Conscious hip hop is a subgenre of alternative hip hop which focuses on social issues. It differs from political hip hop in that it is not necessarily overtly political, but still focuses on social issues and conflicts. The main themes of conscious hip hop include religion, aversion to violence and the economy. Grandmaster Flash's "The Message" was the first political and conscious hip hop track, decrying the poverty, violence, and dead-end lives of the black youth of the time. Alternative hip hop (also known as alternative rap) is a genre that is defined in greatly varying ways. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... For other uses, see Violence (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Message is an old school rap song released in 1982, performed by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. ...

The audience for conscious rap is largely underground.^[1] Most conscious hip hop artists have not attained the same level of commercial success as mainstream hip-hop ^[2], though some notable exceptions to this are Common, Kanye West, Nas, and Lauryn Hill. Underground music is music which has developed a cult following, independent of commercial success. ... Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. ... Kanye Omari West (pronounced /kɑn. ... For other uses, see Nas (disambiguation). ... Lauryn Noel Hill-Marley (born May 25, 1975) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer, arranger, actress and mother. ...

Terminology

Some conscious artists have criticized the name. Mos Def criticizes the label, saying: Mos Def (born Dante Terrell Smith on December 11, 1973 in Brooklyn, New York City, USA), is an American rapper and actor. ...

The term "hip-hop heads" – often shortened to "heads" – is used by conscious hip hop fans to refer to those who embrace the culture of hip hop, including rapping, breakdancing, DJing, and graffiti^[4] For the English folk dance, see Rapper sword. ... A breakdancer performing a one-handed freeze (also known as a pike) in the streets of Paris. ... DJ or dj may stand for Disc jockey, dinner jacket The DeadJournal website, or Djibouti. ... For other uses, see Graffiti (disambiguation). ...

