Hip Hop for the Indie Kids

By: Charbarred | in: Music |

I’m not a big fan of hip hop. I lost interest in the end of the 90’s when Gangsta Rap was introduced. Somehow, listening to a bunch of thugs yelling obscenities over elevator music just didn’t seem too appealing anymore.

K The I

And it’s not because I didn’t believe in rap music. I was glad to tune in to Yo! MTV Raps every week. I followed this new revelation in hopes that new territories will be forever explored. After all, this new music was bound to no rules and stuck it to the man like no one else before.
But instead, it got popular. And worst, it got formulaic. In the same way rock sold out 10 years earlier, hip hop artists now had to dress the same way, rap the same way and say the same things. And musically – there was nothing new under the sun. In fact those same albums you were too embarrassed to admit your parents owned were now sampled and compacted into easy to swallow beats. Concepts like the ‘Judgment Night’ soundtrack that paired indie artists with rappers never took off. If you didn’t like the lyrics you were instructed to go somewhere else for your musical fix.
So 10 years after hip hop became the most marketable mainstream form of art in the western world, can anyone inject a shred of hope in this mammoth? Is there a real alternative?

Maybe…

K The I hailing from the streets of er…Cambridge Massachusetts delivers a completely different take on modern hip hop. He’s not about the bitches, he’s really about the poetry. His backing tracks are wild industrial and psychedelic. With no other point of reference, my best comparison is those Sonic Youth Lee Ranaldo spoken word pieces you can sometimes find on their albums. Highly recommended.

Jamie T

British Hip Hop was a big promise a few years back. With most artists imitating American brothers, no new ground was really broken (OK, there was The Streets). Jamie T brings that indie feel to hip hop. This is real lazy DIY music that is miles away from your mother’s beat up rap albums. He’s a big deal in the UK at the moment and is well worth a listen.

Stream his video here

The Phormula

The Phormula is closer to traditional hip hop. Yes, they have the misspelled names and that hip hop look, but a closer inspection reveals broader musicality and fresher outlook.

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Posted on January 28, 2007

Comments

3 Responses to “Hip Hop for the Indie Kids”

kiew nikon on December 23rd, 2008 9:27 pm

would you like to do a review of my new album that is out? i would really appreciate it.. peace and happy holidays!!

philexec on December 27th, 2009 4:49 pm

You write well my brother and I couldn’t agree with you anymore than yourself…”In the same way rock sold out 10 years earlier, hip hop artists now had to dress the same way, rap the same way and say the same things.” ~peace~

alissa on June 24th, 2011 8:44 pm

i’m about 4 years late, but some other great examples are MAD CONDUCTOR and EPICK. however, the best indie rap songs are remixes on soundcloud - great place to find good djs. MINTY FREASH BEATS did a really good spin on BIGGIE SMALLS’ “SHOOK HANDS IN BROOKLYN”