Backpack and Underground rap or just crap?

[Rukas]

I like Underground artists, but am not really feeling Backpackers. Like Aesop Rock is cool, but I just dont feel him you know?

At a certain point you have to stop and ask yourself, "Is this artist underground because of his content? Or is he underground cause he sucks?"

Just venting, more about the Australian scene then anything, but I guess it applies to all.

 

[HitEmUp21]

I can understand it in relation to the Australian scene no doubt. And a lot of it would be underground simply because it is bad, but has achieved a cult following because of people wanting to be different.

 

[one mc on dj]

No...you have to ask yourself does this artist have potential to get signed to a major label yes or no...if it's no he sucks if it's yes this artist chose to get signed to an indi label


am not really feeling this post

 

[roaches]

What's the different between underground and backpacker again?

*Has flashbacks of Method Man and Buckshot repping for backpackers in the early '90s*

 

[Frank Grimes]

i basicaly like the majority of "underground' rappers that arnt just tryin to be another clone. like if your tryin to take it in a different direction , not just tryin to be the next ,,lets say,, eminem then its all cricket

 

[Rukas]

What's the different between underground and backpacker again?

*Has flashbacks of Method Man and Buckshot repping for backpackers in the early '90s*

Backpack rap is a part of the Underground rap scene, but they are not the same thing. Horrorcore is also underground, but its not backpack. Get it?

 

[CalcuoCuchicheo]

I'm a bit of a fan of Murs & obviously I think he has skills.

If Jean Grae & them count, then backpack & underground rap can be good just like mainstream, but by the same token can also be poor.

 

[one mc on dj]

Backpack rap is a part of the Underground rap scene, but they are not the same thing. Horrorcore is also underground, but its not backpack. Get it?

yeah..ok..laugh at me so i went to urbandictionary.com and searched for backpack and I got this..

1. backpack
describes socially conscious and/or underground hip hop

Is that the right definition?

 

[GhettoStar]

I like Underground artists, but am not really feeling Backpackers. Like Aesop Rock is cool, but I just dont feel him you know?

At a certain point you have to stop and ask yourself, "Is this artist underground because of his content? Or is he underground cause he sucks?"

Just venting, more about the Australian scene then anything, but I guess it applies to all.

yes it applies to all round here given I live round alot of underground catz who happen to be white. The whole back pack thing is just a fad for these kids to feel excepted without having to follow emneim which is sad.....but yep your thoughts bout "underground becasue of his content? Or is he underground cause he sucks?" so true. Truer then you can believe, most of them are average mc's but given they are "underground" people flock to them and then try to reject em, who actaully has more skill then the entire backpack movement. Trust me on this thought, almost all the white kids I know into underground are into that junk they claim is real hip-hop, its annoying cuz most these kids dont know shit bout hip-hop/rap in general.

 

[roaches]

Backpack rap is a part of the Underground rap scene, but they are not the same thing. Horrorcore is also underground, but its not backpack. Get it?

Naw, I completely disgaree with you. Then again, you view a lot of what's going on in hip-hop through the Internet and from Australia. The Internet is a bad representation of what's going on in hip-hop, and Australia is far enough away for you to have a different perspective.

*bumps "Lune TNS", snears at people who don't get it, checks to make sure latest mixtapes and fresh Walkman batteries are in leather-bottomed Jansport, throws it on, boards bus*

 

[Rukas]

Naw, I completely disgaree with you. Then again, you view a lot of what's going on in hip-hop through the Internet and from Australia. The Internet is a bad representation of what's going on in hip-hop, and Australia is far enough away for you to have a different perspective.

*bumps "Lune TNS", snears at people who don't get it, checks to make sure latest mixtapes and fresh Walkman batteries are in leather-bottomed Jansport, throws it on, boards bus*

So let me get this straight, you're saying horrocore is not underground? I dont get what you mean, its easy to say Im wrong and talk about where Im at (you know nothing about the Australian hip-hop scene I gather), but at least tell me what you mean.

