Underground Hip-Hop: An Overview, Volume 2

You probably won't see these artists on TV or hear them on the radio, but you should know about them nonetheless.

1. Akrobatik


Akrobatik hails from the Boston, Massachusetts area. He has worked with some great MCs, including: Talib Kweli, B-Real, Chuck D, Little Brother, Mr. Lif, Zion I, Freddie Foxxx and Blueprint. In addition, Akrobatik has had the backing of some top notch producers such as: Diamond D, Beatminerz, Edan and DJ Revolution. Akrobatik does a commendable job of coveying a story to the listener (see "Limelight" and "Cooler Headz" from the album Balance). He also provides some socially conscious commentary on tracks such as "Kindred" (from the album Absolute Value) where Akrobatik raps from the point-of-view of a slave:

It took me six years to build up enough courage to run,
And only six hours to be facing the barrel of a gun.

Not knowing if it's the last time I'd ever see my sons,

And that's punishment enough, still the pain has just begun.

A light flashes, leather from the whip lashes,

He's threatening to burn me in my own ashes.

Brown skin is now purple, it comes full circle,

When the pain that I'll endure is the pain I'll have to work through.

For now, my body lies listless,

Wishing that my wife wasn't forced to witness,

Wishing she wasn't forced to be master's mistress,

Wishing she wasn't forced to be under this distress.

How did we ever get into this mess?

We came from kings,

Now we're wearing rags, eating unmentionable things

The stings from the welts in my back make me want to attack

And be a martyr for blacks, but then the whip cracks,

And brings me back to reality,

Madness, brutality that leads to fatalities

And if he knew that I was reading his books and getting smarter,

It would only make him whip me harder.

Sometimes I thank God I never had a daughter,

But even if I did, in my death we'd connect through the pain,

Our souls kindred.



I won't provide further lyrics here, but the second verse is from the point-of-view of a Hurricane Katrina victim. WHY CAN'T WE GET SONGS LIKE THIS PLAYED ON THE RADIO?



2. Vakill

Vakill, from Chicago, is a monster on the mic. His punchlines and one-liners are outstanding and often require more than one listening before you can catch them all. Some examples:

My name is legendary on all blocks, spitting fireball rocks
Before they call pops, had bodies in walls and crawl spots
Hammers is all cocked
So many Makaveli mini-me's in the game it's a f***ing outbreak of small pacs [Author's note: Get it? Small pacs / Small pox]
And beef is when everybody is not breathing so body me not even
Everybody is holding and probably not squeezing
And last year n****z albums did more flopping then a Vlade Divac season

~~~~~
Whether n****z feel me or not regardless style heartless foul
Spit in front of the hardest crowds
If they start booing I'm sticking fans Artest style

~~~~

The truth since my umbilical was chopped from my navel
Darkest cloud didn't go pop but I'm stable
Never been dropped from a label
I gage my career to a fat b***h at a buffet and brought a lot to the table
The games lets die first so f**k peace until I left my curse
And rookies claiming they the best since Big death died worst
B***h please you've yet to spit s**t that could f**k with a Left Eye verse
I'm sonning as long as the one in the sky hung
They say the good die young
Mostly over bulls**t and women that's high strung
But them same b***hes throwing me p***y like they runner-ups for the Cy Young

~~~
Vakill's style often revolves around the "I'm the best MC in the game" mentality. I realize that such an MC isn't for everybody. Some days, it's not what I want to hear. But when I am up for an extremely self-confident MC with matching skills, Vakill fits the bill.

Vakill - Worst Fears Confirmed


3. Brother Ali

Here is what I know about Brother Ali for sure: He is albino, he loves his son, he is Muslim, he reps Minnesota, and he is a great emcee. I have seen Brother Ali in concert once and he put on an outstanding performance. You can definitely tell that he is not in the Hip-Hop game to get rich quick. He does this for the love (and he does it well).

Brother Ali - Ear to Ear


Brother Ali is more socially conscious than 90% of the rappers in the genre today. He is definitely not afraid of criticizing the U.S. government in songs like "Uncle Sam G***amn":

You don't give money to the bums,
On the corner with a sign, bleeding from their gums,
Talking about you don't support a crackhead
What you think happens to the money from your taxes?
S**t, the government's an addict,
With a billion dollar a week "kill-brown-people" habit
And even if you ain't on the front line
When master yell "crunch time," you're right back at it
Plain look at how you're hustlin' backwards
At the end of the year, add up what they subtracted
Three out of twelve months, your salary pay for that madness
Man, that's sadness
What's left? Get a big @ss plasma,
To see where they made Dan Rather point the damn camera
Only approved questions get answered,
Now stand your @ss up for that National Anthem.

Allegedly, this song cost him his corporate touring sponsorship. But like I said, Brother Ali is in this for the love. He'll probably write a song about that corporate sponsor on his next album.