^ Agreed. Although really calling it 'underground' is sort of misleading. Real underground hip-hop is the guys who can just about scrape enough cash for a couple of days of studio time, and who's work you can only pick up over the net or on mixtapes and whatnot. Its the same with so called underground metal. I guess the very meaning of the musical term 'underground' has been altered, even commercialsed to some extent 😬
hey... I'm not an expert in this but i'm gonna try to explain my opinion, it's not different from all that had already been said.
The "underground artists" don't have big labels behind them, their work is not distribute in the main stores to get them you have to research.
Mostly of the times if they wanna record their work they've gotta have some job so they can be able to afford the studio or they buy their own material and made home studios (sometimes the only material they got it's only a computer and a microphone).
They don't show up on tv, magazines, radio... they rarely give an interview... most of them don't even like publicity.
I think that the biggest concern of the underground hip hop, is the social and political issues among others, but they're not worried if their work is gonna sell millions and they gonna be able to buy a new Mercedes or a diamonds ring...
The mainstream hip hop is what you can see... bling bling, chicks, sex, cars, guns, gangsta sh*t and etc... the guys are pimps the girls are h*es and that's the way it goes... they gotta be the center of the world, huge publicity, interviews and more interviews, their music gotta be at top 10, they sell their soul and their brain to the biggest labels and they only write and produce things that they know it will sell millions, they may not agree with what they're saying but if it's gonna sell then they'll do it, not matter what.
Sorry for my English but it was the best I could do... 😛 that's what i think about it. 😉
Eminem is a good mc, i like is ironic style and sarcastic way of dealing with the things. He sells because of he's controversial behavior, and because of is bad boy style.
He might be commercial and being in the mainstream, but he keep saying what's on his mind... he's genuine, he keeps is on style and don't go after the normal cliches on the videos.
I just think that he's starting to loose himself with all the fame and that he's completely insane... hahahahhaha
Originally posted by turkesa
The mainstream hip hop is what you can see... bling bling, chicks, sex, cars, guns, gangsta sh*t and etc... the guys are pimps the girls are h*es and that's the way it goes... they gotta be the center of the world, huge publicity, interviews and more interviews, their music gotta be at top 10, they sell their soul and their brain to the biggest labels and they only write and produce things that they know it will sell millions, they may not agree with what they're saying but if it's gonna sell then they'll do it, not matter what.
they dont HAVE to be in the top 10, it's just that a lot of people like mainstream, beleive it or not....thats why they become the top 10......and it's also because the "top 10" is voted by mainly teenagers who like that kinda music 😬
Re: what IS underground hip hop?
Originally posted by m!$hA
i mean...ive heard it an all....but how would you describe it?
Like everybody said, its music thats actually good. They dont have to rap about the constant hoes, money, them being a pimp, ect... Unlike 25 cent their rhymes are good without saying something about money, drugs, and all that crap. So yeah thats the difference