Before writing this blog post, I had no idea what backpack rap was or where it fit into hip hop. I was unfamiliar with who these artists were and what they rapped about, until now. A backpack rapper can be defined as a person who is anti-mainstream or dislikes commercial rap. These rappers write about the pain and happiness that can be found in everyday life. Their music is more laid back than commercial rap and usually carries a message that is straightforward. They are creative artist that try to stay true to themselves and share what they have experienced throughout life. Backpack rappers have built themselves a subculture within hip hop that prides itself on being anti-mainstream and staying true to hip hop by not selling out to multinational corporations. This distinct group of rappers is very different from mainstream rappers. Their lyrics are more poetic, clear, and well thought out in my opinion, which makes the songs understandable to the average listener.
For example the artist Atmosphere who is signed to Rhyme Slayers Entertainment has a song called “Sunshine” were he talks about him having a bad hangover and not really paying attention to the world around him. He stumbles outside and starts to notice what a beautiful day it is and starts enjoying the summer. You see his bad day suddenly turn into a good one. Most people can relate to a hangover or having a bad day that ends well. This song has a simple story and beat, which is easy to follow.
Atmosphere - "Sunshine"
Rhyme Slayers entertainment is a successful independently owned hip hop label which was founded in 1995, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Almost all of their artists are backpack rappers and have their own unique creative styles. Their artists rap about their experiences in life, issues in the community, nation, and the world. They have been successful in selling records, growing their fan base, and touring around the world. Rhyme Slayers has a talented roster of rappers who have a big fan base that is mainly white. This could be due to the fact that these rappers write rhymes that are more than just about sex, drugs, and violence. They talk about a wide range of topics from having a wild night to the complications of everyday life like working to make ends meet. Their lyrical content can be easily understood and relatable to others than just people in poverty. Their lyrics are far from the “gangsta rap” that is commercialized today. Some critics even feel that this subgenre of rap is the new school version of “old school hip hop,” because of their creative lyricism and rhymes. Backpack rappers could care less about a club banger or a million dollar lavish lifestyle image. Rhyme Slayers is doing a good job of spreading this underground rap while still staying original and creative in their craft and flow.
One of Rhyme Slayers popular artist besides Atmosphere is Brother Ali. He is a very talented in the way he raps about growing up in the hood and the problems in America. In his song “Only Life I Know,” Brother Ali tells the story of where he is from and the things he has witnessed and been through from drugs and murders to poverty. Brother Ali repeatedly states this is the only life he has ever known, which attests to his life in the hood and the everyday struggles people face while trying to survive. His discussion of welfare and the role the government plays in poverty can be easily understood in this song as well. His message is clear and coherent which I liked and the song has a simple beat which didn’t take my attention away from the words being said. This is different from mainstream hip hop songs, especially those played on the radio.
Brother Ali-" Only Life I Know"
Here is Brother Ali’s new single "Mourning in America" which talks about the current issues that are facing America.
Backpack Rap is subculture within hip hop that is growing and finding its way into the mainstream world of hip hop without the help of commercialism or radio. The subculture is like a movement that is preserving old school rap by not falling into the world of materialism and “gangsta rap” which is commonly given airplay and media attention. I enjoyed listening to this sub genre of hip hop and actually am glad I learned what it was. I find it interesting though that most backpack rappers are white and although they receive a lot of criticism on being “nerdy,” “no hood credibility” and more, they are very talented and artistically gifted with their words. I hope to see more of this type of rap music appear in mainstream hip hop as time goes on.
Here is some more of Rhyme Slayers artists free styling in a radio interview
These videos can all be found at these links
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKHsGh-y8d8&NR=1&feature=endscreen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Owg2ZYnk3SM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ey7WyVCE_w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HwATJMeOYU
My only qualm with backpack rap is this:
ReplyDeleteDespite the involvement of corporations in defining an artist's sound, music that is unafraid of commercial success often becomes part of what defines the zeitgeist of a generation. That said, I think that the best, most honest music reflects either that respective zeitgeist or something relative to it that ultimately speaks of the time (for example, if somebody were releasing the music of Van Halen right now many people would question the authenticity of the work as it reflects an 80's zeitgeist; it made sense to be released in that time). Backpack rappers often (not always) actively deny this zeitgeist and it tends to result in music that just sounds cheesy.
This was an interesting post, I guess I can say I knew what a backpack rapper was without knowing it had a name. It's funny because it's not that it's bad rap but I consider it kind of like Gospel Rap. I mostly agree with Connor as well, the cheesy factor comes creeping in and that's where backpack rap can be considered boring and bland. Poor guy in that last video saying he has to deal daily criticism. I respect the hustle though, nice post and examples.
ReplyDeleteGreat post with excellent examples! I love that you used "Sunshine" because that's one of my favorite summer jams. Like Adriana, I knew what backpack rap was without knowing it had a name. I really wanna know where the term came from though. Cuz first I imagined the artists being the backpack, but now I think of them carrying a backpack and being all hipster not mainstream. I do really like backpack rap though because of the amount of focus put on the lyrics.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this post. Backpack rap is really interesting to me though I don't always enjoy the songs that the artists make. I think it is good for the genre of hip hop that there are still artists out there who savor the art of the rhyme more than the money involved. I found your comment about hoping to see more of these backpack rappers in the main stream pretty ironic because I think that the whole style and image of these rappers is that they want to avoid the mainstream.
ReplyDeleteI think if I listened to rap a lot, I would listen to back pack rap.
ReplyDeleteI liked this post and the examples! I never really knew what backpack rap was but now i kind of have an understanding for it. I could see why some people might not like backpack rap because as others said it can come off as cheesy but i respect these artists.
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting those youtube links. I found them very interesting and help solidify the point you were conveying. The backpack rappers are a great example of the subculture in hip-hop. The article provided by the gust speaker for tomorrow was very insightful on the subject of the backpack rappers. They are labeled as the socially conscious rappers who style is a lot less commercial.
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I never heard of any of these rappers before but I'm glad I know of them now :) I just want to bring up the fact that Drake (yes I'm talking about Drake again lol) was a backpack rapper before he got famous and he wasn't all about not trying to be commercial. He just had a different sound that wasn't fit into a "commercial" category. Originally the term "backpack rapper" came from the fact that they carried their music and stuff around with them wherever they went. But now I don't think many of them even do that..because as we've talked about 304739437 times: Hip-Hop has changed.
ReplyDeleteIve never heard of backpack rap and from someone who also hasn't heard of it before you did a great job talking about. The songs you posted were good songs and i can see myself listening to backpack because i used to like artists before they became mainstream and everyone around me listened to them. Great post.
ReplyDeleteLike you, I had no idea what a backpack rapper was before this post. You did a great job of defining hat that is and gave great examples. To me, they seem like the budah of hip hop, but do not have the potential to be as successful as mainstream rappers.
ReplyDelete