Alternative hip-hop, also called alternative rap, is a type of hip-hop music created by artists who do not follow the usual styles of the genre, especially those from old-school hip-hop and gangsta rap. This style began in the mid-to-late 1980s and was led by a group called the Native Tongues on the East Coast. This group included artists such as the Jungle Brothers, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, X Clan, Brand Nubian, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Monie Love, Queen Latifah, and later Busta Rhymes and Mos Def. These artists focused on lyrics that promoted positivity and African American culture. They also introduced new music styles by using a wide range of music samples and beats inspired by jazz. Their work was influenced by artists who created politically and socially aware hip-hop, such as Grandmaster Flash and Public Enemy.
In the 1990s, the alternative hip-hop movement grew with artists from the West Coast, such as the Pharcyde, Digital Underground, Souls of Mischief, Del the Funky Homosapien, Jurassic 5, Styles of Beyond, and Freestyle Fellowship. Southern artists like Arrested Development, Goodie Mob, Coughee Brothaz, and Outkast also contributed. However, the rise of West Coast gangsta rap limited the movement’s popularity. Despite this, some groups, including the Fugees, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, Outkast, and Arrested Development, gained mainstream attention. The Native Tongues movement influenced later artists such as the Roots, Lupe Fiasco, Digable Planets, Common, Little Brother, Black Eyed Peas, Dead Prez, Camp Lo, Jean Grae, Nappy Roots, Black Star, J Dilla, Lauryn Hill, MF Doom, Pharrell Williams, Kanye West, and Pusha T.
From the 2000s to the 2010s, alternative hip-hop became popular again through the "backpack rap" movement, which included the success of artists like Kanye West. Other artists involved were Hieroglyphics, Atmosphere, Aceyalone, Dilated Peoples, and the Alchemist. Groups such as Odd Future and Brockhampton formed from this movement. Over time, alternative hip-hop expanded to include trap-based Internet rap styles.
Characteristics
During the 1980s and early 1990s, as hip hop became more popular, styles like hardcore hip-hop and gangsta rap became well-known. These styles often focused on themes such as gang life, buying things, and club culture. These themes created stereotypes that were often seen as negative, including ideas about homophobia, violence, and sexism. In response, a different style of hip hop called alternative hip-hop developed. This style used music styles and sounds that were not common in mainstream hip hop. It also connected with groups like skaters, nerds, punks, and goths who were not part of the mainstream hip hop scene.
Alternative hip-hop artists often wrote about social issues, used thoughtful or personal lyrics, and avoided using harsh language. They also challenged stereotypes about gender by using clothing and styles that were not traditional. However, some early artists, like A Tribe Called Quest, faced criticism for including ideas that were seen as harmful, such as in their song "Georgie Porgie," which was rejected for being too negative toward LGBTQ+ people.
Although some alternative hip-hop groups became popular, most were supported by fans of alternative rock and independent music rather than by hip hop or pop music fans. In 1995, music critic Stephen Rodrick wrote that many hip hop artists and urban audiences did not take alternative hip hop seriously, calling the subgenre a failure in changing mainstream hip hop ideas.
By the 2000s and 2010s, the themes of violence, drugs, and sexism that were popular in West Coast gangsta rap from the 1990s became common in mainstream hip hop. This led to discussions about how hip hop portrayed these topics and whether the focus on these themes helped spread harmful stereotypes about African-American culture. At the same time, artists who used the internet to share their music continued the traditions of alternative hip hop by using creative music styles and humorous lyrics.
History
Hip-hop began in the underground music scene of New York City during the early 1970s. By the end of the 1970s, the genre gained more attention through a style called disco-rap, which encouraged artists to try new and creative ways to make music. In 1983, Rammellzee and K-Rob released a song called "Beat Bop," produced by Jean-Michel Basquiat. Though the song stayed mostly unknown, it later became an example of the "apocalyptic, witty, and experimental" style that influenced later alternative hip-hop artists.
