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Theodore Roosevelt, the person most associated with Jamie’s favorite museum, said “Every reform movement has a lunatic fringe.” It is on these fringes where art is made and the mainstream is moved. The Overton Window (what is acceptable to the mainstream) is pushed in one direction or the other by those on the fringes. Experimental Hip-Hop is a highly influential genre that exists outside of mainstream music.
Sometimes the genre is referred to as Alternative Hip Hop, but the term Alternative conjures up thoughts of the 90s and the heyday of MTV as a cultural phenomenon. Experimental is a more accurate description, because these artists are taking chances to create music that is unlikely to appeal to mainstream media outlets. These albums and artists tend to be the ones loved by music critics while they are largely ignored by most commercial and media outlets. Maybe the best way to think about Experimental Hip-Hop is that it is Oppenheimer and not Barbie. Typically it has a depth is appreciated with deeper attention and listening. That said, many experimental hip hop songs have great quips, drops, and catchy beats that do not require you to dissect every reference in order to enjoy them..
Why are we writing about Experimental Hip-Hop? We would like to use a couple of quotes that may or may not have been said by our favorite person to quote (misquote?). “Art is the most intense mode of individualism that the world has known.” and “Now art should never try to be popular. The public should try to make itself artistic.” Oscar Wilde existed on the fringes of society, and in many ways is a godparent to the artistic and cultural movements that continue within Experimental Hip-Hop. These songs often have deep lyrics that you can analyze and think about the way poems are dissected by professors in a graduate class. We don’t have to attend college to explore experimental hip hop, because we have genius.com that we can read and contribute to.
We hope that you visit Stairwell Baby in order to be introduced to some new music, and if you have not dipped your toes into the waters of Experimental Hip-Hop, we would like to invite you to. There is a playlist attached to this article intended to serve as an introduction to Experimental Hip-Hop. Some of the artist that we recommend starting with are Danny Brown, JPEGMAFIA, Run The Jewels, Tierra Whack, Armand Hammer, Music produced by Kenny Segal, Earl Sweatshirt, MIKE, and Vince Staples. The songs will often have backing tracks that tend more towards jazz and blues music as opposed to the dance and aggressive beats of most modern rap music. Usually choruses tend to be composed of multiple lines with a longer hook instead of a single catchy rhyme and rhythm.
Music festivals often schedule Experimental Hip-Hop as late-night or side stage acts. The fans, of this genre, are dedicated, accepting and ready to have a blast with an artist they love. These sets are the performances that we remember more than standing in the middle of 80,000 people only watch a headliner performing on a Jumbotron.
There are quite a few festival headliners that have songs that are Experimental Hip-Hop or heavily influenced by experimental artists. This includes Tyler The Creator, Kendrick Lamar, Childish Gambino, and Beyoncé. Yesterday’s experimental Hip-Hop was Gorillaz, OutKast, and A Tribe Called Quest. Today they are legacy acts that have influenced multiple generations of musicians. The lunatic fringe moves the center, and we love to listen to and share with you music on that fringe.
