What Happened to Indie Rap in 09?

Three main examples:

Esoteric-Saving Seamus Ryan

Cage-Depart From Me

E&A-By The Throat


What IS this shit? To me, this gives credence to the criticism that (read: WHITE) artists like Cage, Eso, and Eyedea aren't actually true hip hop heads but really into all types of music but good at making hip hop in particular. Granted, POS and Atmosphere have ventured out farther into weirdness, but they're still making GOOD MUSIC. Is this evidence that the underground will eventually be swallowed up by shit like this? What's even more strange to me is that Rhymesayers has signed guys like Freeway and Evidence but are putting out weird fucking records at the same time. I'm not downing on their diversity but I'm just not sure of the direction they're going in anymore. Is anyone else concerned about this trend?

By indie rap do you mean independent labels? Or just underground rap.

I don't really listen to any of the examples, except I did check out that Eyedea and Abilities...(I really liked E&A). Extremely disappointed by that wack shit. And if by Indie you mean Underground, Dalek took the top spot last year for me. As for the trend that you are talking about, I don't think it will continue for very long. I just don't think people that like hip hop or good music in general would support those artists enough for them to continue down that path. If that shit continues their fanbases will consist of white kids that "sort of" like hip hop and are desperately grasping for white idols....

By indie I mean like the "genre", like "indie" rock.

Co-sign HalfSharkHalfSasquatch...

im assuming you dont mean indie like Tech N9ne, DOOM, and La Coka Nostra who all released solid albums last year.

They're technically "independent" but i see what your saying

I agree with Nero here. Not only do I agree with the examples, but if you add 2 of my most favorite midwest groups into the mix from last year, Unknown Prophets & The Crest, I'd have to say I've been extremely disappointed by the indie rock meshing of hip-hop last year. I've heard it well plenty of times (ex. Heiruspecs), and their was tons of great independent hip-hop last year IMO, but I am getting tired of this pussy indie rock shit being mixed with hip-hop. It can/should be done better.

Second thought, Heiruspecs don't even mesh "idie rock" with their stuff. It's more blues and jazz based. I'm talking about that lo-fi messy sounding junk with weak vocals on indie rock radio.

I kinda like Heiruspecs.

Most of us like Heiruspecs so you don't have to qualify your opinion with a "kinda". And thanks for understanding what I was saying, Al. I haven't peeped the UP and still have no clue who the Crest are, but it seems like shit is getting out of hand. I'm all for experimentation, but seriously this shit is getting ridiculous. Was "No More Heroes" any good?

Busdriver actually went back to Hip Hop on his last album. But yeah, White boys like to venture off and do other shit. But Apathy has brought that 94' shit back. Thats one Whiteboy that wont go Incubus on us anytime soon.

I could actually throw Apathy AND Ryu into this group with Get Busy Comittee but I actually like that album. It's techno instead of indie rock so I was pleased. Is that new Busdriver easier on the ears? I might give that dude one last d/l to see what you find so goddamn dope about him.

Dang! Trotter wrote:

Busdriver actually went back to Hip Hop on his last album. But yeah, White boys like to venture off and do other shit. But Apathy has brought that 94' shit back. Thats one Whiteboy that wont go Incubus on us anytime soon.

See...they're gonna turn it into something else like I said before. Word to Chuck Berry.

Co-sign Ap, though. Dude keeps that boom bap with him...

Kopasetick wrote:

Dang! Trotter wrote:

Busdriver actually went back to Hip Hop on his last album. But yeah, White boys like to venture off and do other shit. But Apathy has brought that 94' shit back. Thats one Whiteboy that wont go Incubus on us anytime soon.

See...they're gonna turn it into something else like I said before. Word to Chuck Berry.

Co-sign Ap, though. Dude keeps that boom bap with him...

And Little Richard. Fuck Elvis.

Norf, I take it you didn't hear Get Busy Comittee lol.

Experimentation with other genres is nothing new, and it's needed. Those are examples of it going badly. There are also examples of it going well. Nothing to worry about, those 3 albums weren't particularly well received compared to previous albums by those 3, so it'll either be lesson learned (they'll do it better, move on, or try to take it back) or they'll fade.

Anyway...

Nah N3R0...I haven't. lol

I dunno, I like the cd, but if you're a huge Apathy fan and don't want your perception of him ruined, you might not want to run this risk. It's all early 90's techno beats.

Techno beats?

Soooo...Eastern Philosophy it isn't, huh?

N3R0 wrote:

Most of us like Heiruspecs so you don't have to qualify your opinion with a "kinda". And thanks for understanding what I was saying, Al. I haven't peeped the UP and still have no clue who the Crest are, but it seems like shit is getting out of hand. I'm all for experimentation, but seriously this shit is getting ridiculous. Was "No More Heroes" any good?

I would steer clear of the new UP's given the examples you put up for the thread. Not sure if you even like them, but the album would make you plain dislike them. Fuck...I'm still upset about it because IMO, they have never released a weak album until they dropped that one...hence the reason why I often state(d) they are one of my all-time favorites.

The Crest made more aggressive hip-hop in the vein of say...House Of Pain. I always felt they were sort of a drinking man's hip-hop. I loved their energy (their best is "The Skeptik" IMO....I think Shaun may have dug this too, but I don't remember). Anyway, their newest album "Cheerful Robots" is polluted with slow tempo, , indie rock bullshit....not a damn song I really dig on it. Sometimes I just want to say - fuck all that artsy shit and do what you know! lol

Kopasetick wrote:

Dang! Trotter wrote:

Busdriver actually went back to Hip Hop on his last album. But yeah, White boys like to venture off and do other shit. But Apathy has brought that 94' shit back. Thats one Whiteboy that wont go Incubus on us anytime soon.

See...they're gonna turn it into something else like I said before. Word to Chuck Berry.

Co-sign Ap, though. Dude keeps that boom bap with him...

LMAO!! Your boy K-OS is doing big things...

Atlantis came in the mail a few days ago...I like...