ok guys so i made the video. a bunch of yall were mentioned in here haha

OG POST:

doing some research

I've seen some people say "the underground" in reference to rappers like summrs, kankan, etc.

I've seen some people say "underground" when talking about more boom-bap oriented hip-hop like Griselda

I've seen people say "underground" artists have to be independent, thus disqualifying a lot of the above artists and instead tying "underground" to the commercial sense and not a particular sound

I've even seen someone on here say music isn't truly "underground" unless it isn't on DSPs

these answers are all soooooo different

so when you hear the word "underground", what do you think? and why?

Travis and carti

schyeeeaauhh

No billboard hit in top 50

Low streams on Spotify or other services

Only available on bandcamp

Check out MDOP or sickroom (sr only released their new EP on Bandcamp, like 5 people own it that's it)

whats low on spotify?

5000 max streams on most popular song, or streams aren't even showing up

real. interesting

Ismatic guru

I’m not really sure and I think as the music scene has gotten more oversaturated, terms like that r becoming a bit obsolete

There used to be a pretty definitive underground in the 2010s. Speaking only for myself, but when I looked back and someone asked me who my fav underground artist was, I could think of a whole bunch before I answered and they were all artists who really seemed like they were bubbling just underneath the surface of mainstream. Artists who weren’t radio yet, but they could still sell merch and do shows, and were developing a real brand of themselves

Nowadays niggas ask “who’s your fav underground artist” and your brain can’t even compute because hundreds of artists with no professional pictures taken of them and are only known on the internet by a selfie and gamertag stage name cross your mind. It’s just so many of them, and it’s like are you really representing the underground or are u just some kid that makes music and only really exists on Instagram and soundcloud

Unsigned, or signed to an independent label. An artist or artistic movement fhat (perhaps deliberately) eschews mass appeal. May be considered “niche” or “avant garde”. Not simply underexposed or unpopular

doesn't mean much any more to me because s***s used inaccurately but

It makes me think of some scene that's known locally somewhere and they got a good community going but obviously its not breaking into the mainstream at this point

With the internet underground doesn't mean s*** anymore imo

Unless you actively avoid any internet presence, I would say that would lean more towards 'underground' in this era

anyone feel free to state why u disagree though ill listen

I feel like hiphop fans call Griselda underground and the trap and plugg fans call Kankan/Summrs underground but even then they’re getting a lot of shine I wouldn’t call em underground. Wildkarduno and Xaviersobased I feel is underground rn definitely missing someone more worth looking at

This is accurate

It’s weird tho cuz Summrs and Kankan are too big to be underground but ppl on KTT will also claim they are nobodies

I saw boldy James perform at a venue and it sold out lmao

thats cause they exist in a universe most ktt users dont care for. if you told me a country artist i would be like who? but theyre prob selling out venues across america

There’s a middle ground between underground and popular & it’s anyone in the lower percentile on Billboard 200

yea but are summrs and kankan entering the billboard 200? i dont even mean that as an insult i would just be surprised

Then they’re underground

Just checked. 2 albums through EMPIRE, 1 US Heat (16) placement in 2022

How is this not an underground artist?

just depends on the definition of "underground". for one, summrs was signed to universal once upon a time. to some people that would mean they arent underground by default. kankan has over 2 million monthly listeners on spotify, to some, that would disqualify him too

my opinion is underground is defined by whatever "ground" youre looking at. if youre looking at soundcloud, plugnb, these dudes are the big dogs. if youre looking at hip hop as a whole, i see why theyre called "underground"

my opinion is underground is defined by whatever "ground" youre looking at.

Yeah you’re spitting here I agree with this perspective

I just think of artists that aren’t hugely popular and released music within the last few years.

Under the ground

If it doesn't go Gold or higher, it's underground

If it goes Gold or higher, it's mainstream

I wouldn’t say Boldy James is underground that’s like rylo Rodriguez to lil baby

arent there releases by A list artists that arent gold or platinum? or do you mean, if an artist achieves gold or platinum on one song then they’re no longer underground