There's a thousand trolls on here over-hyping shitty artists, so I wanna know who you think is underhyped. Please, for the love of God, don't post any 15 minute of fame rappers, or someone you think should blow up because you liked their mixtape... I'm looking for who has done it for a while, and done it well without blowing up. Who deserves more respect than they get? I'll start it off with the easiest and who I consider the most underrated ever... AZ. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhBZHOVO3ZI"]YouTube - AZ - Problems[/ame] [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YZuCdS5_t0"]YouTube - az - the format (prod. dj premier)[/ame] He's been dirty as long as I can remember but was never quite in the spotlight. He can easily hang with any of the big dogs of the late 90's or this past decade. I've been axiously waiting for Doe or Die 2 which was originally supposed to drop this summer I think, but is still indefinitely delayed. I think people sleep on Common too, but he's been pretty successful throughout his career. I just wanted to mention him as a sleeper anyways. 20+ years in the game but most people don't consider him one of the greats, which I think he is. Another underrated rapper? Guru. Hear me out though, cause I know he was famous as shit, but have any of you ever even heard of Jazzmatazz? Much less listened to it, or the other three volumes? I doubt it. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0thz4LD6UY"]YouTube - Guru ft. Slum Village - I'm Jazzy[/ame] People slept on his solo career and yea it's a lot different than what he did in Gang Starr, but versatility is something every good artist needs in my opinion. Not to mention the more mellow jazzy beats he raps over are something I personally like. I'm also gonna throw The Last Emperor out there. I saw somewhere he was called "the rappers favorite rapper" because a lot of rappers love his work. Not many people I know know of him or have listened to much of his work, but I think he's a seriously slept on artist. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohNd7t_sR1Y"]YouTube - The Last Emperor - Karma[/ame] [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SPjPGeYlMU"]YouTube - Last Emperor - Secret Wars[/ame] A couple other mentions... Gift of Gab Masta Ace Black Thought - again yea he's achieved some success as part of The Roots but when people talk about MC's his name doesn't come up nearly as often as it should. So lets get some real discussion going here, who do you think deserves recognition?
Definitely Fabo. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zi6z1u3opgU&feature=fvst]YouTube - Fabolous - I'm Raw (2010 Official Music Video)(Dir By Aristotle)(Prod Nisarg By Any Means)[/ame] punchlines for days.
imo wale and black thought are the 2 most underated in the game right now [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ors9TkdjW5M]YouTube - Wale - The Problem[/ame] [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bp05cNnsR3I]YouTube - Wale - The Kramer[/ame] [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FYf905iI_o]YouTube - The Artistic Integrity[/ame] [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pcu6dbTb00]YouTube - The Roots - 75 Bars (Black's Reconstruction)[/ame] [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DNy5ucf818&feature=related]YouTube - No Alibi - The Roots[/ame]
Hes still not very big and unheard of, i listened to one of his mixtapes and i fell inlove and still listen to him when i need to be inspired. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adc4poSGkls]YouTube - Out Late (Prod. By LeVi - LeVi (Street Lights)[/ame]
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qggxTtnKTMo]YouTube - Dance With The Devil - Immortal Technique[/ame] Immortal Technique is a revolutionary [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCnqDvvZrcM]YouTube - Nas - Life's a Bitch Ft. Az[/ame] Nas & AZ - two greatest and AZ is the most underrated rapper of all time no question. His verse on this is moving, he was the only one Nas allowed to go on a track with him for "it was written" [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmlNnx4zPEI[/ame] Big L is sometimes overrated, but he's never brought up much when talking about great rappers and he is one so i feel he's underrated. He only had material about street life and shit, but that's all he had gone through, he was 24 when he died and if he had a chance to grow, he would of became one of the best rappers ever IMO, not somebody with 40ish songs recorded. Chances are if he blew up and survived, he would of gave back to Harlem and became the face on New York hip hop. [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NBuGv3289A[/ame] Talib Kweli and Mos Def are sooooo underrated, definitely 2 of the best lyricists and most intelligent rappers of all time. THey're both sick and articulate, but the mainstream can't appreciate their talent : | [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IoPeNC4k_0[/ame] Guru isn't going to blow up like 2pac or biggie, since he wasn't in his prime when he died, but IMO he's better than them both and doesn't get recognized enough. [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpdX14zmQtI[/ame] My favorite up and coming artist, i hope this dude blows up.
A.Z is underrated from the couple nas songs he did ? Man i dont know, he had his buzz he just couldn't take it to the next level. His first album was tight...but now hes just retired.
Reword the first sentence it's a mindfuck I don't know how you can only like his first album, the rest were pretty similar and there's no "taking it to the next level" with the skilled hip hop artists, they don't make business moves and sellout and switchup to get famous, they remain the same and the mainstream moves on thus they get forgotten and underrated. Nas and AZ both blew up after illmatic and Doe Or Die and both eventually faded because the mainstream didn't like there style and they weren't switching up. They both continued to put out the same music as their first albums until recently. PS if you're going to come in a thread about underrated rappers, you should post some of the rappers you think are underrated, saying AZ isn't underrated is insane.
I know wat zars sayin. Nas is still growing and touching subjects few others do and still spittin fire, while AZ is puttin out albums that are the same as when he first dropped (even using titles over), attempting to get a fake buzz like doe or die 2 is going to be even close to doe or die OG. AZ hasent grow as much as Nas has throughout the past decade, and maybe thats why he doesnt get as much rep as you think he deserves. and that gets me to this. Nas is the most underrated/unappreciated rapper of all-time. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAdNUO8kii0&feature=related]YouTube - nas take it in blood[/ame]
Nas is one of the greatest for sure but usually gets his credit in alot of debates. as for under appreciated my vote would be Masta Ace. something about his flow is just perfect to me, yet i'm the only person i know who really listens to him. Andre Nickatina has some insane lyrical skills too, he's kinda popular in CA but i dont hear much about him anywhere else
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIBdAdnTqqo]YouTube - Macklemore "THE TOWN" Official Music Video[/ame] and i show this video to every head i meet. Dope song. Dope video. Dope Rapper.
Bro doing the same shit over and over makes you a weak artist, your style should change up relatively. People stop listening to them because they kept doing the same shit when the times were changed. Look at Jay-Z he evolves...and hes one the greatest ever. I mean AZ is underrated but to what level ? Nas gets all his proper respect IMO. +Rep for Masta Ace guy. Thats a good underrated artist.
^^^ you can still be a real n!gga and grow as an artist, az has basically stayed the same his whole career, all the shit he puts out sounds the same. thats not dope its redundent.