Abstract Hip Hop is a form of music that is based on a blend of many different genres including trap, soul, psychedelics, jazz and abstraction. This music has a great amount of depth and is extremely emotional.
It also incorporates the use of adlibs which are vocal embellishments that add extra tempo to the song and can be interpreted as either a positive or negative. This makes abstracthiphop a very interesting form of music and is great for anyone who loves to listen to it.
1. Lyrics
Abstract hip hop is a genre that combines elements of hip hop with experimental and avant-garde music. It features unconventional production techniques, unique lyrical content and innovative use of samples.
The lyrics of this genre are typically long and complex, featuring extensive metaphors and symbolic word choice. While it may sound like a lot of work, this can actually be an advantage for artists who want to convey a message in a more sophisticated way.
Some of the best examples of this style of rap can be found in the works of Aesop Rock, Lupe Fiasco and Earl aka Earl Stone. The former is a pioneer of the genre, while the latter was arguably the first to popularize it in mainstream rap.
Aesop Rock is renowned for his no holds barred approach to subject matter, rapping about social injustice, psychedelics, spirituality, thug life and strippers in the same breath. His albums are some of the most influential in the genre, if not the whole hip hop genre as a whole.
Other notable abstract hip hop artists include TPAB, a Bay Area native who makes good-natured, socially conscious music that straddles the line between jazz, funk and old-school rap. He has released several acclaimed studio albums and has been featured in multiple television commercials, music videos, and a film.
One of the most interesting and impressive abstract hip hop albums is A Journey Into Abstract Hip-Hop, an immersive 16 track journey into the hip hop universe. It is an homage to the originals such as DJ Krush and DJ Shadow, but also includes a couple of modern day legends such as Tony Fresh aka L’Agence who is credited with creating a few of the tracks on this masterpiece. The album is an absolute must have for any abstract hip-hop buff, and is now available on double red vinyl with a free MP3 download card from Beatsqueeze Records.
2. Music
Abstract hip hop is a genre that is characterized by more intricate and complex beats and lyrics. These can be hard to understand at first, but they can also lead to some of the most fascinating and world-shifting music on the planet.
The music of abstract hip hop often combines elements from jazz, poetry, psychology and other forms of academic thought. Lyrical concepts are often more abstract than traditional hip hop, and the artists composing them tend to use extensive metaphors, symbols and symbolic word choice.
Many artists of abstract hip hop focus on social issues and existentialism rather than braggadocio and everyday problems. This approach has led to some censorship problems for the genre in recent years, because of its heavy use of profanity and anti-establishment messages.
Some of the most important influences on the music of abstract hip hop are jazz, funk and soul. DJs often use a mixture of these genres when creating their own songs. In the 1980s, more sophisticated techniques were developed, including scratching and electronic recording.
During this period, hip hop music gained a large audience as it spread through the radio stations. It was also influenced by the Internet, which allowed artists to broadcast their work without paying a fee to a music label. In addition, artists started using autotune technology to create effects on their voices.
Another way that artists incorporated different styles into their music was by collaborating with rock bands and forming different subgenres. This allowed them to develop their own unique sound.
A good example of this is Madlib, who created an alter-ego named Lord Quas on his acclaimed THE UNSEEN record. The goofy, cartoonish character allows Madlib to rap about his feelings in an honest and confessional manner that he would not be able to achieve with his normal persona.
Another artist to check out if you are looking for a good abstract hip hop album is Aesop Rock, who has been credited with having the largest lexical variation of all rappers in English. He raps about social injustice, psychedelics, spirituality, thug life and strippers, all within the same song.
3. Visuals
Abstract hip hop artists often eschew many of the conventions of traditional hip hop. These include focusing on abstract ideas, using a variety of metaphors, and deviating from the standard flow and rhythm of the genre. These elements are combined to create an entirely new style of music that is distinct from the mainstream and has become a prominent feature of underground hip hop since the 2000s.
Visual expressions of abstract hip hop have also influenced artists in the visual arts, such as Kehinde Wiley and Luis Gispert. Their work explores the aesthetics of visibility in contemporary black culture, drawing on strategies of representation embodied by hip-hop to address issues of surface beauty and the hypervisibility of blackness in contemporary consumer culture.
The relationship between visual art and hip hop has been a topic of much debate, and scholars have examined how the two have intersected throughout history. During the early years of hip hop, practitioners such as Fab 5 Freddy and Rammellzee frequently connected their work in music with visual art. In more recent times, references to visual art have appeared in the lyrics of hip-hop musicians, such as Jay Z and Nas.
Although a large part of the success of these artists has been due to their ability to convey complex and surreal concepts through the use of esoteric metaphors, their work does not necessarily have to be thought-provoking or enlightening. It can be simply fun and entertaining, like the video below of Abstract – That Rapper’s track “Wu Would Never Die,” which features a beat from Charleston jazz/trip-hop band Dr. Mambo, and is definitely worth checking out!
Abstract hip hop hasn’t been around as long as boom-bap, but it’s quickly gaining momentum as its own unique counterculture movement. It’s fueled by tirelessly innovative emcees who can blend elements of the greats into oblique pieces of lyrical mastery, and it’s just starting to reach its zenith.
For those interested in getting into abstract hip hop, the best place to start is by browsing our list of top abstract hip hop bands. These are the most influential and iconic names in the genre, ranked by actual fans of the music.
4. Collaborations
Abstract hip hop is an increasingly popular genre that eschews many of the conventions associated with conventional hip hop. Lyrically, artists tend to focus on more abstract ideas such as existentialism or social institutions. Musically, they often feature unconventional beats that are akin to experimental hip hop.
The abstract hip hop scene has been around for several years now, and it’s a great place to be for music lovers looking to expand their tastes. If you’re new to the scene, it can be hard to know where to start, especially with so many great artists out there that you can listen to.
A number of different artists have collaborated with abstract hip hop artists. These include Clams Casino, Main Attrakionz, and Lil B.
Another group that has risen up in the underground rap scene is Tha God Fahim, who has been a big proponent of abstract rap. He recently released his third album, Saturation III, and it’s a solid release that finds him more focused than ever before.
One of the best examples of this is on the album’s title track, “BOOGIE.” The track is a high-adrenaline opener that really hits hard with the listener. It’s also filled with a ton of metaphors and tongue-twisters.
If you’re a fan of abstract rap, you should definitely check out this album from Akai Solo. It’s a psychedelic, instrumental hip-hop record with a lot of smoky, groovy production. It’s got a ton of great guests, too, including Pink Siifu and Quelle Chris.
It’s a great way to see how these abstract rappers are using their imagination and creativity to tell stories about themselves and their surroundings. The production is incredible and the lyrics are incredibly thought provoking.
Another study that looks at collaboration in a more streamlined way is by Smith [Smith 2006], who examines the metadata of songs to identify the names of any artists that have a vocal part on the song. While this method is not as comprehensive as the previous one, it can provide an interesting look into a specific artist’s collaborations with other artists.
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