KRS-One
Historically speaking, KRS-One might be the most overlooked rapper in history. He was a conscious rapper before that was even a term. Since the '80s, he’s been a New York rap legend, but when people list the greatest MCs of all time, he’s rarely on the list. While most of the legendary lyricists were busy rapping about fighting their enemies and murdering police, KRS-One was preaching to stop the violence.
Black Thought
Black Thought would rank higher, but the Roots are one of the most beloved crossover hip-hop acts today, and everybody knows who they are as a group, but Black Thought himself is not a household name -- which is a shame, because he's the complete package as an MC: His flow is like a multi-layer tapestry of constantly switching schemes and internal rhyme; he's never at a loss for important things to say; and the words he uses are fresh, original and arranged in unexpected ways. He's even a proficient freestyler, which is quickly becoming a lost art.
Killer Mike
Why he's underrated: Killer Mike's stock has risen in recent years thanks to his Run the Jewels collaborations with rapper/producer EL-P. But Day One fans know that Mike has been mangling microphones for the better part of 15 years. Mike's blend of street sensibility and politically charged commentary have made him a force in the booth and powerful spokesman for social justice. He's unquestionably one of the five top artists in hip-hop right now.
Soulja Slim
Soulja Slim was a hero in New Orleans; originally a member of the Parkway Pumpin' label, James Tapp-who was then known as Magnolia Slim, named after the Magnolia Projects where he grew up-released his debut in 1994.
His appeal was all about raw realness. Slim possessed an otherworldly confidence rooted in the streets, as epitomized in the opening lines of his prophetic single "From What I Was Told": "I'm gonna hit No Limit like Pac hit Death Row and make money out the asshole / and blow up, like the World Trade, and be protected by No Limit tanks, soldiers with K's and hand grenades." After three years behind bars on an armed robbery charge, Slim emerged in a new No Limit landscape: nearly all of Master P's roster had deserted the company, some alleging unfair business practices.
After releasing 2001's The Streets Made Me, Slim too split from No Limit, launching his own Cut Throat Comitty record label. He released Years Later in 2002, and Years Later...A Few Months After the following year, both of which featured the harrowing KLC-produced "Souljas on My Feet," an uncompromising bit of Nolia noir. Soulja Slim's collaboration with Juvenile, "Slow Motion," raced up the charts soon after its release, but unfortunately Slim would not live to enjoy its success; he was shot to death in front of his grandmother's home on the night before Thanksgiving, 2003.
Why he's underrated: Big Mike's stock has risen in recent years thanks to his Run the Jewels collaborations with rapper/producer EL-P. But Day One fans know that Mike has been mangling microphones for the better part of 15 years. Mike's blend of street sensibility and politically charged commentary have made him a force in the booth and powerful spokesman for social justice. He's unquestionably one of the five top artists in hip-hop right now.
Tech N9ne
Tech N9ne is the most underrated rapper ever but thanks to his incredibly loyal fanbase, he's also one of the most successful independent rappers ever. Tech was certainly ahead of his time when it came to business. He found ways to win independently throughout the 2000s when most rappers were going on SMACK DVD to show off how much advance money they got from their major deal. He built his Strange Music label from the ground up on the foundation of his top-notch rapping.
We'll never understand why hip-hop heads front on Tech. He's a rapper's rapper, a first-rate lyricist capable of a variety of styles who can spit double-time with the best of them. Plus, he puts on one of the best live shows in all of hip-hop (he was highly offended when the L.A. Times accused him of lip-syncing). In other words, he's the exact opposite of all the things bitter rap fans say is wrong with rap music today.
So how come he's so unappreciated? Well, some of it certainly has to do with region. Tech puts on for the Midwest, a part of the country many people dimiss as the "flyover states." Ultimately, no matter how you look at it, Tech is a hardcore rapper who's always said that he'd never go mainstream, the mainstream would come to him.
Bottom line: in 2012, he landed at number 20 on Forbes annual list of Hip-Hop Cash Kings. But he was winning even before then. In 2008, the three rappers who made the most money from touring were Jay-Z, Kanye West, and...guess who?
Ok so I really have 6 underrated rappers so I will leave you with this...
Guru (Gang Starr)
Guru is one half member of the hip-hop duo Gang Starr, along with DJ Premier. Guru dropped some of the most thoughtful rhymes on wax with one of the best producers of all time. During their career Gang Starr helped pioneer the New York City hardcore hip hop sound. The entire Gang Starr catalog, especially Step in the Arena (1990), Daily Operation (1992),Hard to Earn (1994) and Moment of Truth (1998) are well respected among underground rap fans and critics. Guru was always a jazz lover and it influenced his music. For his solo projects he dropped the Jazzmatazz Series. For whatever reason Guru is forgotten when top ten wordsmiths are mentioned.
On February 28, 2010, Guru went into cardiac arrest and, following surgery, fell into a coma.It was claimed that Guru had briefly awakened from his coma but died on April 19, 2010, at the age of 48, from multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer.
Comments