Notable conscious hip hop artists

Years after his death, Tupac Shakur is still considered one of the most influential hip hop artists of all time. ... A Tribe Called Quest is a critically acclaimed American hip-hop group, formed in 1988. ... Aceyalone (born Eddie Hayes) is an American rapper. ... Aesop Rock (born Ian Matthias Bavitz, 1976) is an American hip hop artist. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Cover of Akrobatiks album Balance Akrobatik is a rapper from the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. ... Andr 3000 (born Andr Benjamin on May 27, 1975 in Atlanta, Georgia) is an African American hip hop artist and producer; one half of the successful and avant-garde hip-hop duo OutKast. ... Arrested Development is an American progressive hip hop group, founded by Speech and Headliner as a positive, Afrocentric alternative to the gangsta rap popular in the early 1990s. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Bahamadia; Philly born Antonia Reed a DJ turned MC released her critically claimed debut in 96 Kollage with production by Guru. ... Artists impression of a binary system consisting of a black hole, with an accretion disc around it, and a main sequence star. ... Blackalicious is an American alternative hip hop duo. ... Black Sheep is an alternative hip-hop duo from The Bronx, New York, consisting of Andres Dres Titus and William Mista Lawnge McLean. ... Black Star is an alternative hip hop group formed by MCs Mos Def and Talib Kweli. ... Blue Scholars are a hip hop duo based in Seattle, Washington. ... Brand Nubian is a hip hop group from New Rochelle, New York, consisting of three MCs; Grand Puba (born Maxwell Dixon, March 4, 1966), Sadat X (formerly Derek X, born Derek Murphy) and Lord Jamar (born Lorenzo Dechalus, on September 17, 1968), and two DJs, DJ Alamo and DJ Sincere. ... Brother Ali (born Jason Newman, now Ali Newman) is an American hip hop artist. ... Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr. ... Germaine Williams (born December 9, 1974), better known as Canibus and also as Can-I-Bus and Rip the Jacker, is a Jamaican-born American MC and rapper. ... Hakeem Seriki (born November 28, 1979, in Washington, D.C.) is an American entrepreneur and Grammy Award winning rapper from the Acres Homes section of Houston, Texas. ... Chubb Rock Chubb Rock (born Richard Simpson on May 28, 1968 in Jamaica) is rapper who released several commercially successful hip hop albums circa 1990. ... Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. ... Common Market performs at the Capitol Hill Block Party July 2006. ... The Coup is a hip-hop group based in Oakland, California. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Dälek (pronounced Die-a-leck) is an alternative hip hop duo from Newark, NJ. The group comprises of MC Dälek (vocals) and the Oktopus (production). ... ... Dead Prez is a critically acclaimed underground hip-hop duo of alternative rappers stic. ... De La Soul is a Grammy-award winning hip hop group from Long Island, New York. ... Dilated Peoples is an underground hip hop group residing in California. ... Will Smith For the geologist who invented fossil correlation, see William Smith. ... The Dope Poet Society is a politically charged hip hop group from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ... Deep Puddle Dynamics is a collaborative group featuring Sole, Alias, Doseone and Slug. ... ‹ The template below (Expand) is being considered for deletion. ... // Deltron 3030 is a super-group of hip hop artists, composed primarily of producer Dan the Automator, rapper Del Tha Funkee Homosapien and DJ Kid Koala, though their work features many other artists as well, all taking on various futuristic pseudonyms. ... Digable Planets is a New York City based alternative hip hop group composed of Ishmael Butterfly Butler (from New York), Craig Doodlebug Irving (from Philadelphia), and Mary Ann Ladybug Mecca Vieira (from Washington, D.C.). They were backed by Silkworm, who later embarked on a solo career under the name... Dilated Peoples is an underground hip hop group residing in California. ... Doseone, real name Adam Drucker, is a rapper and poet. ... Eyedea (born Michael Larsen in 1981, also known as Oliver Hart) is a well-known freestyle battle champion and underground rapper. ... El-Producto or El-P (born Jaime Meline) is well known in underground hip hop circles as a pioneer whose work with the trio Company Flow (El-P, Big Jus and Mr. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... == Headline text ==. Emcee LynxAND JAYSHREE SARMA FROM NAIROBI KENYA A DANCER, RJ AND EMCEE FOR SEVERAL SHOWS, HER MOST MEMORABLE ANCHORING JOB WAS IN 2005 FOR uSTAD zAKIR HUSSEIN WORLD RENOWNED TABLA MAESTRO ,, A FORMER ANGELS DANCE MEMBER AND PRESENTER AT EAST FM He uses music to advocate for... Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), better known as Eminem or Slim Shady, is a Grammy and Academy Award-winning American rapper, record producer and actor from the Detroit, Michigan area. ... Eric B. & Rakim was an East Coast rap group that popularized the James Brown-sampled funky hip hop of the late 1980s. ... The Fugees are an American music group, most popular during the mid-1990s, whose repitoire includes primarily hip hop, with elements of soul, and Carribean music (particularly reggae). ... Fort Minor is a hip hop ensemble and a side project by Mike Shinoda, one of the lead singers and additional instrumentalists for the band Linkin Park. ... Gang Starr is an influential hip hop group that consists of Guru and DJ Premier from Brooklyn, New York. ... GRITS is a Christian hip hop group from Nashville, Tennessee. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Heather B. Gardner is an African-American hip-hop artist from Jersey City, NJ, most famous for her single All Glocks Down as well as her appearance as a cast member on the first season of MTVs The Real World which took place in New York City. ... Heavy D & the Boyz was an American hip hop group led by Heavy D. The Boyz were G-Wiz (born Glen Parrish), Trouble T. Roy (born Troy Dixon), and DJ Eddie F (born Edward Ferrell). ... The Hieroglyphics (also known as the Hieroglyphics Imperium) is a hip hop collective based in Oakland, California. ... OShea Jackson (born June 15, 1969) better known by his stage name, Ice Cube, is an American rapper, actor and film director. ... The word random is used to express lack of purpose, cause, order, or predictability in non-scientific parlance. ... Felipe Coronel (born February 19, 1978), better known as Immortal Technique, is a hip hop MC and political activist. