Underground hip-hop

Underground hip hop (also known as underground rap or simply underground) traditionally refers to hip hop music that is outside the general mainstream canon or counter-cultural in nature, usually with a heavy emphasis on emotion, lyricism, and/or social consciousness.

Being outside of the mainstream, it is common for artists or songs that are considered "underground" to have little commercial success, though this is not a requirement, as many have gained massive followings, especially in the streaming era. In recent years, the term has also been used to refer to hip hop subgenres that incorporate themes of trap, plugg, milwaukee lowend, drill or rage which often feature melodic vocals with heavy use of Auto-Tune (or similar pitch correction tools) with virtually no focus on lyricism or connection to counterculture.

Despite little overlap between the traditional and modern definitions, both are still commonly used. "The Underground" also refers to the community of musicians, fans, and others that support non-commercial, or independent music. Music scenes with strong ties to underground hip-hop include alternative hip hop and conscious hip hop. Many artists who may be considered "underground" may not have been so, and may have previously broken the Billboard charts.