Sub-Saharan

Drill Rapper R1 Jumped & Buck50'ed In Times Square After Knicks Game

XXXTENTACION in 2016: "the underground scene is ran by ATL n**, and slowly the music industry is going to be run by Georgia n**" He also stated that he wanted to contest it and put Florida on the map as a contender

but after all the allegations and shrinking intrest in many of the biggest artists in the scene it seems that hip hop might experience a much needed break from the ATL dominance

what was once new and refreshing quickly became repetitive and boring especially with the entire mainstream "running to atlanta" to get a feature from Future, Thug, Gunna or Lil Baby so often

For over a 10 years, ATL shaped the sound of the mainstream Gucci Mane, Future, Young Thug, 21 Savage, Migos, Lil Baby, Gunna and the rest influenced the flows, beats, slang, image etc untill it just became the default setting

The Atlanta rap falling off might actually be good for the future of music

its not good because of speed but its good

the disstracks, streamer reactions etc made jane remover after her song is gayer than any dick she ever sucked

wyrdo is one of those artists where the appeal is hard to explain, which is usually a good sign. Self-produced, surfer boy vocals, loose lyrics, off-kilter energy, and a sound that feels like its own pocket. Not polished in the normal way, just fun & interesting.

Osiggy He's lowkey a Korean cosplaying an Atlanta blood but the misc is catchy, simple, production-heavy underground music with a fashion-coded aesthetic. Not overly lyrical, but the bounce, confidence, and cool factor carry it. Personal Favs: Slatt and Tesla.

Lonely Souljaz Australian hood trap with accents, slang, humor, and a loose “fukkit kunt” energy. Fun, catchy, memorable, and full of actual chemistry. Personal Favs: Ceebs and Sunset Love.

SmokeDope2016 Cloud rap nostalgia filtered through witch house, emo rap, and 2016 internet culture. Hazy, hypnotic, faded music with a whole stoner-gamer world around it. Personal Favs: Gnarly and 2016Lyfe.

Bailey RP A self-produced singer with 8-bit, video-game-like production that still feels smooth, emotional, and personal. Weird, heartfelt, and fully her own thing. 2 personal Favs: Can We Just Forget and Halo.

First UP: Nori Bringing back early 2000s grime energy with a modern twist. Sharp delivery, actual bars, and often self-produced — he’s not just letting the beats carry him. 2 Personal Favs: i_aint_fly & Balance

5 Underground Artists You Should Be Watching: (not sponsored or bias) Not a ranking, just five artists who stand out in the current underground for having their own sound

Underground used to mean where you were on the popularity ladder and though its still relevant its no longer the full picture

at the same time, rappers like ATM Richie or Mdot 59 are not underground, even if they fit the label numbers wise. They belong to a different scene, visually, sonically and are more like buzzing drill and gang-slide rappers "underground numbers" but not "underground scene"

a few years back it used to mean underground rap: smaller artists, Soundcloud & local scenes. Now it includes a non-genre-based sound, aesthetics, internet ecosystem, i.e someone like Carti is underground even if he outstreams mainstream artists

The label "underground" is no longer a popularity tier. It's a subculture.

The modern underground isn’t dead or bigger. It’s fragmented. The fans are there. But the shared internet moment is weaker. 2017 underground felt like one big wave. Today’s underground feels like a hundred smaller bubbles.