Backpack rap is Underground rap, but Underground rap is not JUST backpack rap. Underground hip-hop has many different styles, of which backpack is one, horrorcore is another for example. You can not say there is no difference between underground and backpack, backpack implies underground, but underground does not simply imply backpack.

 

[GhettoStar]

So let me get this straight, you're saying horrocore is not underground? I dont get what you mean, its easy to say Im wrong and talk about where Im at (you know nothing about the Australian hip-hop scene I gather), but at least tell me what you mean.

Backpack rap is Underground rap, but Underground rap is not JUST backpack rap. Underground hip-hop has many different styles, of which backpack is one, horrorcore is another for example. You can not say there is no difference between underground and backpack, backpack implies underground, but underground does not simply imply backpack.

same as someone saying that gangsta rap is hip-hop but hip-hop is not gangsta rap, there are diffrent styles in every genre I see what your saying with this at least I think I do. But the whole back pack junk like I told you is not just in the land down unda', so the whole "just listen to stuff online or Austrlia" comment doesnt really makes sense to me Roaches, but hey Im just guessing

 

[EDouble]

yeah..ok..laugh at me so i went to urbandictionary.com and searched for backpack and I got this..

1. backpack
describes socially conscious and/or underground hip hop

Is that the right definition?

i wouldnt be trustin urban dictionary. most of it isnt anythin to do with 'urban' shit anyway lmao usually comedy.

shock g's def for the shit is the best ive seen. -

"Backpack-Rapper (n.) An emcee who limits his focus to non-violent,
non-sexist, non-material, non-threatening, politically-correct, college,
freestyle hip-hop only."

........

Also, Backpack-Bitches (n.) Women who only date the above.

 

[S O F I]

It's funny how in all 3 of your posts, you still haven't defined backpack rap. Please give me an example, because I'm not sure what you mean.

 

[roaches]

So let me get this straight, you're saying horrocore is not underground? I dont get what you mean, its easy to say Im wrong and talk about where Im at (you know nothing about the Australian hip-hop scene I gather), but at least tell me what you mean.

You're saying that "backpack rap" is a specific style of hip-hop, and that underground hip-hop falls into neat levels of stylistic categorization like "Horrocore" and "Backpack". I'm saying that that is not the case. It's just a semantics issue. A bunch of kids on the Internet have fucked what backpacker/underground meant.

I'm trying to explain what I mean, to make the issue clear, but it involves history lessons and rambling and a whole lot of other shit. The gist of it is Fuck Anticon and Fuck Aesop Rock, My Favorite Rapper Is Bun B From UGK But I'm Still More Of A Backpacker Than Those Faggots Who Go To Sage Francis Shows ever will be.

I was also going to compare Company Flow and Black Moon, talk about RA the Rugged Man and Biggie working together, and the fact that the only work resembling horrorcore that anyone besides some lame-ass ICP/Esham fans cared about was the first Gravediggaz album, but I have three exams next week, so this is my only chance to get high for a while.

 

[Chronic]

So let me get this straight, you're saying horrocore is not underground? I dont get what you mean, its easy to say Im wrong and talk about where Im at (you know nothing about the Australian hip-hop scene I gather), but at least tell me what you mean.

Backpack rap is Underground rap, but Underground rap is not JUST backpack rap. Underground hip-hop has many different styles, of which backpack is one, horrorcore is another for example. You can not say there is no difference between underground and backpack, backpack implies underground, but underground does not simply imply backpack.

Some rap is referred to as 'backpacker rap' because that's what backpackers listen to, it's not a style of rap.
And I wouldn't say underground rap is a style of rap, more a label status etc.
Horrorcore would be a style of rap.

