alternative hip hop
Experimental underground rap
Alternative hip hop is a loose category for hip hop that diverges from mainstream commercial styles—whether through unconventional production, introspective or experimental lyrics, or incorporation of elements from rock, jazz, or electronic music.
The term gained currency in the late 1980s and 1990s with artists who rejected gangsta rap conventions: De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest pioneered alternative hip hop.
The boundaries are fuzzy, as yesterday's alternative often becomes today's mainstream.
- jazz rapHip-hop using improvisational elements
- turntablismPhonograph-based music creation
- jazz-hopFusion of improvisation and beats
- neo soulVintage-inspired modern R&B fusion
- flowUnbroken forward movement
rap · rhythm · conscious rap · break · nerdcore · cultural critique · spoken word · poetry slam · The Roots · underground movements · indie labels · storytelling · Lauryn Hill · golden age · political commentary · emotional vulnerability · slam poetry · freestyle