Active from the early 1990s into the 21st century, DJ Shadow (Californian Josh Davis) has been called the Jimi Hendrix of sampling. His songs shift tempos in a blink, incorporating multiple time signatures, and it's to Shadow's credit that he's as co…

New York MC and beat-maker Aesop Rock offers rapid-fire, often stream-of-consciousness lyrics, stuttering beats, and a frequently murky, atmospheric production aesthetic, making him one of the most distinctive hip-hop artists of his era. Though he be…

Featuring an infamous human beatbox/turntable backing up three MCs, the Roots have elevated hip-hop music by using live instrumentation instead of samples. Performing in the underground hip-hop circuit since 1987, the group has made waves in both the…

This west coast hip-hop duo, comprising MC The Gift Of Gab (b. Tim J. Parker, USA) and DJ Chief Xcel (b. Xavier Mosley, USA), has attracted the same attention as the members of the east coast-based Black Star crew for their promotion of a new "consci…

Minneapolis progressive hip-hop duo Atmosphere (rapper Slug and DJ Ant) crossed over to an indie-rock audience with their 2002 album GOD LOVES UGLY but stayed resolutely underground in their approach. While remaining on their own label, Rhymesayers, …

One of the most popular and artistically engaging groups in the hip-hop underground, Jurassic 5 brought the conscious-rap style of the Native Tongues movement and a cratediggers ear for samples and production to L.A.'s overwhelmingly gangstafied rap …

Like many rappers, New York underground hip-hop hero Mos Def was first heard on guest appearances with other artists, in this case Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. It was his 1998 collaboration with the like-minded Talib Kweli in the duo Black Star tha…

On So ... How's Your Girl?, a duo of hip-hop legends apply fake moustaches and adopt the fictional personae of unfulfilled international playboys/supermodels Nathaniel Merriweather and Chest Rockwell, to conceive an imagined soundtrack for a male-ord…

The early-1990s advent of A Tribe Called Quest represented one of the key evolutions in rap music. The New York group signaled a shift from the boisterous braggadocio of the old school to a more laid-back, fun-loving form buoyed by sophisticated prod…

As Thievery Corporation, Eric Hilton and Rob Garza started working together in the mid-1990s, crafting a sound initially rooted in electronica, but deeply influenced by dub, Latin jazz, and bossa nova. Their atmospheric, low-key style has made the Wa…

French postmodernists Air raid every aspect of retro pop music, from the sublime to the ridiculous, in fashioning their sonic bricolage. Everything from Krautrock-inspired electronics to 1960s lounge music is incorporated into the work of Nicolas God…

Respected US underground producer Madlib (b. Otis Jackson Jnr.) and emcee MF (Metal Face) Doom (b. Daniel Dumile, London, England) joined forces in 2004 to offer their superhero-inspired debut, Madvillainy. MF Doom was raised in New York, but is base…

Underground hip-hop duo Jedi Mind Tricks started out in the streets of Philadelphia in early 1996 Producer Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind and MCs Vinnie Paz aka Ikon the Verbal Hologram and Jus Allah aka Megatron released the Amber Probe EP in 1996 and …

Born Lonnie Rashied Lynn in Chicago, the rapper who would become an integral part of the 1990s underground hip-hop scene started out as Common Sense. His 1992 debut CAN I BORROW A DOLLAR? showcased a politically conscious, musically eclectic artist i…

b. Scott Herren, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Producer Herren creates the most incredible of musics under the Prefuse 73 moniker, drawing on hip-hop's restless range and electronica's pioneering legacy. Although he says his impetus to record music was Mich…

When he began releasing singles in the late 90s party rap was the dominant style most MCs favored but Mr Lifs lyrical agenda was a political and socially conscious one that recalled the rap stars of the previous decade -- Public Enemy Gang Starr and …

This spaced-out rap crew originally comprised Imani Wilcox, Bootie Brown (b. Romye Robinson), Slim Kid (b. Tré Hardson) and Fat Lip (b. Derrick Stewart). Based in Los Angeles, California, USA, their goofy, fast-talking style defied the early 90s rash…

The underground hip-hop outfit People Under the Stairs was formed by Mike Turner Double K and Chris Portugal Thes One who met on the fringe of LAs late-90s hip-hop underground The duo devoted to jazzy samples danceable beats intricate rhyming skills …

El-P (a.k.a. El-Producto) was one half of the groundbreaking 1990s underground hip-hop act Company Flow. Following the break-up of CoFlo, El-P turned his efforts toward his solo career and running the esteemed label Def Jux. In addition to releasing …

Separately, synth player Jimmy Tamborello and singer Ben Gibbard were known for their work in electronica and emo, respectively, with Dntel and Death Cab For Cutie. Together, they became a powerful pop duo, combinining Tamborello's melodic knowhow an…