 

[Jewpac]

the only reason underground rap is "underground" is because it doesnt shout out cadillac, chevy, and other miscellaneous alchoholic products..."popular rap" is basically free commercial advertising to people who put ridiculous things in their cars like 10 tv's, ps2, etc...skill wise - most popular rappers have little or no skill...I wouldnt be surprised if they just put all the words they commonly use in a generator and have it spit out songs (e.g. magic stick versus candy shop)...another thing is - it depends on what you think is talent...you think selling a lot of records = talent?...Not me...I listen to the rhymes, the message, the flow, etc...You wont find anything too deep in popular rap but keep digging until you hit the underground

 

[one mc on dj]

i wouldnt be trustin urban dictionary. most of it isnt anythin to do with 'urban' shit anyway lmao usually comedy.

shock g's def for the shit is the best ive seen. -

"Backpack-Rapper (n.) An emcee who limits his focus to non-violent,
non-sexist, non-material, non-threatening, politically-correct, college,
freestyle hip-hop only."

........

Also, Backpack-Bitches (n.) Women who only date the above.

LMao you know I usually don't use that shit but since i didnt wanna search all over google for the defintion i used that...

newayz thank you

 

[Rukas]

Some rap is referred to as 'backpacker rap' because that's what backpackers listen to, it's not a style of rap.
And I wouldn't say underground rap is a style of rap, more a label status etc.
Horrorcore would be a style of rap.

To me underground rap is a style, like Chino XL said, underground rap is about the verses, commercial rap is about the hooks.

And as E Double said, Shock G gave a nice definition of backpack rap:

"Backpack-Rapper (n.) An emcee who limits his focus to non-violent,
non-sexist, non-material, non-threatening, politically-correct, college,
freestyle hip-hop only."

But I agree with you, backpack rap is what backpackers listen to or do, that doesnt mean that its not a style of its own, as it is influnenced by the backpackers style of living and thought.

 

[Rukas]

You're saying that "backpack rap" is a specific style of hip-hop, and that underground hip-hop falls into neat levels of stylistic categorization like "Horrocore" and "Backpack". I'm saying that that is not the case. It's just a semantics issue. A bunch of kids on the Internet have fucked what backpacker/underground meant.

I'm trying to explain what I mean, to make the issue clear, but it involves history lessons and rambling and a whole lot of other shit. The gist of it is Fuck Anticon and Fuck Aesop Rock, My Favorite Rapper Is Bun B From UGK But I'm Still More Of A Backpacker Than Those Faggots Who Go To Sage Francis Shows ever will be.

I was also going to compare Company Flow and Black Moon, talk about RA the Rugged Man and Biggie working together, and the fact that the only work resembling horrorcore that anyone besides some lame-ass ICP/Esham fans cared about was the first Gravediggaz album, but I have three exams next week, so this is my only chance to get high for a while.

I never said it was neat, but I do think theres styles of rap that are just underground and fall into that catagory -- maybe they will cross over or not, but right now they are still underground. I mean Horrorcore probably got close to crossing over with Gravediggaz but it never did, it never went commercial, so I classify it as underground, its not on MTV which is what I consider commercial to be. Same with backpack, its not hugely commercial although you have artists like Kanye West or whatever that are sort of borderline, but you dont exactly get backpack rap mentioned the same as gangsta or crunk rap in the mainstream.

Id love to read something more indepth about the issue from you once your exams are done, either in an article or on here.

Anyway, I wasnt attacking the style or those that partake in it, I feel you sort of jumped on the defensive there. I was just venting, on rappers who say "oh we dont sell because we are underground," or "oh we dont sell because we are backpack," but what it comes down to is they dont sell because they SUCK. Not saying that all horrorcore or backpack rappers suck, they dont, but I think sometimes MCs use "underground" as a cover up, that they just didnt have what it takes to go the distance in their career.

Did you ever check out RA's album? Worth checking out? And Necro's got linke 3 months left to release 5 albums lol, I dont like dudes lyrics but hes a dope producer.