Top 5 "Hipster Rap" Acts

“Hipster Rap”, for those of you who have been living in a ditch the past year or so, can be realized simply by imagining the modern version of a fun rap act, as demonstrated earlier by groups like Run DMC, The Beastie Boys, and DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince.

The musical style is all about being different than the rest much like Run DMC was when they made their first appearance onto the rap scene. Run DMC had a sound like no one else had ever heard before and that is what made them so popular.

The production style brought to the table by hipster rap artists is fresh, upbeat, and a lot of the time uses old school samples as a sort of tribute to the artists who influenced them. For example…

On this track by Kidz In The Hall, the chorus samples the Masta Ace hit, “Born To Roll”

The lyrics in hipster rap songs are mostly catchy and fun but can also have content. The point is that they are not consistently serious or silly but either way are memorable. Hipster rappers aren’t afraid to rap about their bikes (Black Mags by The Cool Kids), or seem “nerdy” at all. I have found that although there is no lack of bragging and self-boasting in hipster rap, unlike mainstream rap, the bragging isn’t about how much money they have.

Here are the Top 5 Leaders of The Hipster Rap Movement

#5- The Pack

The Pack is a Berkeley, California based group discovered in 2005 by Bay rap legend, Too Short. The “skater kids” seemingly obsessed with shoes are probably most famous for their hit single “Vans”. Track gets a little annoying after awhile but I must confess, the week after the track first came out you could find me reciting the line…

“You wearin’ coke whites but my Vans look clean”

#4- Jay Electronica

Jay has been under the radar in terms of mainstream exposure in general but has been slowly building his fan base with online music releases, which seems to be an increasingly popular method of putting out music. 

The thing that really blew my mind about Jay Electronica was the track, The Pledge (YouTube), in which he raps over a looped section of the movie score from Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind. Here is a  review of his 2008 release, What The Fuck Is A Jay Electronica.

#3- Kidz In The Hall

Rappers Double-O and Naledge form Kidz In The Hall, a Chicago/New Jersey group known for their hit single Drivin’ Down The Block (Video Above). If the hipster movements continues, this group will be known as one of the trailblazers of the sub-genre.

#2- Wale (Wall-A!)

This DC native rapper is a personal favorite of mine. You might know him from his single “Nike Boots” but what really interested me was his unique style. A lot of his production is based out of Go-go music which is a genre originating from DC. The particular track that got me interested in this guy was “W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E.”, a remix of the popular song “Dance” by Justice. The beat is something you never thought would be rapped over until Wale came along.

#1- The Cool Kids

The Cool Kids define hipster rap in almost every way. From this duo’s on-stage performance to the way they dress, they maintain a “fresh” attitude and are one of the nerdiest, funniest, most entertaining rap duos out right now. Here is a review of their 2008 LP, The Bake Sale.

Honorable Mention:

The Knux

What The F*ck Is A Jay Electronica?

The title exactly reflects my thought process when I first heard of this artist. Then when I was told that Jay Electronica was a person, a musician at that, I assumed he was some techno guy, you know like Daft Punk and all that. Nope, it turns out this guy is a rapper from New Orleans. So I googled him and guess what DIDN’T come up, a Wikipedia page!

So I check his Myspace, no ‘About Me’.

So then I came across this interview he had with URB.com, it turns out that information on this guy is a known fault. But what I did find out is that the 31 years old has released his music mainly over the internet and that he is co-signed by both Erykah Badu and Just Blaze.

After listening to this mixtape I know why.

The production is very clear and there are some dope tracks throughout the album but the main thing that caught me was Jay’s flow. His voice reminds me of a more relaxed Busta Rhymes and his personal style is very reminiscent of Nas. 

A lot of the tracks have samples from various movies as they are a big inspiration for Jay Electronica. Like on the track “Eternal Sunshine (The Pledge)” that dude literally drops verses over the movie score from Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind. Now tell me that’s not creative!

Don’t mistake him for an alternative artsy rapper though. This guy can drop a hard verse too, for example “Uzi Weighs A Ton” where Jay establishes himself as not one to mess with over an erie beat.

Every song on this mixtape has a different sound and something unique that makes it good. Overall I would say that Jay isn’t exactly a future legend as a lyricist but definitely one to look out for in the future. He brings hard to hipster rap.

T Dub