Abstract hip hop is a form of hip hop music that incorporates a variety of unconventional production techniques and lyrical content. It typically combines elements of jazz, funk, soul, electronic music and spoken word into its compositions.

It can often be seen as a sub-genre of experimental hip hop and has become a popular fixture of underground hip hop scenes since the early 2000s. It eschews many of the traditional conventions found in hip hop, such as overt braggadocio or everyday problems, and instead tends to feature extensive metaphors and symbolic word choice.

The genre has been used by a wide variety of artists to express their views on social, political, and economic issues worldwide. It can be used as a tool for self-reflection, and has also been used to highlight social inequality, especially in poor and developing nations.

While abstract hip hop can be intimidating to new listeners, it is still a powerfully addictive style of music. It consists of engagingly cryptic lyricism and often experimentation with beats and instrumentation.

There are some essential albums to start with if you are looking for a good starting point in this genre. One of the best is Abstract Mindstate’s debut album “Dreams Still Inspire”.

Abstract mind state consists of MC Olskool Ice-Gre and MC EP Da Hellcat, who started their career together in the early 2000s when they were students at Jackson State University in Mississippi. Their debut LP “Dreams Still Inspire” is the first release on Kanye West’s YZY SND label imprint and is an absolute must-listen for anyone interested in exploring this genre.