alternative hip-hop | nl

Alternative hip-hop is a sub-genre of hip-hop music. It refers to all hip-hop groups, past and present, that refused to conform to the demands of the international record companies and consumers of commercial, disposable music in all of its forms....

Alternative hip-hop emerged out of the tension that takes hold of every new musical genre. Like punk in the 70's, once a new style of music can be identified and defined it can be copied and turned into a commodity.

For Alternative hip-hop music, think creativity without boundaries or an apology. For every other form of hip-hop, think consumerism.

Alternative hip-hop continues to promote a microphone and two turntables. It continues to embrace and absorb all other styles of music. Through cutting, scratching, transforming and sampling you can listen to elements of world music, classical music, reggae, soul, rock and roll, jazz, funk, the blues and punk, to name but a few...

Like abstract or contemporary art, there is no formula... Listen to 'Humrush', by KMD or anything by MF Doom or Quasimoto, it's the same band, the same people in one line up or another making music for over 3 decades. KMD were Alternative in the 80's and MF Doom is still Alternative now...Listen to 'Beat Bop', by Rammelzee released in 1983 and anything by Cypress Hill. Rammellzee was Alternative in1983, and Cypress Hill became part of the mainstream..

Alternative hip-hop means no creative boundaries, no rules and no gimmicks....

The golden age of hip-hop began in 1988 and ended around 1996. Since then, hip-hop has gone on to become one the most popular forms of music in the world and one of the most immediately recognisable styles of music in the world

Alternative hip-hop hasn't gone anywhere, it's just below the radar... .