State of Hip-Hop
Mainstream hip hop has morphed from lyricists like Biggie and Tupac voicing their opinion and true life story through their music to artists creating songs that have good beats, but no real meaning. We’re not saying we don’t enjoy Wiz Khalifa, Jay-z and other mainstream hip hop artists, but here at Face2Face: The Magazine, we like to keep up with all types of hip hop. And we’re very much aware that there are some hip hop fans that find hip hop stars like Kanye West and his sampling not real hip hop. So you might be wondering what is going in the world of underground hip hop today. Well, we have the scoop on the current state of underground hip hop.
Currently, the underground music scene is flourishing Numerous websites have cited underground hip hop as the genre that is going to dominate over all others. It’s been mentioned that too many rappers are selling out and becoming less and less about real music. Recently, I overheard a group of young teenagers talking about how rap is starting to morph with other genres, and it’s not a hit like some of the collaborations were in the past, such as Kelly Rowland and Nelly’s song “Dilemma” or Aerosmith and Run DMC’s “Walk This Way.” For this reason, these young teenagers are looking toward underground sensations to curb their craving for real lyrics and fierce beats.
Since underground artists don’t create one auto-tuned song after another just to increase their profits, underground hip hop joints tend to speak about topics that are able to be related to. Because there’s not any set standards, guidelines or specifics of the genre, the subject matters that underground tunes deal with are very diverse. For instance, some songs are connected with political issues, while others may relate to life on the streets. In fact, even songs related to the industry itself and just the concept of being brutally honest are part of the underground hip hop culture. With such an assortment of topics, many teenagers and even adults are steering toward this genre for their music needs.
Due to the popularity of underground, small record labels and even large record labels are looking at underground hip hop stars when they’re doing scouting. It’s not surprising that some well-known names of today were once only underground musicians. Eminem, Lupe Fiasco, Andre 3000 and Talib Kweli all began in the underground hip hop industry. Now that so many are getting sick of hearing rappers talk about the same thing or rappers who sell out, these record labels are searching for talent in the underground hip hop industry.
Additionally, those underground artists who market themselves on websites like Facebook and YouTube are getting noticed. Record labels search for talent on the internet, and those underground hip hop stars that shine above the rest are the ones who the labels are seeking out. This is a huge step for the underground musicians, since their efforts are now being pointed out by more than just the average hip hop lovers.
Finally, underground hip hop is an outlet for those who enjoy music. Whether it’s from the 16-year old boy who wants to express himself or the 25-year old man that wants to get his name out there, the underground hip hop industry is a wonderful outlet. Individuals from all walks of life can speak about whatever they want, and they just might have the opportunity to inspire others with their words or at least get a message across.
