The Underground In 2004

[Ras Kass' Toothpick]

I'm wondering if I'm sleeping on any good releases from underground artists.  Post up what albums you've got/heard and what you think of them.

Here's what I've heard:

Brother Ali - Champion EP...Pretty good album, it sounds similar to his previous but still solid.

Chief Kamachi - Cult Status...Still getting into it but I've liked what I've heard

Ill Bill - What's Wrong With Bill...I can't stand Ill Bill for an entire album, he just doesn't have a good voice.  The lyrics are good and the production is solid but overall it's just not that good.

Madvillian - Madvillainy...unlistenable

Murs - Murs 3:16 - The 9th Edition...Best of the bunch, some great production and good variety with the content

Planet Asia - The Grand Opening...Average album, some really tight joints, some shitty ones, overall pretty forgetable

The U.N. - Un Or U Out...see Chief Kamachi



Saigon - Warning Shots...great songs on here but it's just like a mixtape with the plugs for his album and the radio freestyles, you need this if you don't have his two Kay Slay mixtapes.


I think I'm forgetting one or two that I've heard, It'll come to me later.

[Leggy Hendrix]

Madvillian - Madvillainy...unlistenable
Murs - Murs 3:16 - The 9th Edition...Best of the bunch, some great production and good variety with the content
The U.N. - Un Or U Out...see Chief Kamachi

i thot these 3 were dope...that UN is sick, and i think u need to give the Madvillain album a few more listens...slow burner imo...

[[sepehr]]

Does Masta Ace count? cause his was the one of the best ive heard this year

[N-Sane Brain]

I had a long discussion about what's "underground" before, so I don't know if it's all underground, but here's a list of good "underground" albums of '04:

Masta Ace - A Long Hot Summer
KRS-One - Keep Right
Outerspace - Blood And Ashes
Saigon - Warning Shots
Chief Kamachi - Cult Status
Cormega - Legal Hustle
Sabac - Sabacolypse (A Change Gon' Come)
Ill Bill - What's Wrong With Bill?
Jedi Mind Tricks Presents Outerspace
7L & Esoteric - DC2: Bars Of Death
Mr. Hyde - Barn Of The Naked Dead
MURS - 3:16 The 9th Edition
Gift Of Gab - Fourth Dimensional Rocketships Going Up
Brother Ali - Champion
Royce Da 5'9" - Death Is Certain
Paul Wall - Chick Magnet
...

[Sikotic™]

Ill Bill, Sabac, and Jedi Mind Tricks are all solid albums. Ill Bill's is one of my favorite to drop this year.

[Primo]

That UN shit is hot. I got that when it came out.

[Kill]

i wouldn't call too many of these artists "underground", except if that is just as opposed to "mainstream" and don't have anything to do with sales, popularity etc., but fuck it. Ive heard so far...

Murs - 3:16 - Y'all know this is dope

sum of Sabac - Sabacolypse - Dope album IMO, I like him more than Ill Bill after their solos...lyrics are more mature and thoughtful and the beats on this are dope too

Royce 5'9'' - Death Is Certain  - I'm part of a very small minority havin been disappointed in this, but it fa sho ain't wack. I just ain't feelin most of the production, Royce himself is tight on most songs

Masta Ace - A Long Hot Summer - Dope shit, most of y'all prolly heard it too. One of the best LP to drop this year

Cee-Lo Green Is The Soul Machine - I'd never call this "underground" but since 99.87% of the people on here are sleepin on it i'ma mention it. Tight and creative album

Dilated Peoples - Neighborhood Watch - Well if Ace and Royce count u might as well count this. I wasn't very impressed with it tbh, it's technically solid but not more. Most songs are just aight, but nothing i'd sit down and listen to for an hour without feeling the urge to do sumthin else and have it in the background. that's just how i feel about it, i wouldn't say it's wack or anything though

parts of Mr. Hyde - Barn Of The Naked Dead - well if u like Necro u MIGHT like him, if u don't forget about this. he ain't as good as  necro himself, but he can rhyme and flow goin on about basically the same shit

parts of Cormega - The Legal Hustle - quite nice, get that shit

RJD2 - Since We Last Spoke - You could debate on whether to call this "hiphop" or "triphop" or whatever, however if u want sumthin different and are open to sumthin with no MC's on it u could try this out, personally i liked the majority of songs on it

well there's prolly sum more, these came to mind spontaneously

[smartass]

the underground has been filled with nothing but nerd rappers anymore...i dont even check for that shit...only underground albums i copped this year were legal hustle, and chick magnet. the last really dope album to be released by an underground artist was destined for greatness by l da headtoucha. wtf? since when was masta ace underground? hes just old school. theres a difference.

[M Dogg™]

Cee-Lo is mos def not underground, Masta Ace is not underground, but is forgotten, and Royce was a never was in the commercial world so his still underground, plus his never had a contract with a major lable, which I think is the biggest judge of underground. And Dilated Peoples is not underground since Worst Comes to Worst.

[Kill]

yeah, it all depends on ur definition of "underground". In my personal opinion Royce ain't 'underground' either just because his attempt to start a commercial career failed and he came back with a pure and unadulturated hiphop album. Speakin of "underground" names that pop into my head are Awol One, Lyrics Born, Buck 65, Luni Coleone, Black Dynasty etc. and i guess sumbody could start a debate on sum of these too

[Ras Kass' Toothpick]

I don't think anymore listens to that Madvillain will help.  I deleted it after two and a half listens anyway.  The format is horrible, it sounds like a promo/snippet sampler or something like that with those short, one verse songs.  He's too boring an MC for me, his delivery is terrible.  I didn't notice anything good about Operation Doomsday but I decided to give him another shot with this but I guess he's just gonna get labeled as another nerd rapper I can't get into.

I looked for RJD2's Since We Last Spoke but I could never find it on mIRC.  I liked Deadringer, is it similar to that?  With a few songs with MCs and the rest instrumentals?


Royce Da 5'9" has been in "the commercial world" for sure and he has been signed to a major.


I consider an underground artist someone who a hip-hop head wouldn't necessarily know.  If you're into hip-hop you should know Gangstarr, Masta Killa or Canibus  (so they're "mainstream hip-hop") but I wouldn't EXPECT you to know Saigon, Little Brother or Ill Bill (so they're "underground hip-hop").

[I`m Wayne Brady bitch!]

best rap - album so far is Royce da 5`9 - Death is certain in my opinion , masta ace was also verry good .

[smartass]

mf doom aint even really underground, either. its just his sound. he was with kmd in the 80s. hes just like ace, an old school rapper that new cats dont really check for. grimm was always 10x better than him on the mic. too bad he was shot up and has to live the rest of his life in a wheel chair. i think that cat could've really been somethin. "aiyyo *doom*, stick to producin!!!" black bastards and mr hood are classics

[Kill]

I looked for RJD2's Since We Last Spoke but I could never find it on mIRC.  I liked Deadringer, is it similar to that?  With a few songs with MCs and the rest instrumentals?

no, not really. no mc's at all this time, one or two songs got singers on em, the rest is all instrumentals. I'd say it's even less 'conventional' than Deadringer, but it's the type of album that'll grow on you