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Jay-Z (aka the Jigga, HOV and Hova, born Shawn Carter on December 4, 1970 in Brooklyn, New York) is an African American rapper/hip hop artist and record label executive; one of the most popular and successful rappers of the late 1990s and early 2000s. ... Jean Grae (formerly What? What?; real name Tsidi Ibrahim) is an American hip hop artist. ... Star Wars, see Jedi mind trick. ... Jeru the Damaja (pronounced as Damager, born Kendrick Jeru Davis) is an MC from Brooklyn, New York. ... Jurassic 5 was a six- and then later five-piece hip hop group formed in 1994. ... k-os (born Kevin Brereton on February 20, 1972 in Toronto, Ontario) is a Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer of Trinidadian descent. ... Knaan (Keynaan, meaning traveler in Somali, born 1978)[1] is a Canadian] poet and hip-hop artist from the Hawiye clan in Somalia clan. ... Kamau is the alias used by an amateur game creator, widely recognised as the creator of the Legion Saga series on RPG Maker 2000. ... Kanye Omari West (pronounced /kɑn. ... Kenn Starr is a rapper from Suffolk, Virginia, currently residing in the Washington D.C. metro area. ... Kev Browns logo Kev Brown (b. ... KRS-One (born Lawrence Krisna Parker on August 20, 1965 in Brooklyn, New York. ... KMD (Kausing Much Damage, or a positive Kause in a Much Damaged society) was a hip-hop trio in the early 1990s best known for launching the career of acclaimed MC and Producer MF Doom, who at the time was known as Zev Love X. Other members of the group... The Last Poets are a group of poets and musicians, arising from the late 1960s African American civil rights movement. ... Lauryn Noel Hill-Marley (born May 25, 1975) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer, arranger, actress and mother. ... La Conecta La Conecta is a french Death-Rap group formed in 1997 by Junior Makhno (aka Magikillah aka Mic Donovan aka Killatone aka Lazy Perse) and The Subzero (aka Pussy Shava aka Degolà aka Silly Perse). ... LA Symphony is an Christian hip hop/underground hip hop group from Los Angeles, California. ... Little Brother is an American hip-hop group from North Carolina that consists of Phonte, Rapper Big Pooh, and producer 9th Wonder. ... The Living Legends crew is a group of eight underground hip-hop creators. ... Looptroop is a hiphop group from Västerås, Sweden. ... Though they were together since high school, the Hip Hop group; Lootpack - Madlib, Wildchild and DJ Romes - first made their presence known in 1994. ... Lord Jamar (born Lorenzo Dechalus, September 17, 1968 in New Rochelle, New York) is a rapper and actor. ... Wasalu Muhammad Jaco (born February 16, 1982), better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco, is an American rapper. ... For the word game, see Mad Libs. ... Mars Ill is a hip hop duo from Atlanta, Georgia signed to Gotee Records. ... MC Lyte (born Lana Michele Moorer on October 11, 1971 in Queens, New York) is a female rap artist. ... MC Solaar is the stage name of francophone hip hop artist Claude MBarali (born March 5, 1969). ... Supernatural (aka MC Supernatural) is a rapper known for his skills in free-styling. ... Spearhead is a band with Michael Franti and Radio Active. ... Michael Kenji Shinoda (born February 11, 1977)[1][2] is an American musician, record producer, and artist from Agoura Hills, California. ... For other uses, see LIF. Mr. ... Monie Love (born Simone Wilson on July 2, 1970 in London) is an English rapper and the sister of techno musician Dave Angel. ... Mos Def (born Dante Terrell Smith on December 11, 1973 in Brooklyn, New York City, USA), is an American rapper and actor. ... Ms. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... For other uses, see Nas (disambiguation). ... Native Guns Native Guns is an American rap group consisting of two Filipino American MCs and a Chinese American DJ from California. ... Organized Konfusion was an alternative hip hop duo from Queens, New York. ... Paris hails from the San Francisco Bay Area and was catapulted onto the national scene in 1990 with his hit single The Devil Made Me Do It and album of the same name, after earning a degree in economics from University of California-Davis. ... Pharoahe Monch (born Troy Donald Jamerson on October 31, 1972) is an American hip hop artist from Queens, NY. He is known for his complex delivery and multi-syllabic rhyme schemes. ... Pigeon John is a prolific Christian, American underground rapper, based in Los Angeles, California. ... The Poor Righteous Teachers are a trio of African American hip hop musicians from Trenton, New Jersey, founded in 1989 (see 1989 in music). ... Public Enemy, also known as PE, is a hip hop group from Long Island, New York, known for their politically charged lyrics, criticism of the media, and active interest in the concerns of the African American community. ... An alternative hip hop act hailing from Colorado Springs, Colorado The Procussions are now living in Los Angeles. ... Rakim (full name Rakim Allah, born William Michael Griffin Jr. ... Remarkable Current is an independent record label based in Oakland, California. ... The Cross Movement is a Christian hip hop band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... The Roots, also variously known as The Legendary Roots Crew, The Fifth Dynasty, The Square Roots and The Foundation, are an influential, Grammy-winning hip-hop band based out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, famed for a heavily jazzy sound and live instrumentation. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Salt, DJ Spinderella, and Pepa on the cover to their 1999 CD single, The Brick Track Verses Gitty Up Salt-N-Pepa is an American R&B and hip hop group, consisting of Cheryl James and Sandy Denton (Salt and Pepa, respectively), and Deidre Dee Dee Roper (DJ Spinderella). ... Saul Stacey Williams (born February 29, 1972) is most known for his blend of spoken word poetry and hip-hop. ... Strange Fruit Project is an underground hip hop group from Waco, Texas, which consists of producer and emcee Symbolyc One (also known as S1), emcee Myth (short for Mythological) and emcee Myone (pronouned My Own, originally from Indiana). ... Look up Sole in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Souls of Mischief is a hip hop group, part of the hip hop collective Hieroglyphics. ... Sweatshop Union is a Canadian hip hop collective. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... The Brothahood is Australias first Islamic Hip-Hop group, based in Melbourne. ... The Cross Movement is a Christian hip hop band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... Talib Kweli (born Talib Kweli Greene in Brooklyn, New York City on October 3, 1975) is an American MC from Brooklyn, New York. ... Trae(born Frasier Thompson III on March 5 , 1981) is a Southern rapper from Houston, Texas. ... “Wu-Tang” redirects here. ... Nelust Wyclef Jean (IPA pronunciation: ) (born October 17, 1972) is a Grammy Award-winning and Golden Globe-nominated Haitian-born American rapper, producer, and member of the hip hop trio The Fugees. ... X-Clan is an alternative hip hop group from New York City, composed of Grand Verbalizer Funk Lesson, Lumumba Professor X, Grand Architect, The Rhythm Provider and MC Isis. ... Zion I is a hip hop duo that started in Oakland, California. ...

