A-Z Guide to Underground Hip-Hop

fappy

fappy

Active member
alright, i had some extra time to kill so what the hell.

most of these songs throw back to original hip hop when drum snares and scratching were beats instead of brassy trumpets and obnoxiously loud bass but this isn’t about old school or foundation hip hop, so if you don’t know who rakim or nwa is then it’d be better to listen to that shit first.

A

All Natural - Queens Get the Money

http://www.sendspace.com/file/4ycjkv

just recently, someone upped their album Second Nature in the underground hip hop cult after I requested it, having never heard of them before. this album blew me away – dope flows, beats, lyrics = no filler at all. All Natural is seriously talented and seriously underrated. (Extra HW: “Elements of Style”).

"Queens get the money, broads get the boot

For runnin little game, tryin' to play me for my loot,

I'm down to split cash, with girls with class

But all you goldiggers can kiss my ass"

Aceyalone - Everything Changes

http://www.sendspace.com/file/pljniz

Ave Stites - Reach

http://www.sendspace.com/file/1q8gsk

B

Binary Star - Honest Expression

http://www.sendspace.com/file/3azlly

killer verses about the state of hip hop from both One Be Lo and Senim, but the samples and dialogue midway through are the juice, building up to the last verse. (Extra HW: “Reality Check”).

Blackalicious - Blazing Arrow

http://www.sendspace.com/file/b2sh4l

Black Star - Astronomy (8th Light)

http://www.sendspace.com/file/7bijlx

C

J Dilla & Common – Nag Champa

http://www.sendspace.com/file/r2jk5x

it’s a Common-emceed track, and it’s on a Common record, but this is all Dilla, hence the first billing. yhis is an incredible song – from the rhythm to the flow, but mostly just for Dilla’s production. RIP J Dilla aka Jay Dee

Cunninlynguists - Seasons

http://www.sendspace.com/file/61b2up

Cyne - Steady

http://www.sendspace.com/file/v0yrfu

D

Deltron 3030 - 3030

http://www.sendspace.com/file/89zmrr

most people have already heard this track, mastermind, madness, and probably all of the 3030 album, but this is still del's best song far and away.

De La Soul - Brakes

http://www.sendspace.com/file/cdcrva

Digable Planets - For Corners

http://www.sendspace.com/file/sztw3g

E

Eyedea & Abilities - Bottle Dreams

http://www.sendspace.com/file/jggswl

gives me goosebumps every time i listen to it. Eyedea tells a story of a violin prodigy who endures abuse from her father. he sort of has a different flow, cutting rhymes short with pauses or making them a lot longer, but it works every time i hear him. the first time you play this, you’ll keep hitting back on your ipod over and over.

Edo G feat. Masta Ace & Pete Rock - Wishin'

http://www.sendspace.com/file/xpi4cs

EPMD - Symphony 2000

http://www.sendspace.com/file/1iqdmm

F

Foreign Exchange – All That You Are

http://www.sendspace.com/file/eamrkr

definitely a relaxing, chill beat, and the way they trade verses goes perfectly with their flow. check out their album Connected if you haven’t heard it already. Phonte from Little Brother makes up part of the crew.

Foreign Legion - Full Time B-Boy

http://www.sendspace.com/file/fve79v

Five Deez - Decapitated Orgasms

http://www.sendspace.com/file/j6h0p7

G

Gangstarr feat. Inspectah Deck - Above the Clouds

http://www.sendspace.com/file/9u1d3c

Guru and Inspectach Deck both go metaphorical on the stars, clouds, and universe with a beat that sounds almost exotic. from Gangstarr’s album Moment of Truth, recorded in 1998, this track is timeless. both verses are ridiculously good, but Inspectah shines through with his opening lines –

“I leave scientists mentally scarred, triple extra large

Wild like rock stars who smash guitars

Poison bars from the gods, bust holes in your mirage”

The Grouch - Once Upon a Rhyme

http://www.sendspace.com/file/c0tv6f

GZA feat. Ghostface Killa & RZA - 4th Chamber

http://www.sendspace.com/file/6lzdj4

H

Heiroglyphics - Mics of the Roundtable

http://www.sendspace.com/file/95kq8f

maybe it's the name of the song, but every time i hear it, i picture each mc standing around in a circle passing the mic back and forth. don’t sleep on Heiro

Heiroglyphics - Classic

http://www.sendspace.com/file/tji7rf

Heiruspecs - 5ves

http://www.sendspace.com/file/yrxo8y

I

Illogic - First Trimester

http://www.sendspace.com/file/cib4xo

Illogic rhymes from ALL perspectives in a story about an abortion. the piano beat is epic and the lyrics likewise. definetly his best track. (Extra HW: "Hate In a Puddle”).

