7 Underground Rappers with Legendary Bars and Beats That Kick Ass
Music is one of man’s most potent tools and therapeutic pastimes.
It can keep you going when the burdens of life threaten to sink you into an abyss of despair. It can also drive you to reach the apex of your abilities, whether in business, the gym, the bedroom, or the Yoga studio.
Marika Takeuchi is playing in my Bose headphones right now. Her ethereal piano melodies lift me into a state of optimism and focus.
For the gym, my goal is to increase primal aggression, sex drive, and reach maximum athleticism. So, heavy Metal and Nu Metal are my go-to genres when jacking steel or playing sports.
Korn, Limp Bizkit, Alice in Chains, Deftones — they all do the trick.
But when it comes to taking your licks and coming back more ferocious than ever, nothing compares to rap music.
Many of us are not born into ideal situations, and thus it is necessary to struggle and fight to thrive — at its best, Hip-Hop is a raw form of poetry that narrates a young man’s battle to make it in life.
Top-tier Hip-Hop is deeply relatable. This effect is magnified 10x when an artist has not sold out to corporate influence.
When Brotha Lynch Hung raps the following lines on the backdrop of classical piano and violin, you feel it in the pit of your stomach…
“I went from light scars to bullet wounds. I went from we ride to I ride. Living it up to writing notes that talk suicide…”
My last hip-hop list covered the creme de la creme of motivational hip-hop.
It featured rap giants like 2pac, Nas, Eminem, and DMX doing what they do best — motivating you to reach the apex of your skills and performance while kicking ass with ruthless vengeance.
This list is a little different.
It features underground rappers that make you sit back and ponder the deep questions of life.
If you have ever felt like life is a roller coaster ride of highs and lows, lessons and tribulations, setbacks, and failures, you will probably get goosebumps from some of these tracks.
The first top-notch banger is from the founder and king of rip-gut.
The King of Horrorcore Gangsta Rap
His flow and word play is surgical. And he makes it sound fly despite the weird topics he raps about.
There is much more to Lynch than grotesque and disturbing lyrics. His flows are slick, sublime, and sophisticated. His beats are funky and gangster.
Lynch mixes in profound underground gems with world-class lyrical pyrotechnics.
The 2004 album Lynch by Inch is a personal reflection about his struggles and experiences coming up in the game.
I went from light scars to bullet wounds and silver spoons.
I went from we ride to I ride.
I went from livin it up to writing notes that talk suicide do or die.
It’s been a long road.
It is lyrics like this that make the rhymes of underground rap legends modern-day poetry. The music is also phenomenal.
They remind me of being young and naive and learning painful life lessons the hard way.
Season of Da Siccness: The Resurrection, is a legit masterpiece; this album evokes the gore and creepiness of a horror film while simultaneously keeping it gangster.
You will not be disappointed by lethal tracks such as “Liquor Sicc” and “Refuse to Lose.”
A Sinister Tale of Drama, Destruction, and Despair
“Dance with The Devil” by Immortal Technique
Immortal technique is a titan of underground rap. He is not only a legendary underground rapper, but also a beast of a human being.
His bravado and fiery persona are akin to Tupac Shakur, only without the vengefulness and volatility.
Listening to what he has to say will undoubtedly make you smarter and more well-rounded individual.
Dance With the Devil — YouTube
If the devil asks you to dance, you better say never. Because a dance with the devil just might last you forever.
This song will fuck with your head.
A spine-chilling plot unfolds behind the rhythm of creepy-sounding piano, serving up a warning for those who think they can compromise their morals and values without paying the consequences.
Immortal Technique raps from a first-person perspective detailing how the lure of sex, money, and fame can lead people down the darkest of paths.
The last verse on this track is guaranteed to curl your stomach.
“Crimes of the Heart” and “Stronghold Grip” feature bass-heavy beats and deadly rhymes delivered with high-voltage intensity.
Legendary Thug Music Recorded in Prison
“Mortal Kombat” by X-Raided
A legendary underground rapper spitting bars from a prison cell? It doesn’t get much rawer and more underground than that.
These are childhood memories, I’ll start at the beginning
Walking down the train tracks for miles to go swimming
Sun shining down on me ’til my skin start to glisten
Got a pole on my shoulder like I’m ‘bout to go fishingI pray to God I”ll never have to do a bid again, If I feel I’m slippin I’ll just think about the bridge again.
Lyrics from X-Raided’s first album, Psychoactive, were submitted and used as evidence in his 1992 murder trial. Despite maintaining his innocence, he was eventually convicted and sentenced to 31 years in federal prison.