See also

• Rapping
• Hip Hop
• Political hip hop
• Underground hip hop

For the English folk dance, see Rapper sword. ... Hip hop is a cultural movement that began amongst urban African American youth in New York and has since spread around the world. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Underground hip hop (or underground rap) is music made by hip-hop artists not signed to major record labels, and with little regard for mainstream conventions.[1] Underground rap — AllMusic ^ Underground rap, AllMusic Abstract hip hop Alternative hip hop Conscious rap Horrorcore List of underground hip hop musicians Nerdcore Political...

External links

• HeadzUp FM - KHDZ 24/7 Conscious Rap radio with a Mixtape format, Live DJs
• Conscious Rap Music Video Showcase
• UGO's Top 11 Conscious Rappers

References

1. ^ Thompson, Amanda (2004-05-06). "Gender in Hip Hop: A Research Study" (PDF). Humboldt State University. Retrieved on 2006-06-09.
2. ^ Brown, Roxanne L. "Todd Boyd’s Lessons on the Rise of Hip Hop: Move Civil Rights and Historical Context Out of the Way" (PDF). The Center for Black Diaspora. Retrieved on 2006-06-09.
3. ^ (why wouldnt you? you would only instigate other negroes to go against whites)misnomer:Conscious Hip Hop vs Gangsta Rap?.
4. ^ Haupt, Adam. "Bring da noise: Youth culture and freedom" (PDF). Rhodes Journalism Review. Retrieved on 2006-06-09.