It’s always about Lil Wayne or Kanye West. Jay-Z or 50 Cent. Eminem or Ja Rule. But what about those artists that remain in the underground or have been mainstays in the independent hip hop scene for over 10 years? Most are better than all mainstream rappers. In fact, Eminem and Jay-Z are the only big time guys with great skills. The others are good rappers, not great.
6 Rappers You Probably Never Heard Of
#6 Slug – Atmosphere
Straight out of Minneapolis, Slug is at the helm of his group, Atmosphere, and holds fort with a very melancholy authority. If you like positive hip hop, Atmosphere is not for you as Slug mainly focuses on bad relationships and other depressing subject matter and can sometimes take it too far, but that’s also what makes him great. He stretches the limits and doesn’t care what you think.
#5 Pharaohe Monch & Prince Poetry – Organized Konfusion
In my opinion, this is the greatest MC duo the hip hop world has ever witnessed. If you look back over the history of hip hop, there weren’t many groups with just two rappers. Tribe Called Quest is another good one but compared to the lyrical and verbal deliveries of both rappers from Organized Konfusion, it’s not close. Don’t believe me? Download “Bring It On”, the remix, and tell me these two aren’t ridiculous rappers.
#4 Aceyalone – Freestyle Fellowship
Ask anyone who likes west coast indie hip hop about Aceyalone and they’ll tell you he’s one of the biggest reasons they were put on the map. Aceyalone has tons of songs, some solo, some with his buddies in Freestyle Fellowship, all showing a unique ability of style, substance and skills. He’s completely west coast, has some classic underground songs and remains an Los Angeles hip hop legend to this day.
#3 Del tha Funkee Homosapien – Hieroglyphics
The name says it all. He’s not funky, he’s funkee. Came on to the scene in the very early 90′s with “Mr. Dobalina” and “Dr. Bombay” from his frist album, I Wish My Brother George Was Here. It’s one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time in the same way 2001: Space Odyssey is one of the best movies of all time. It’s far, far out, unlike anything in rap anyone had heard at the time and showcased a talent that would never be duplicated.
#2 Lyrics Born – Quannum
Quannum is the most phenomenal group of hip hop talent in assembly today. Two incredible beat makers and 3 spectacular rappers. They’ve added more people in the last few years but the first five remain the only true talents. One MC is Lyrics Born, one of the few asian MC’s in hip hop and an amazing and completely different breed. He can rap fast, hard, and change his delivery so frequently in one song, it’s hard to fathom one guy doing it all.
#1 Gift of Gab – Blackalicious & Quannum
Also from Quannum, the best rapper of all time, in my opinion, is Gift of Gab out of Oakland, California. Listening to him rap is as beautiful as a song sung by a tenor. What makes him so awesome is his ability to marry his lyrics and flow to the music of his longtime DJ/Producer, Chief Xcel. It’s usually a very cool, harmonious tune that feels more like a great song than a great hip hop track. He’s been featured on many songs and has some excellent albums with Blackalicious. A classic hip hop song he did with DJ Shadow, “Swan Lake”, is worth a download.
Immortal Technique is the illest MC “most people” have never heard of, but I would hope those who do listen to hip-hop would know who the fuck he is!
Damn I had to get all the way down to the last two comments to find typical cats finally mentioned. Most talented underground chicago mc’s around. Babble’s a good find to, if you can find him.
good list, but rather lacking… unless a limit of 6 was your goal. Some suggestions – Felt (slug with some other cats), Hilltop Hoods (Aussie’s), Classified, Lil Wayne (check his mixtapes out, their free and def. not mainstream – No Ceilings in particular), Chip tha Ripper (also so great mixtapes – The Cleveland Show) Dub FX (beatboxer with some great stuff, few instruments he bascily make all the sounds/beats with his mouth and nice overdubbing) CunningLynguists are good but they may be to mainstream for this list… and finaly Super Mash Bros. are not really hip-hoppers but they mix mainstream rap and pop songs and make some really rad combos… good party music which is free to download.
Yeah, it’s a small list, Dennis, but I’m coming with a new, updated version that’ll dig in a little deeper. A lot of you guys have acknowledged me of some good hip hop I was unaware of. Thanks!
lil wayne is the definition of pop music right now, and he get’s shittier and shittier everyday. the fact that you pickd no ceilings of all his mixtapes proves you don’t know shit about 1. good rap and 2. what people do and do not know. i don’t know anybody that doesn’t know no ceilings, and no ceilings definitely is mainstream, in particular. chip tha rip is the man.. but he doesn’t belong in this list. he is known and while he is nice.. he can’t isn’t in these guys’ league. learn something bout hip hop, please.
Tell it like it is, my man. The fact that Lil Wayne has been mentioned by that guy just shows what he knows.
Thanks for letting me know true hip hop fans still exist.
Keep it hip hop.
ha sorry, i just kinda had to go off on that. some serious ignorance to say in may 2010 that lil wayne is in any way shape or form, underground/not pop/unheard of/lyrically skilled, at least in 75% of his present songs. D-E-L is the fuckin man though. i’m down for all of those guys, but del is just toooo funkee haha. K’naan is real legit too. he’s doing some awesome shit right now, and he performs with a pretty nasty band. dude commanded a drunk college crowd that 75% had prolly only heard “wavin flag” beforehand with thoughtful positive rap, gotta love that. right now my itunes are all over yelawolf’s trunk muzik though, if you havent peeped that you should.
Its not “The Best Rappers – who used to do some real shit but now just suck the money teet of pop music” so I dont think Lil Wayne is allowed. But when that list gets made…..oooo wee. I know who’s gettin my vote.
i think this list is legit. some other ones to add to the mix are living legends, zion i, grouch, and if ya dig super mash bro’s i’d check out norwegian recycling to.. they’re pretty cool.
everyyyonnnne knows of atmosphere.
Michael LOVE dat nigga straight up!! Hotnewhiphop and datpiff, peep dude!!
party musics are always groovy and danceable, we love to dance to the beat of party musics~
big pun and big L are always worth a listen, they are pretty unheard of here in new zealand anyway.
lol @ big pun and big l being unheard of.
a few off the top of my head-
apathy, hieroglyphics, ra the rugged man, doomtree, jedi mind tricks, rjd2, tragedy khadafi, killah priest, wordburglar