That didn’t stop him from recording legendary underground rap albums.
The verses for X-Raided’s second album, Xcorcist, were laid entirely over a prison phone. He was able to score a DAT recorder from a prison guard before recording his third album, which resulted in much crisper sound.
The album was titled Unforgiven, featuring elite beats and bars with a heavy and dark aura.
Even with a low budget and minimal resources, X-Raided knocked this album out of the park with supreme story-telling ability and razor-sharp rapping.
Mortal Kombat, Macaframa, and Cemetery Fulla Gs are indomitable thug records of the highest caliber.
X-Raided was released from prison in 2018. He signed to Tech N9ne’s Strange Music record label and immediately got to creating music.
His recent release A Prayer in Hell is stacked with hard-hitting tracks, next-level production, and vivid concepts, stories, and hooks.
It is probably the hardest underground rap album of 2023.
The Bay Area Boss with Massive Swag
“Orange Village” by Larry June
https://www.instagram.com/p/CpEFm53PK4J/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Uncle Larry’s supreme sampling and phenomenal flow make for a next-level sonic experience.
His smooth style, distinctive swag, synth-infused beats, and high bravado rhymes are reminiscent of a Bonafide hustler.
The man was selling t-shirts and homemade juices from the trunk of his car before establishing himself as a premier underground rapper.
That’s the kind of hustler mentality that earns mad respect.
Larry provides west coast funk and hard-hitting bass you can ride to with the top down while strategizing your next moves.
Here are a few more slappers to get you started on Larry June:
1. “Made a Way”
3. “Big Fish”
4. “Early Bird”
Cutting-Edge Indie Rap from A Detroit Legend
Lost in my emotions, the path that I chosen
Left a nigga broken, can’t stay focused
Hard for me to think
Danny Brown’s lyrics are raw and relatable on a whole other level.
His down-to-earth yet in-your-face style is rare and refreshing. In fact, it reminds me very much of the next underground rapper on the list.
When Danny’s innovative beats are on, they go hard as fuck.
He brings fire on songs like Quaranta and Celibate, but his entire catalog is top quality.
Musical Genius of Compton Underground
Quik has an astonishing catalog of albums: Safe and Sound, Rhythm-al-ism, The Book of David, The Midnight Life — all genius strokes of generational musical talent.
He has a jewel for every occasion.
4. “Inside Out”
He released a platinum album at the age of 20. A few years later, he became chief recording engineer at the infamous Deathrow Records. Quik continues releasing stellar, albeit underappreciated music until today.
His versatility is utterly bonkers. Sounds range from smooth and hard-hitting gangsta funk on one end of the spectrum, to soothing, blissful, and breathtaking on the other end.
His “Quik’s Grooves” will teleport you to a heavenly realm of peace and tranquility.
Aesop Rock: A Nerdy and Highly Skilled Rapper and Candy to Your Ear Holes
Aesop Rock is the shit.
He is a dope rapper, even more if you are a nerd machine.
His rapping style and music are distinct. The production is cutting-edge with a novel, high-tech sound. Somewhere between Slim Shady, Logic, and Murs. His rapping is compelling and criminally underrated.
Here are a few edgy and mesmerizing pieces of rap music to get you started on Aesop Rock.
4. “Jazz Hands”
Bonus: An Elite Mexican Rapper with Strong Beats and Classic Lowrider Vibes
“Summer Nights” by Lil Rob
Listen to “Summer Nights” by Lil Rob. This is the ultimate summer classic, only surpassed by 2pac and Dre’s “California Love”.
Lil Rob is known for writing silky compositions for Latin stunners.
He churns out high-quality hip-hop and has a knack for writing extraordinary hooks and lacing them with catchy California beats.
“Summer Nights” is a summer anthem of the highest caliber.
Here are some more top-notch bangers from Lil Rob:
His premier albums are Natural High and R.I.P. (Recording in Progress).
If you have a low-rider or a drop-top, Lil Rob will have you vibing.
The Most Prolific Underground Rappers to Ever Rock the Microphone
There you have it — the dream team of underground rappers.
Plus, 7 legendary rap songs with beats and bars that move and inspire.
These underground rappers are straight out of the gutter, with sublime beats and lethal flows.
They are also unapologetically raw and go hard as fuck.
You can blast these in your car, at work, or in the gym to put things in a proper perspective.
There are plenty of solid underground rappers that kick ass. SPM, Mos Def, Mr. Doctor, Conway the Machine, etc.
None can tear tracks to shreds like the rappers on this list.
Do you think any underground rappers are worthy of a mention? If so, let me know in the comments below.
