Rock Music Mania!!!!: Random Rock Playlist: Alternative Hip Hop

I know what some people might be thinking, why this? Well I'm going to explain this decision, but before tat, let's give a warm round of applause to those that a part of this collective. I mean it's another genre that's official in a sense that it's not technically a genre that an artist labels themselves as.

De La Soul

It's a genre that critics have made and that undeground have enjoyed listening to. You still may be thinking though, why Hip Hop on a blog about Rock music? Especially what's so great and different about this one? Aren't all Hip Hop & Rap songs the same? Answers to the following question: Because it has a a great following with Alternative and Indie fans, It utilizes lots of sounds like Rock, Funk, Alternative, Folk, Country, Soul, Metal, Reggae, Electronica, Blues, Disco, World, Jazz, and even Classical music, and no, not all hip hop sounds the same, this being a huge difference then the ones you hear played commercially.

M.I.A.

Let me just put it in simple terms, Alternative Hip Hop is actually a subgenre of Underground Hip Hop, a category of music that falls under a basic and large category (Like Death Metal listed under Heavy Metal) The thing that differentiates these groups then other artists that play a lot of mainstream radio hits is the dedication the step away from the stereotypical Rap image. According to what people believe Rap and Hip Hop should be is a homophobic, rascist, sexist, uneducated group or artist who sings about taking drugs, killing people, partying, commiting crimes, and living a luxurious life. Instead they tend to chose songs that can either be serious about current issues, socially conscious, politically active, peacefully positive, or even not take themselves seriously an make a parody.

Beastie Boys

Even though you will still find references about smoking weed or having a little bit of fun, they are still serious enough to become more abstact and experimental with lyrics and music sampling. Even though the critics applaud it's approach and dedicated fans love it's friendly atmosphere, mass media look down on it as a cash liability, yet they praise artists outside the genre you can't seem to understand why they're there. Is it because some of the topics aren't as taboo as Alternative artists approach it as or that they aren't interested in anything artistic unless it's a fashion statement? (Seriously you hear a shitload of lovey dovey sex songs and not one about anti-war or even in MF Doom's point, a song about just food.)

Calle 13

Even though, again, they are not technically a Rock genre (Even though some of the groups or solos actually play some Rock music) I still consider then a part of the Rock genre due to it's connection with Rock fans, it's lyrical poet-ism, and it's subject matter that digs deep into people's souls.So without further or due, I would like to show you some of the artists that range old and new that represent all the faces of what Alt. Rap looks like.