underground

The hit WGN America series canceled after two seasons.

There can be only one. We're now in the third round of our Underground Kings competition and you, the fans, have narrowed the competitors down to eight remaining acts. In the O.G. Division Kansas City Chieftain Tech N9ne keeps on beating his opponents by large margins, proving that Strange Music fans ain't nothin' to f--k with...

Before major record labels realized they could cash in on hip-hop music it was underground. Rap no matter how benign was considered "street music" and sold on cassettes and vinyl at mom and pop record shops, swap meets, hand to hand and out of the trunks of cars. Small independent labels took the do-it-yourself approach to manufacturing, distribution, marketing and promotion and made their artists local celebrities (and fortunes for themselves.) Even now in 2013, after rap music has become part of the mainstream and a cash cow for major labels, the independent spirit hip-hop started with still prevails.