The underground hip-hop scene has seen many different intriguing eras within the last few years. 2016 rings a bell for many on this topic, as it marked a time in music history that was unlike no other. Countless amounts of upcoming rappers seemed to materialize out of thin air, topping the music charts and dethroning the most streamed artists in the world. However, after this brief period of nonstop hits from the likes of Soundcloud legends such as Lil Uzi Vert, Playboi Carti, XXXTENTACION and more, Hip-hop began to seem boring. 

For the longest time, it felt as if the average rap listener was stuck with the same handful of artists they were introduced to years ago. Huge names like Drake, Lil Baby, and Gunna seemed to consistently dominate the billboards – that is until 2020. With the return of Lil Uzi Vert after three long years of no new music, listeners finally got to hear a refreshing new type of production and sound. The spacey synths and watery plucks featured in the beats of Uzi’s “Eternal Atake” blended virtual, almost EDM sounding melodies with classic trap drums. Producers Brandon Finessin, Star boy, and Outtatown were responsible for these uptempo and futuristic beats. This marked a turning point in the Hip-hop scene. Fans were dragged away from their piano beats and forced to take in a different style of rap. 

Moving forward, the influence of these new “hyperpop” beats was apparent everywhere (not to be confused with the hyperpop sub-genre.) Suddenly, artists and producers scrambled to newer, different sounds in order to keep up with the momentum curated by these underground figures. Early 2021 marked the beginning of an entirely new set of artists, similar to what we saw in 2016. Rappers like Ken Carson, Destroy Lonely, Summrs, Lancey Foux, and more all began to take full advantage of this new synth sound that had become even more popularized by the then newly released Playboi Carti album “Whole Lotta Red.” Many long time rap fans commented that the rapid rise of these talented new artists was almost nostalgic to them, as the last time they had experienced something similar had been years prior. 

Today, this underground sound has come full circle. Artists who were unknown for no more than two years have accumulated tens of millions of streams and hundreds of thousands of followers. Underground producers have made it to the highest ranks on mainstream artists albums. Trippie Redd’s newest album “MANSION MUSIK” is a prime example. The 25 songs feature some of the biggest rappers in the world on experimental trap beats from the likes of Redda and Loesoe. These collaborations, like on the song “GOODFELLAS” featuring Nardo Wick, provide a fresh, unheard sound that’s been leaving listeners with a pleasant surprise. Even Lil Baby and Future, artists with a signature trap sound, switched it up on tracks like “FULLY LOADED,” featuring a fast, uptempo beat accompanied by Redda’s signature supertrap hi hats. Even Summrs, an artist notorious for his underground presence in the pluggnb sub-genre, made it onto Trippie’s new album. 

Rap has come a long way recently and as a producer who has worked with many of these creators, it’s been very inspiring to watch. It’s very evident that the most talented musicians are usually some of the most overlooked. When underground hip-hop collides with the mainstream sound, it creates some of the most unique and amazing sounding rap music.