Alternative hip-hop (also known as alternative rap) is a subgenre of hip-hop that refuses to be placed into any traditional type of rap, such as gangsta rap, funk, bass, hardcore, and party rap. They blur genres together and are heavily inspired by funk, pop/rock, soul, jazz, folk and reggae. Originally emerging in the 1980s, the style was spearheaded by the Native Tongues collective in the East Coast which included acts like the Jungle Brothers, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, and Queen Latifah. These artists used Afrocentric themes, use of eclectic sampling and jazz-influenced beats.
During the 1990s, the alternative hip-hop movement expanded with West Coast artists such as the Pharcyde, Digital Underground, Souls of Mischief, and Outkast. The commercial and cultural momentum of the movement was impeded by the rise and popularity of West Coast gangsta rap, though experienced a degree of mainstream recognition through the success of the Fugees, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, Outkast and Arrested Development. The Native Tongues movement inspired later alt-rap acts such as the Roots, , Black Eyed Peas, Pharrell Williams, Kanye West and Pusha T.
By the 2000s to 2010s, alternative hip-hop reattained its place within the mainstream through the "backpack rap" movement, which included the crossover success of artists such as Kanye West. Others included Hieroglyphics, Atmosphere, Aceyalone, Dilated Peoples and the Alchemist. Collectives such as Odd Future and Brockhampton emerged out of the movement, while alternative hip-hop evolved to encompass several trap-based Internet rap genres.
Characteristics
During the commercial rise of hip hop in the 1980s and early 1990s, the popularity of hardcore hip-hop and gangsta rap led to themes of gangsterism, consumerism, and club culture becoming defining stereotypes of mainstream hip hop, with more negative stereotypes being related to homophobia, violence and sexism. Alternative hip-hop emerged largely to subvert, satirize or challenge these conventions, utilizing unconventional musical techniques, production, and sampling not commonly found in mainstream hip-hop at the time, while aligning itself with underground youth subcultures such as skaters, nerds, punks, and goths.
Artists often incorporated socially conscious, intellectual, or introspective lyricism, avoided profanity, while dismantling rap stereotypes on topics such as sexuality through androgynous fashion and styles, though early artists associated with the movement such as A Tribe Called Quest would also perpetuate some of these traditional stereotypes, with their song "Georgie Porgie", being rejected for being "too homophobic".
While some groups achieved commercial success, most alternative rap acts tended to be embraced largely by alternative rock listeners and indie music fans rather than hip-hop or pop audiences. In his 1995 book on the state of hip-hop culture, music critic Stephen Rodrick wrote that, at that time, alternative hip-hop had "drawn little more than barely concealed yawns from other rappers and urban audiences" and concluded that the subgenre was a failure in dismantling the mainstream consensus on hip-hop.Rodrick; pp. 115–116
By the 2000s to 2010s, the stereotypes popularized by West Coast gangsta rap in the 1990s had become dominant in mainstream hip hop, prompting discussions about the genre's portrayal of violence, drugs and sexism as well as the commercial prioritization of these themes, which some critics argued perpetuated negative representations of African-American culture. However, artists emerging through the internet rap movement continued to carry the legacy of alternative hip-hop, through experimental production techniques and satirical lyrics.
History
1980s–1990s: Origins
Although hip-hop originally emerged from New York's underground music scene during the early 1970s, by the end of the decade, the genre began to gain wider mainstream attention through the prominence of disco-rap, which prompted artists to explore more experimental approaches to their work. In 1983, Rammellzee and K-Rob released the single "Beat Bop", which was produced and arranged by Jean-Michel Basquiat. Though it remained largely underground, the track was later described as a blueprint for the "apocalyptic, witty, and experimental" style of later alternative hip-hop artists.
By the late 1980s, in midst of the golden age of hip-hop, alternative hip-hop was headed primarily by the Native Tongues movement in the East Coast, artists such as Jungle Brothers, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, Monie Love, X Clan, Queen Latifah while later including Busta Rhymes and Mos Def. Drawing influences from conscious and progressive rap artists like Grandmaster Flash, Pete Rock & CL Smooth and Brand Nubian as well as from the radical and militant political hip-hop group Public Enemy. While the West Coast helmed left-field hip-hop acts such as the Pharcyde, Digital Underground, Souls of Mischief, Del the Funky Homosapien, Jurassic 5, Styles of Beyond and Freestyle Fellowship as well as certain Southern acts such as Arrested Development, Goodie Mob, and Outkast. Retrieved 22 April 2021 Similar to the alternative rock movement, alternative hip-hop segued into the mainstream at the dawn of the 1990s.
