Abstract Hip Hop – Lyrical & Musical Content
In the early 2000s, a style of hip hop that eschews many of the genre’s conventions became a staple of underground hip hop. The lyrics of these songs tend to focus on more abstract ideas such as existentialism or social institutions rather than everyday problems or braggadocio. Moreover, they are characterized by extensive metaphors and symbolic word choice.
The underlying concept and message of these songs is often influenced by the context in which they are produced, as well as by the socio-economic and political conditions in which they are created (Keyes, 3). The music is frequently associated with a specific social class, and it has become an important tool for marginalized youth to express their thoughts on issues that are often ignored in the mainstream media.
Nevertheless, abstract hip hop has been regarded as one of the most difficult genres to understand, both in terms of its content and production techniques. This is because the style combines elements of hip hop with a variety of experimental and avant-garde sounds, including jazz, soul, electronic music and spoken word.
This is a very challenging genre to produce, especially for the artist who doesn’t have access to modern production equipment. The most common way to achieve this sound is to use sample-based drums from records or other sources, but it can also be done with more contemporary kits that were not intended for hip hop applications.