By the late 1980s, during the golden age of hip-hop, alternative hip-hop was led by the Native Tongues movement on the East Coast. Artists such as Jungle Brothers, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, Monie Love, X Clan, Queen Latifah, and later Busta Rhymes and Mos Def were part of this movement. They were inspired by artists like Grandmaster Flash, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Brand Nubian, and the group Public Enemy. On the West Coast, alternative hip-hop included artists like the Pharcyde, Digital Underground, Souls of Mischief, Del the Funky Homosapien, Jurassic 5, Styles of Beyond, and Freestyle Fellowship. Southern acts such as Arrested Development, Goodie Mob, and Outkast also contributed. Like the alternative rock movement, alternative hip-hop became more popular in the early 1990s.
Arrested Development and the Fugees were among the first alternative rap artists to gain mainstream recognition. Their debut albums, 3 Feet High and Rising (1989), People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm (1990), and Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde (1992), received praise from critics for being innovative and creative. However, the alternative rap movement was later overshadowed by the rise of gangsta rap in the early 1990s. Gangsta rap, with its aggressive tone and focus on street life, became more popular than alternative hip-hop. Artists like Snoop Dogg, Warren G, and N.W.A achieved major success, while artists like De La Soul lost attention. The Native Tongues movement inspired later artists such as the Roots, Lupe Fiasco, Digable Planets, Common, Black Star, J Dilla, Lauryn Hill, MF Doom, and Pharrell Williams.
Unlike alternative rock, which became a major part of mainstream music, alternative hip-hop struggled to gain the same level of commercial success due to the popularity of gangsta rap. Gangsta rap’s focus on violent imagery and street culture made it more appealing to record labels and audiences. Albums like Straight Outta Compton (1989), The Chronic (1992), and Doggystyle (1993) changed the direction of hip-hop, making stories about gang life central to sales. This changed in the mid-1990s when East Coast hardcore rap artists like Wu-Tang Clan, Nas, the Notorious B.I.G., and Mobb Deep gained popularity. Many alternative rap acts then either stopped working together or faded from the public eye.
In the late 1990s, alternative hip-hop saw a resurgence as indie music gained popularity. Acts like the Fugees and Arrested Development, along with artists such as Slum Village, Common, and the Roots, became more well-known. The Fugees’ 1996 album The Score reached number one on the US Billboard 200 and became the best-selling hip-hop album of all time. Around the same time, A Tribe Called Quest released Beats, Rhymes and Life, which also reached number one. Outkast and De La Soul also released important albums, Atliens and Stakes Is High.
From the mid-1990s onward, independent record labels such as Rawkus Records, Rhymesayers Entertainment, Anticon, Stones Throw, Definitive Jux, and QN5 supported alternative hip-hop artists like CunninLynguists, Jurassic 5, Little Brother, Talib Kweli, MF Doom, Atmosphere, Antipop Consortium, Mos Def, Doomtree, Pharoahe Monch, El-P, Quasimoto, Living Legends, Cyne, Blue Scholars, and Aesop Rock. In the 2000s, alternative hip-hop returned to mainstream popularity as gangsta rap became less commercially successful. Artists like Outkast, Kanye West, and Gnarls Barkley helped bring the genre back into the spotlight.
Outkast’s 2003 album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below received widespread praise and won a Grammy Award for Album of the Year, making it the second hip-hop album to win the award. The album was certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for selling 11 times platinum.
MF Doom gained attention after releasing his debut album, Operation: Doomsday (1999), and later collaborated with Madlib on the 2004 album Madvillainy. This project inspired other artists, such as Aminé and Joey Badass.
Gnarls Barkley’s 2006 single "Crazy" became a surprise hit, reaching number one in several countries and selling millions of copies. The song was named the best of 2006 by Rolling Stone and Village Voice. It was also certified double platinum by RIAA and won awards for Best Urban/Alternative Performance and Best Alternative Music Album at the 49th Grammy Awards.