In 1991, P.M. Dawn released the alternative rap song "Set Adrift On Memory Bliss", which became the first #1 single from a Black rap group since the beginning of the Neilsen Soundscan era. The duo was widely recorded as an alternative hip-hop group for its merging of ethereal lyrics and soundscapes, not typical or mainstream hip-hop at the time.
Arrested Development and the Fugees achieved mainstream success in the 1990s. The classic debut albums 3 Feet High and Rising (1989), People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm (1990), and Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde (1992) achieved minor commercial success as they garnered immense acclaim from music critics, who described the records as ambitiously innovative but playful masterpieces, hailing the artists as the future of hip-hop music as a whole. However, the alternative rap movement was soon overshadowed by the sudden rise of gangsta rap in the early 1990s, as artists like De La Soul were beginning to garner attention, music critic Chris Nickson recounts "De La Soul went from the front of the hip-hop pack to the back of an appealing and colorful dead-end street". The Native Tongues movement inspired later alt rap artists such as the Roots, Lupe Fiasco, Digable Planets, Common, Black Star, J Dilla, Lauryn Hill, MF Doom and Pharrell Williams.
Late 1990s–2000s Contrary to alternative rock, which went on to become a mainstay in mainstream music and replaced the glam metal of the previous generation as the most popular form of rock music. Alternative hip-hop's commercial momentum was impeded by the then also newly emerging, significantly harder-edged West Coast gangsta rap. With its aggressive tone, nihilistic tendencies, and violent imagery, gangsta rap was considered to be the more entertaining, more lucrative subgenre as signified by the high chart placings, radio success and multiplatinum-selling records of gangsta rappers such as Snoop Dogg, Warren G and N.W.A, who were widely embraced by major record labels and produced a legion of imitators. Albums such as Straight Outta Compton (1989), The Chronic (1992) and Doggystyle (1993) redefined the direction of hip-hop, which resulted in lyricism concerning the gangsta lifestyle becoming the driving force of sales figures.Caramanica, Jon. Review: Straight Outta Compton . Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 22, 2009. The situation changed around the mid-'90s with the emergence and mainstream popularity of East Coast hardcore rap artists such as Wu-Tang Clan, Nas, the Notorious B.I.G., and Mobb Deep. Following this development, many alternative rap acts eventually either disbanded or faded into obscurity.Alternative rap Retrieved 5 May 2022
A commercial breakthrough came about in the late 1990s with the rejuvenated interest in indie music by the general public due to the mainstream success of acts like the Fugees and Arrested Development, while acts such as Slum Village, Common, and the Roots were rising to prominence.
The Fugees saw huge critical and commercial success with the release of their second album, The Score, in 1996. The album peaked at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, and briefly became the best-selling hip-hop album of all time. That same year, A Tribe Called Quest reached their commercial peak with the release of their album Beats, Rhymes and Life, which reached number one on the US Billboard 200 and became their best-selling release, while acts such as Outkast and De La Soul released some of their most definitive albums with Atliens and Stakes Is High.
Since the mid-1990s, independent record labels such as Rawkus Records, Rhymesayers Entertainment, Anticon, Stones Throw, Definitive Jux and QN5 have experienced lesser mainstream success with alternative rap acts such as CunninLynguists, Jurassic 5, Little Brother, Talib Kweli, MF Doom, Atmosphere, Antipop Consortium, Mos Def, Doomtree, Pharoahe Monch, El-P, Quasimoto, Living Legends, Cyne, Blue Scholars, and Aesop Rock. In the 2000s, alternative hip-hop reattained its place within the mainstream, due in part to the declining commercial viability of gangsta rap as well as the crossover success of artists such as Outkast, Kanye West, and Gnarls Barkley.
Outkast's fifth studio album, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (2003) received universal acclaim from music critics and had two number-one hit singles. The album won a Grammy Award for Album of the Year—making it only the second hip-hop album to win the award (The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill being the first) and has been certified diamond by selling 11 times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
MF Doom grew in popularity in the underground scene after releasing his debut studio album, Operation: Doomsday (1999). He came back to the hip-hop scene after the dissolving of group KMD. Later, he and Madlib's 2004 project Madvillainy was released in this time period as the duo Madvillain. This album was praised by music critics and inspired other artists, such as Aminé and Joey Badass.
Gnarls Barkley experienced a surprise hit with their debut single, "Crazy". Due to high download sales, it reached number one in the single charts in several countries, including the United Kingdom, where it became the best-selling single of 2006.Top 40 Singles of 2006 , from BBC Radio 1 website The song was named the best song of 2006 by both Rolling Stone and the Village Voice annual Pazz & Jop critics poll. Rolling Stone later ranked "Crazy" as the number-one song of the decade. The song has been certified eight times platinum by RIAA.The duo were the recipient of multiple accolades; at the 49th Grammy Awards, they won the awards for Best Urban/Alternative Performance and Best Alternative Music Album.