Under the Radar

Pitchfork recently wrote an essay refuting the popular idea that hip-hop is "dead." The insightful and worthwhile piece concludes that the genre is thriving, just maybe not as much in the mainstream. "In the end, hip-hop is recalibrating, from a pop sensation back into an underground movement," writer Tom Breihand concludes. I couldn't agree more.

Following that idea, I wanted to feature two way-under-the-radar hip-hop acts and another that the aforementioned article touches on several times.

iRock

Chicago born emcee and producer Joshua "iRock" Adams makes music that sounds has an effortless but engrossing feel to it. His first mixtape, Demo THAT, shows that he is a well rounded hip-hop artist as he goes in with a quiet but confident flow that sticks to the beats, that he made, quite well.

It is on the beats though where Adams really shines brightest. They have a completely fresh sound, feature a lot instrumentation, and would make even the worst rapper sound respectable. The beats are good enough that they hold up incredibly well as stand-alone instrumentals. Go down the playlist on his page, and try not to nod your head to those beats. The tracks have a rich, layered sound that is effortless to enjoy. By the time you reach the end of the playlist, you completely forget that you were listening to instrumentals for hip-hop songs. These beats are full of emotion, and it will take a formidable rapper to do them justice.

Isaiah & Hovey

I had sung this Richmond based duo's praises before when I heard their astounding first two tracks, but now they're back with their first album, Dante's Love Inferno Machine (which you can download here).

Much like the first two songs, the album has a very polished feel. Isaiah's flow feels effortless and his witticisms are on point, especially in the second half of the album. Similarly, Hovey is making beats with a very clean sound. He uses a wide variety of samples and sounds that provide a consistently captivating for for Isaiah's smooth voice.

G-Side

This Huntsville, Alabama based outfit have a big, new, but unmistakably southern sound. The whole album is smooth as any hip-hop you'll ever hear, with smooth flows and entrancing beats. Pay special attention to the tracks produced by Block Beataz (listen to that whole playlist, it's damn good), whose beats feel somewhat outer-spacey while still keeping things catchy as anything.

G-Side represent a scene in Huntsville and the general south that is quickly growing and spitting out all kinds of great artist and songs (see Jackie Chain's "Rollin'" which is also produced by Block Beataz). Check out their most recent track that they recorded while in Norway earlier this year, their '09 mixtape, Huntsville International, and their '08 album, Starshipz and Rocketz. Both are off aptly named Huntsville label Slow Motion Sounds.