Underground Rap: What to Know
When learning about the underground rap scene, there’s a lot to uncover.
Have you ever wondered, “I want to get into the underground rap scene, but there are so many artists and I don’t know where to start?” Don’t worry, I have the perfect guide for newbies like yourself.
It is true that there are many artists in the underground, and the best place to start is the underground Big 4. This group consists of 4 rappers that you could argue are mainstream and the leaders of the new age of rap. The names in the Big 4 are Nettspend, Osamason, Che, and Xaviersobased.
You may wonder what defines an underground artist. This question is as old as rap music itself: is an artist underground because of their unique sound or their lack of mainstream popularity? The answer is usually a mix of both. An artist has to have some exclusivity to their music to be considered underground, yet have their own unique style in order to be known as an underground artist.
Everyone in the rap scene has their own style, as copycats aren’t paving their own way, but following the path of someone else, which isn’t very cool. The underground community is very specific in giving the people the title of being an underground artist, but return to introducing some of the other underground artists as we venture down this rabbit hole together.
Nettspend and Osamason both have a similar sound, both have a high energy and glitch aesthetic tone. The two are also best friends, and their upcoming project is a collaboration album known as NXO, standing for Nettspend x Osamason, symbolizing their good relationship. They both have been making their mark on the industry despite their young age, working with big artists such as Ken Carson, even though the Nettspend verse was cut for no public reason.
Che is an innovator in the rap scene due to his “rage rap” style, befitting his nickname of “Bassgod”. His nickname refers to his new style where he puts heavily processed bass, as you hear the boom in his music. His new style is good, but I prefer the smoother tone and more upbeat sound of his second album “Sayso Says”, the album that pushed him into the limelight. Che is one of the most influential and creative people in the rap scene pushing for different sounds, and paving the way for rage rap to be mainstream.
Xaviersobased is the head of the 1c (One Chance) collective, one of the biggest rap groups in the world, running the New York scene since 2022. Many popular artists have had their roots in 1c, such as Nettspend, bleood, and Pz, all some of the biggest artists in the underground scene. Xaviersobased’s allure comes from his unique sound, blending Trap, Plugg, Cloud Rap, and Jerk type beats into his arsenal, creating a unique and dreamy tone in his music.
As the underground grows more mainstream, these 4 will be the leaders of the charge in this new era of rap music.
Next, I would say go down the Øway collective, some of the biggest rising stars in the underground.
Øway’s founder is Tezzus, the charismatic leader of the group who has this raspy and gritty voice, which gives him this different style of rapping. His voice is his stand out trait, but what he does to the community can’t be underestimated, as his style is not an act. Tezzus’s personality is not letting anyone stop him from doing what he wants to do.
Diamond* is the right hand man of Tezzus, he is the calm and collected one of Øway, acting as the counterpart to Tezzus’s nature. Diamond* has a rich and smooth voice which perfectly balances Tezzus’s voice, making them like Yin and Yang, one of the best rap duos in the industry.
Pz is a personal favorite of mine as he has one of the best flows in rap history. He has some of the catchiest hooks in the underground, marking his spot as one of the best new artists in the demographic.
Pz actually didn’t always want to be a rapper, but a fashion model. He has modeled from big brands like Louis Vuitton, 424, and Bazo1199. His skills as a model landed him a gig as a model for Hedi Slimane, a French photographer who has been the creative director for Yves Saint Laurent and more recently, Celine. Pz has been scouted by major artists such as Playboi Carti and Young Thug, as Young Thug has heavy ties to Øway, signing lots of members of the group to his label YSL (Young Stoner Life Records).
Øway has other prominent members such as Sk8star, who was recently on tour with rapper, LUCKI, ShawtyRokk who is the younger cousin of Tezzus following in his footsteps, and the duo of Southsidesilhouette and Yung Fazo, who have been in the underground since 2021.
Øway has recently shot up to stardom and are still striving to make their mark on the mainstream, but if anyone will, it will be these guys knowing their artistic fashion and great music.
The last group I want to recognize is La Familia, despite having a lot of haters, they combat it by making some good music. Their main members include Lucy Bedroque, my favorite underground artist, slayr, prettifun, and Egobreak. This collective has many other members but these are the ones that stand out in the group.
Lucy Bedroque combines rage, digicore, and hyperpop, making one of the most interesting sounds in the industry. Lucy has influences in other music genres but he mainly now raps with rage and digicore. His newest project, C, is a great blend of these genres showing his unique style.
Prettifun is another member of this group, and the most positive one with his energetic, loud, and overall fun rhythms, which pays homage to his name. Slayr is the group’s experimental head, as all of his influences come from anime or video games from Japan.
Slayr’s sound is similar to Lucy and Pretti’s but the way he delivers it sounds like its own unique genre.
All of these rappers get a lot of hate, because of their different sound, but they don’t let it get to them as they continue to do their own thing. One of their biggest inspirations, Lil Uzi Vert, has given them some recognition regarding their similar styles and people speculate that prettifun might sign to Uzi’s label, marking a big step towards the mainstream.
These were just some of the names in the underground but I hope this gives you some foundation into diving towards this new era of underground rap.
Comments