

 

[Deman]

You check out his latest yet? Funded it completely and released it for free here. Definitely gets some major cred for pullin a move like that.

 

[Deathshot]

Oh nice. I will have to check it out. I love his work.

 

[Deman]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJzOz9hU4IY[/ame]

My favorite track off the newest album, Funk Man(The Stimulus Package)

(warning, explicit lyrics)

 

[Ness]

GET A PEN AND PAPER

READY?
K, HERE GOES

J-Zone - I'm ****in' Up The Money (Hard track to find, it's on his "Pimps Don't Pay Taxes" album)
Juggaknots - Trouble Man
El Gant - So Simple
Donny Guines - Do It For Hip-Hop
Black Eyed Peas - Joints and Jam (they had some good stuff before Fergie joined them)
Black Eyed Peas - Bringing It Back
Dilated People - The Platform
Jay-O & The Immobilarie - Love Is Gone
DJ Format & Abdominal - Participation Prerequisite (anything with Abdominal, or by DJ Format tbh, they're both absolute legends)

Tbh, i still think of Del as fairly mainstream, just his stuff hasn't been as successful solo, as he was when he was with Souls of Mischief and Hieroglyphics

for everything else, i'd say tune into WeFunk Radio www.wefunkradio.com
No 50 Cent, No Lil'Wayne, no other rap, just straight 70s funk, and authentic Hip-Hop ranging from old school such as Brand Nubian and Black Sheep, to newer stuff such as J Rawls and Mos Def. Anyways, have fun. I'll list more underground as i come across it

 

[Deman]

Black Eyed Peas - Joints and Jam (they had some good stuff before Fergie joined them)

I always wondered that. I remember hearin tracks from them a while back that were great, but the **** on the radio the last two years has been atrocious.

 

[Ness]

I always wondered that. I remember hearin tracks from them a while back that were great, but the **** on the radio the last two years has been atrocious.

Yup, going mainstream, effectively killed them
Apple and Taboo have done nothing since Will I. Am and Fergie went solo lol

More tracks ;o

Clan Destined - Plan B
Dr. Octagon - Aliens
Thirstin Howl the 3rd - I Still Live With My Moms
Funkdoobiest - Rock On
Gang Starr - Mass Appeal
Gang Starr & M.O.P. - War Goin On Outside
Guru ft. Common & Bob James - State of Clarity
Jedi Mind Tricks ft. Planetary OS - I Against I (most of the stuff by JMT is good, they collaborate a lot with Aesop Rock, Apathy, Celph Titled, and GZA Genius; some even call them a new Wu-Tang)
Polyrhythm Addicts ft. Pharoahe Monch - Reachin'
Slum Village ft. J Dilla - Reunion
Marco Polo ft. Masta Ace - Nostalgia
777 - Brand New Old Skool

 

[Synth]

MF DOOM + Madlib = Madvillain (the complete hip-hop experience)

Flying Lotus + Samiyam = Flyamsam (is probably the best technical duo out there)

9th Wonder, DJ Premier, Pete Rock, and The Alchemist are the cream of the crop as well.

These are pretty much the best underground hip-hop producers I know of... which will hopefully lead you to the artists they produce for. What's any branch of hip-hop without the best producers available, eh?

You should also check out anything that involves Buckshot (Black Moon) as well, he's done a couple of amazing albums with 9th Wonder during this decade, and he's probably the best underground rapper I know of.

My favorite producer/artist combo right now is obviously MF DOOM. (sig/avatar, eh?) But, the one who I consider to be the James Brown of underground is Pete Rock. He's pretty much been inspiring underground and mainstream artists since the late 80s.

Hmm, well other than them you're probably familiar with Wu-Tang, etc... and a lot of their solo artist LPs are probably worth checking out. Especially, anything by Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, or Genius/GZA. As well as Tribe Called Quest/Busta Rhymes, etc. Any of these guys do a lot of underground appearances.

They should be paying me for this, haha >_<

 

[Killface]

Schooly D, Nick da 1da, Smoke, Swae, DJ Skooly.

Dr. Octagon/Kool Keith especially.

 

[Synth]

BTW... Flying Lotus, Samiyam, MF DOOM, and Madlib, do most, if not all, of the Adult Swim intermissions.

If that matters to anyone. :O

 

[Optional]

Big fan here...

Grouch and Eligh's No More Greener Grasses is like my bible.
Sampling: [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dO7T9oKAJFs&feature=PlayList&p=6F8BDA80FCDA26DE&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=19[/ame]

Some of this is just technically old and not old school, but I had to dig for it, so it counts!

Original Flavor's Beyond Flavor (with unsigned Jay-Z back in the early 90s):
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79ARf9X6IoM[/ame]

D&D Allstars (take every big name of the 90s and combine them):
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgLR4PwhZHA[/ame]

Living Legend's Legendary Music Volume 1 (Grouch and Eligh are members): [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qiki0vA7Tz8&feature=PlayList&p=B36C7C92F1175486&index=0&playnext=1[/ame]

Justin Warfield's My Field Trip To Planet 9 (Can't find it on Youtube, good stuff, alternative, mellow, jazzy)

Kool Keith's Cenobites (although he is not that underground, it is available free off his website somewhere and good): [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yk32pMED-UQ[/ame]

Edit: some of the stuff here I really don't consider underground (like Gang Starr). I like your taste Ness.

 

[Deman]

Edit: some of the stuff here I really don't consider underground (like Gang Starr). I like your taste Ness.

Yeah, I'm realizing that now about pretty much all of the artists I listed. They may have been at one point, but every single one of them has come up aboveground

 

[KarrdeKNR]

Awesome to be from Minneapolis, eh? See at the very minimum, Atmosphere, Brother Ali I actually used to work with Ali before he made it He, my friends, and I used to work at a telemarketing place. We never thought he'd make it (I mean the chances are always pretty low), but we're thrilled he did.

 

[Chakra-X]

I don't actively search for music, so I barely listen to anything underground. But it's good to see people on the internet listening to things besides metal

 

[Ness]

That Original Flavor track, been looking for it for a while Didn't know who made it or what it was called

 

[Optional]

That Original Flavor track, been looking for it for a while Didn't know who made it or what it was called

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Original_Flavor

Beyond Flavor is one of my favorite CDs.

 

[Akation]

Dr. Octagon/Kool Keith especially.

You said it, Kool Keith's first solo album is probably one of the greatest Hip-Hop albums of all time. I feel glad to see that people like Aesop, Del, and DOOM.

I'm somewhat of an Underground Hip-Hop head, here's who I like at the moment, in no particular order.

Mr. Lif
Kool Keith
Del tha Funkee Homosapien
Aesop Rock
MF DOOM
Madlib
J Dilla

I frown upon forums filled with people who only listen to metal, and completely and ignorantly eschew Hip-Hop with an extremely biased opinion.

 

[Synth]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBzoPvOAsuI[/ame]

J-Dilla + Madlib = win

 

[Akation]

Champion Sound is good work, I've heard all of what they've both put out.

Also, Jay Stay Paid = Win