Andrew Whelan got us started with this list of semi-underground
hip hop etc.
please add stuff. click here to
send an email with stuff to add!
websites
Lots of good info on http://www.hiphopcongress.com/
grafitti site Art Crimes
films
Tony Silver, StyleWars 1983 (69 min)
Danny Hoch, Jails, Hospitals
& Hip Hop 2000 (90 min)
DJ Organic, Kevin Fitzgerald, Freestyle:
The Art of Rhyme 2000 (60 min)
Doug Pray, Scratch 2001 (92 min)
Joey Garfield, Breath Control: The History of the Human Beat Box 2002
(73 min)
Rhyme & Reason
Backstage
Black & White
The
Show
less-mainstream hip hop artists you may want to check out:
The Coup is on 75ark Check out the video for Ride the Fence
The Roots
Immortal Technique
Mos Def
Common (formerly Common Sense): This Chicago rapper has been labeled by many as the great hope of hip-hop. His positive lyrics and fanciful word play cover positive and family oriented topics. He emanates many of the principles hip-hop was founded on. He is intelligent and able to write poetry that reflects the sentiments of the urban community.
Supernatural
Talib Kweli
Anything from the quannum
collective (blackalicious, lyrics born, latryx, dj shadow...)
busdriver
anything from def jux (el-p, mr. lif, rjd2, aesop rock)
living legends crew (eligh, the grouch, murs, mystik journeymen, among many
others)
sage francis
saul williams
MF Doom, (esp. last years madvillany album done mad lib)
Freestyle Fellowship (long time defunct crew of style innovators)
Project Blowed/Abstract Rude/Abstract Tribe Unique (LA cats that have been and
still are great)
Breez Evahflowin (part of the current N.Y. scene)
Nephlim Modulation Systems, done by Bigg Jus and Orko the Sycotik Alien(from
San Diego) -this is some of the best political rap i've heard in a while
K-the-I
MIcranots (also check out I-Self-Devine's solo relaese) - these guys are real
good.
The Anticon crew (buck 65, sixtoo, buck and sixtoo now have a group called sebutones,
pedestrian, among many more)
company flow (now defunct crew, but important-they really paved the way for
underground styles and distribution)
Dilated Peoples
Jurassic 5
Black Eyed Peas
Asian Dub Foundation is at http://www.asiandubfoundation.com/ They are indo-british hip hop
Public Enemy (not underground, but political)
KRS-ONE: A pioneer of positive hip-hip and political
messages in rap. KRS-ONE discusses serious social and philosophical topics in
his music. Some areas he addresses are the unsanitary U.S. meat industry, political
prisoners (such as Mumia), and black on black violence. He also allows free
copying and sampling of his music, in accordance with true hip-hop roots. The
first four albums he released were placed under the artist title of "Boogie
Down Productions" or "BDP."
(the old list also includes these, some of which might be
debatable on their undergroundness) Speech (Arrested Development) Pharoe Monch
Prince Paul (CDs are entire sixty minute stories
told through rap)
Rah Digga (female rapper)
Rahzel (the human beat machine)
Gangstarr: This New York City duo (DJ Premier and
Guru) lays down gritty, street tracks that include a consciousness for ethics
and the rap industry. In there own words, "there’s always a lesson involved."
Guru has also released a series of rap albums that use all-live jazz instruments
for the beats. Calling on some of the most famous jazz musicians (Branford Marsalysis,
Donald Byrd, etc.) he innovated a style of hip-hop that fuses rap and jazz.
Def Squad
Erick Sermon
The X-Cutioners (DJs with a lot of scratching)
The Beatnuts
Tribe Called Quest
Killah Priest: This rapper uses a hard style that
could often by mistaken for gangster rap. However, his subject matter is positive
and he often refers to the bible. He is a devout Christian and his music tends
to reflect this ideology. He is associated with the Wu-Tang clan and often tackles
the same topics of the ghetto, the crack game, and guns. However, he always
manages to quote a scripture verse and put an uplifting spin on a song.
Sunz of Man
Gravediggaz
Method Man
Goodie Mob