Underground Kings

OFWGKTA tangles with the Funk Volume crew once again. When the Odd Future hype machine first started churning, we were intrigued by Tyler and definitely blown away by OF’s not-so-secret weapon, Earl Sweatshirt. Wreaking multi-syllabic havoc with his intricate flow and vile lyrics, Earl came back from a Samoan hiatus with a refined style, more personal subject matter and a dope album named ‘Doris..

Actor-cum-rapper Donald Glover goes up against Brooklyn's undead psychedelic rap troupe.

It's Beast meets West in this Round 1 face off. As front man of Pro Era, young hip-hop prodigy Joey Bada$$ has carved out a niche for himself as a progressive 21st Century MC with a style that harkens back to hip-hop’s Golden Era of the ‘90s...

It's Crenshaw versus Carson in this clash of Cali titans.

The Most Dope Family Man goes up against Compton's Most Wanted

A Living Legend versus a Pharaoh? Yup. Murs cut his teeth as the baby of the Living Legends bunch and has since become one of L.A.’s premiere indie artists and supporters of the hip-hop scene with his popular Paid Dues festival. From race to sexuality to violence in the ‘hood, Murs has always approached his music from the perspective of a blue collar thinking man -- making music a broad fanbase ca

It’s men versus man as underground heavyweights from N.Y. and ATL go against an indie hip-hop crew that’s become a Bay Area institution. Run the Jewels, the group comprised of El-P and Killer Mike, is new. Its members, however, are anything but new to the game...

The Revolutionary gets pitted against Bazooka Tooth. If you thought being a “conscious” rapper meant being soft then you’ve never heard of Immortal Technique. The Harlem MC couples politically-minded rhymes with a battle rapper's aggression and he’s gotten worldwide respect because of it...

Juggalos go toe-to-toe with Rhymesayers in this one. Who would’ve thought backyard wrestlers/rappers with painted faces could create an indie rap empire? Insane Clown Posse is proof positive that anything can happen in hip-hop. ICP’s Juggalos aren’t just fans -- they’re an army and most importantly, a family...

A Seattle success story or the guys who put Minneapolis rap on the map? We know what you’re thinking: “How the hell is Macklemore an O.G.?” Don’t get it twisted, Macklemore’s no overnight success. If you’re familiar with Seattle’s local rap scene you know that the former “Professor Macklemore” has paid his dues and has been at it since the early 2000s...