Immortal Technique - Peruvian Cocaine

http://www.sendspace.com/file/91d46m

Intellekt and Dirty Digits – Photos Do Not Bend

http://www.sendspace.com/file/iatocm

J

J-Live - Nights Like This

http://www.sendspace.com/file/chg5rr

J-live is one of the most talented MCs out right now and “Nights Like This” is one of my favorite laid-back, chill songs. J-live used to teach middle school in Brooklyn and his lyrics reflect that of a socially aware rapper. (Extra HW: “Brooklyn Public”).

J Dilla feat. Common & D'Angelo - So Far So Good

http://www.sendspace.com/file/ewfaza

Junk Science - Wherego?

http://www.sendspace.com/file/w70549

K

Kanye West – Coming Home

http://www.sendspace.com/file/573igu

i know Kanye isn’t underground, but i don’t really care. hands down my favorite song of his. one verse long, Kanye raps about what seems to be a woman until his last couple lines. it also features a nice vocal background/hook, too. not on college dropout or late registration.

k-Os - The Love Song

http://www.sendspace.com/file/hgcipv

Kev Brown – Albany

http://www.sendspace.com/file/7xtgcb

L

Louis Logic - The Ugly Truth

http://www.sendspace.com/file/mbqumg

4 verses long, Logic goes on a tirade about jews, blacks, asians, and gays. it’s not what it initially seems – pay attention to the last couple lines, and the meaning will come full circle. this is modern socially conscious hip-hop at its best. (Extra HW: “Best Friends”).

Living Legends - Nothing Less

http://www.sendspace.com/file/90jbc1

Lifesavas – Hellohihey

http://www.sendspace.com/file/e6vb0z

M

Murs - Like What

http://www.sendspace.com/file/tcvwys

from his album, Murs Rules the World, this track embraces hip-hop roots, with shout-outs by the Living Legends crew in the background. and as they’ll tell you, they don’t care much about anything except hip-hop:

“Destiny, we took and shaped it,

Heart and soul, we took and taped it

LOVE hip-hop while others hate it”

Mos Def feat. DJ Honda - Travellin' Man

http://www.sendspace.com/file/up76lz

Mystick Journeyman - Changeyaflow

http://www.sendspace.com/file/kj6t8b

N

Nas – The Message

http://www.sendspace.com/file/nbkb1g

Nas : underground? no. mainstream? moreso. commercial? never. I put him on this list just because he is one of the most influential hip hop artists ever. he recorded one of the best hip hop albums of ALL TIME, Illmatic, when he was only 19. this track is from It Was Written, and features one of my favorite verses after sampling his classic line from NY State of Mind as the chorus:

“I never sleep cause sleep is the cousin of death”

Nujabes feat. Cise Starr – Highs 2 Lows

http://www.sendspace.com/file/t7ywnh

Nice & Smooth – Sometimes I Rhyme Slow

http://www.sendspace.com/file/737xd7

O

Organized Konfusion feat. Cella Dwellas - Ill Collabo

http://www.sendspace.com/file/yxl9mk

ill collabo for sure. in the heiro tradition of smooth, flawless transitions between each mc, this track also features a nice adrenaline beat. (Extra HW: “Stress”)

Oh No feat. Posdnuos – Smile a Lil Bit

http://www.sendspace.com/file/vmfms1

P

People Under the Stairs - Time to Rock our Shit

http://www.sendspace.com/file/snx945

P.U.T.S is pretty well-known now, with tracks like Acid Raindrops and San Fransisco Knights, and even after listening to every album they’ve put out, Time to Rock Our Shit is still my favorite track of theirs. production is flawless on this one

Pep Love - Family and Friends

http://www.sendspace.com/file/bo67zl

The Procussions – Miss January

http://www.sendspace.com/file/re1kdy

Q (i’m not a fan of quasimoto or q’unique so you guys are on your own for this one)

R

RA the Rugged Man, J-Live, & Think Differently Music – Give it Up

http://www.sendspace.com/file/bd20fa

Wu meets the indie culture!!! crazy, right? that’s what I thought when I heard the ridiculous rhyming on this track. the beat is solid too, but RA’s flow makes this a stand-out.

