Alternative hip hop originated in the late 1980s with East Coast groups like De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest who blended hip hop with funk, indie, rock, and jazz. It became more mainstream in the 1990s with the Fugees and groups on the West Coast and South. Today alternative hip hop includes artists like Odd Future, Kid Cudi, and A$AP Mob who appeal mostly to males ages 16-30. The genre is characterized by experimental blending of styles and themes that diverge from mainstream hip hop stereotypes. Record labels like Rawkus Records and XL Recordings have been important in its development and promotion.
2. History of Alt Hip-Hop
Alternative hip hop also known This genre originated in the late-80s, in
as alternative rap or Mellow Hip-Hop is the Golden age of hip hop, alternative
a sub-genre of hip hop music. hip hop was primarily situated by East
Alternative Rap refers to hip hop groups Coast rappers such as De La Soul, A
that do not follow the traditional Tribe Called Quest, Brand Nubian,
stereotypes of rap. Instead, they blur and Digable Planets and after by West
genres - drawing equally from Funk, Coast acts such as The
Indie, Rock, Jazz, Soul or Techno. Pharcyde, Digital Underground
and Jurassic 5 as well as
certain Southern acts such as Arrested
Development, Goodie Mob,
and OutKast. The Fugees, stand as
the some of the first few alternative rap
groups to be recognized by
mainstream audiences and Missy Elliot
as one of the very first solo female in
the scene.
3. Main Artists in the genre at the
moment
OFWGKTA Kid Cudi
A$AP Mob
Kendrick Lemar
Childish Gambino
M.I.A Kreayshawn
4. Audience for Alt Hip-Hop &
Demographics
Alternative Hip-Hop is most common among males from ages 16 – 30. This is a
very large scale of audience as because most of the artists in this sub-genre
are male. Which doesn’t mean that females don’t listen to Alt rap as much,
but suggests that its predominately a male related.
5. Families in the Sub-genre
Within Alternative Rap, all artists sub generate from their music family e.g.
The Fugees – Soul & Reggae. Here are a few:
OFWGKTA N.E.R.D. Gym Class Heroes
Indie Rap/ Horrorcore Rap Rock/ Reggae
Dance & Funk
OutKast Black Starr
Techno Rap/ Neo Soul Soul/ Poetry
6. Public perceptions of Alt Hip-Hop
Hip Hop was once the African-American
experiences and the voices of their
people being told throughout music in
the early 1990’s. African-American youth
experiences came about from the rise in
police brutality, the cocaine outbreak,
and gun crime.
However Alternative Hip-Hop defines a
style of hip hop music that focuses
A reason why this could primarily around horror-influenced and
be critiqued by the anti-religious topics that can
public as a bad genre is include cannibalism, drug-abuse,
probably due to the promiscuity, suicide and murder. The
themes presented in lyrics are often inspired by anti-religious
the songs. And also as subjects over moody, hardcore beats,
this genre is also seen expressing eclectic sounds, life
not mainstream enough experiences and emotions.
and a more
underground scene.
7. Record Labels
XL Recordings held by Richard Russell Rawkus Records is an American hip-
who has worked with a few Alternative hop record label owned by Brian
Hip-Hop artists such as: Brater. This record label known for
M.I.A. jump-starting the careers of both Mos
Def and Talib Kweli. Rawkus started in
The Weeknd
1996 with initial releases ranging from
Tyler, The Creator hip-hop to drum and bass.
This same label produced another
This record label is currently worldwide, Alternative rap artist named Common,
successful and is expanding with who was also successful in the 90s-
artists from other genres for instance present. And also the likes of
Adele and her recent popularity in the Eminem's freshman singles.
music industry.
9. Cross Media
There are many of
cross media
concerning Mellow
Rap/ Alternative
Rap and most
happen to be music
coverage
companies such as
MTV & 3VOOR12.
Also radio stations just as Red Bull MA FM, Choice FM and Last.FM
show a lot of Alt Hip-Hop coverage, and these radio stations
also support websites like GotRadio, that present this genre of
music.
10. The Future For Alt Hip-Hop
The future for Alternative Hip-Hop from my perspective seems to be growing
worldwide as this sub-genre of Hip-Hop in the 90s used to be underground.
Until the likes of Mos Def, Talib Kweli, OutKast, Kanye West, Missy Elliot
and Common made this a mainstream genre for the 2000s.
Alternative Rap as I said is growing worldwide and is seen to many Hip-Hop
legends from the past as ‘‘a breathe of fresh air’’. Plus, recent collaborations
with other genres shows signs of this genre on the rise.
Also the recent expansion on female artists recently conveys this as well. To be
honest within the next 5 years, Alternative Hip-Hop could go further than
mainstream.