Industry experts believe the 2007 competition between Kanye West’s Graduation and 50 Cent’s Curtis marked a turning point for hip-hop. West’s album sold nearly a million copies in its first week, showing that creative songwriting was more important than storytelling about street life. This shift helped artists like Kid Cudi, Wale, Lupe Fiasco, Drake, and Nicki Minaj gain popularity, even though they did not focus on gangsta themes.
Reception and legacy
Alternative hip-hop is often praised by critics but is not widely accepted by American mainstream media and is seen as not very popular in the music industry. Imhotep Gary Byrd, a New York radio host and spoken word artist, had his song "The Crown" rejected by American radio stations because they said it was "too Black and too positive." However, the song was very popular in Europe and reached number 6 on the UK Singles Chart. It became the longest song ever to reach the top 10 in the history of the British Charts.
Over the years, groups that support African American communities, such as the National Black Leadership Alliance and the National Congress of Black Women, have criticized how some radio stations avoid playing rap music that does not disrespect Black women. These groups have pointed out that radio stations often ignore alternative hip-hop artists like Arrested Development and Dead Prez. Q-Tip, the leader of the influential alternative rap group A Tribe Called Quest, had his second solo album, Kamaal the Abstract, put on hold for almost 10 years because his record label thought the album, which blended many music styles, was not commercially appealing.
Similarly, BET, a television network, refused to play "Lovin' It," the lead song from Little Brother's 2005 album The Minstrel Show, which offered a humorous but serious look at African-American culture. BET said the music was "too intelligent" for their audience. The animated show The Boondocks, which often uses underground and alternative rap in the background, later made fun of BET in an episode called "The Hunger Strike." The episode was banned by Cartoon Network and not shown in the United States until 2020.
The alternative hip-hop movement is not only in the United States. Artists like K'naan, a Somali-Canadian poet, and M.I.A., a British musician, have gained worldwide recognition. K'naan's 2009 song "Wavin' Flag" reached number 2 on the Canadian Hot 100, and its remixes topped charts in many countries. Shing02, a rapper, was chosen to perform "Battlecry," the theme song for the popular anime Samurai Champloo, which featured music by Japanese jazz rap artist Nujabes. Time magazine named M.I.A. one of the "World's Most Influential People" for her impact across many music genres. The British virtual band Gorillaz also became popular during this time, selling over 20 million albums between their first two albums, Gorillaz (2001) and Demon Days (2005).
Today, because of the growth of social media and online music sharing, more alternative rap artists are reaching large audiences around the world.
Related genres
Experimental hip-hop is a type of hip-hop music that uses unusual sounds, structures, and ways of making music. It began in the 1980s to early 1990s and mixes ideas from experimental, electronic, noise, and industrial music with rap. This style often focuses on creativity and abstract ideas through unique rhythms, music-making methods, samples, sound changes, and lyrics. The term is used for music that pushes the limits of traditional hip-hop and is often seen as not widely accepted, difficult to understand, or part of the underground music scene.
Backpack rap is a style of hip-hop that was first used as an insult but later became popular because of artists like Lupe Fiasco and Kanye West. Kanye West was known for wearing a large backpack during performances and interviews. This style was criticized for being seen as "corny" or "nerdy" and for not having the same street credibility as other hip-hop styles. The term is often used to describe underground, independent, thoughtful, or alternative hip-hop. It was supported by fans who disliked the violence and focus on wealth in gangsta rap and helped fill the gap left when the hyphy style declined.
According to SFGate, the Alchemist said backpack rap represents a return to the main ideas of Golden Age hip-hop, such as strong wordplay and original music. He also noted that West Coast hip-hop artists have always been skilled with words, even though the region is often linked with gangsta rap. Artists who are described as part of the backpack rap style include Hieroglyphics, Atmosphere, Aceyalone, Dilated Peoples, and the Alchemist.