RA the Rugged Man - Chains

http://www.sendspace.com/file/r1b0n7

The Roots – Y’all Know Who

http://www.sendspace.com/file/10d87w

S

Sage Francis – Bridle

http://www.sendspace.com/file/g388qi

i’m not the biggest sage francis fan, but this track gave me goosebumps the first time i heard it. formerly of def jux, francis wised up and dropped that shit. my one complaint about this track is that it’s much too short – he should’ve made it twice as long with a production and flow that gives you goosebumps

Soul Position – Right Place Wrong Time

http://www.sendspace.com/file/nzvu8l

Sound Providers – The Throwback

http://www.sendspace.com/file/veznb5

T

Tribe Called Quest – Electric Relaxation http://www.sendspace.com/file/5dyj6n

fucking classic. back before you’d ever heard of Q-tip and Vibrant Thing, he dropped lines like:

“shorty let me tell you about my only vice,

it gots to do with lots of lovin, and it ain’t nothin nice”

(and on a side note, kanye, i got love for you, but wtf? Rhyming about glocks, nines, and cars on a cover of ATCQ? you butchered this shit.)

Tonedeff & Cunninlynguists – The Gates

http://www.sendspace.com/file/q9gl99

Tonedeff – Porcelain

http://www.sendspace.com/file/0pi163

U

Ugly Duckling – Journey to Anywhere

http://www.sendspace.com/file/yrfief

i’m not the biggest fan of ugly duckling either, but this track is dope. mixed with a high-pitched rough beat, the lyrics are funny and interesting as hell

V

Visionaries – If You Can’t Say Love

http://www.sendspace.com/file/d3zjj7

 
W

killa bees on a swarm. clan in da front. wu-tang forever motherfuckers

Wu-Tang Clan – Da Mystery of Chessboxin’

http://www.sendspace.com/file/9yygn5

RZA – Grits

http://www.sendspace.com/file/sa28ko

RZA – Must Be Bobby

http://www.sendspace.com/file/eqf8zm

Z

Zion I – Fingerpaint

http://www.sendspace.com/file/f9rv0f

Zion I – Trippin’

http://www.sendspace.com/file/g9fp7j

here’s some online shit to find new underground hip hop:

-Pandora.com

-iTunes hip-hop podcasts (namely Indiefeed.com Hip-Hop)

-iTunes iMixes (created by iTunes users)

-Ughh.com message boards

UNDERGROUND HIP HOP CULT ON NS

 
If you really want the guide from A-Z for Underground Hip Hop all you gotta do is listen to Papoose - Alphabetical Slaughter.

 
talk about hip hop?

you have a fucking oprah icon. the only person that hates hip hop more than oprah is bill cosby.

and if you don't like quas (WHAT?) or q-unique, you can at least big up Qwel.

effort is appreciated, but...you killed it for me when you said you had love for kanye.
 
kanye is extremely talented, he is just an asshole

and the list is really good, you obviosly cant have every underground artist on one little list, but overall it was good and the least you could say is thanks
 
How do you get music off that site? You sign up and everything.. and then when you click the link, you just have to wait until it downloads?
 
fuuck, jus put mo 313 bois n dere!!! what what! theys so much talent waitin to blow, shyte crazzy. chill list homes. illight
 
fuck the haters. i give you a lot of credit for uploading those. a lot of kids on here have never heard of a lot of that shit im sure. and i like a lot of those songs. cyne is definitely one of my favorites up there and all natural as well. i uploaded second nature for you. you should get no additives, no preservatives as well from all natural.
 
yes alot of those are not underground and you missed a lot of artist undergrounbd that bring it back to the early 90's
 
Do those songs just automatically start downloading when you click the links or what? It's not working for me..
 
Sickkkk

Blackalicious – Blazing Arrow, Sky is Falling is sickkk too on the same album

3030 really is Dels best song

Both Gangstarr and Grouch songs are dope

Living Ledgends is sick, they came to boulder, insane… plus Murs is sick, he wasn’t there tho…

I think by farrrr Silly Puddy is the sickest Zion I song, and the remix on the Heroes in the City of Dope, Z&G, is just as sick…

In addition to that list…

Andre Nickatina, his underground shit, not ayo for yayo…

K’Naan, the Dusty foot philosopher

Cormega

Papoose

Hi Tek

And finally… CLASSIFIED

So sick… glad to see good rap getting recognized

 
Sick list. you will always have the people who whine because they disagree with something or are all "OMG you left ____ out!!!" but that was solid mang
 
if you could read he defenetly said that it wasnt and if people are saying shit why dont they just upload music themselves, everyone has different musical tastes so saying something sucks is just stupid. Eyedea & Abilities - Bottle Dreams..amazing

 
the songs don't go to my itunes when i click them. i click the link and then some Microsoft Word loading thing comes up but then doesn't work. i just cancel that and click the other download thing, but it goes to windows media.

anyone know what i can do.
 
thanks, but if you were to read what he wrote after the kanye west song, he said "I know kanye west isnt underground..."   nice try though, read the whole post next time
 
ahhhh all the links are dead thats a bummer, there were some dope songs in there i've just never dl
 
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