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underground rap

Danny Brown

Born Daniel Sewell on March 16, 1981, Danny Brown is a hip hop artist from the Dexter-Linwood area of Detroit, Michigan. Danny is an unconventional hip hop artist employing multiple flows and cadences thus the moniker of “The Hybrid”. His style varies from low pitched gravelly tones to a manic, high pitched, squawk. His lyrics, often dealing with the truth of living in Detroit; poverty, drug abuse, desperate circumstances, etc and his own experiences in the motor city...

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Wordsworth

As his name suggests, Brooklyn-bred microphone fiend Wordsworth is the epitome of a true Hip Hop wordsmith. At a time when the rap market is flooded with formulaic, cookie-cutter sensations who churn out fast, forgettable hits rather than solid albums, this Lyricist Lounge all-star is looking to the past to reinvigorate the present by recalling the essence of 1994 - when the beats were hard and emcees talked to listeners rather than at them about relevant topics they could relate to.

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Wax

Eight artists go by the name Wax:
1. An American creative/experimental Hip Hop/Rap/Acoustic artist.
2. A pop group active in between 1985 and 1988 consisting of American singer-songwriter Andrew Gold and British singer Graham Gouldman of 10cc fame.
3. An American Pop Punk band known for the 1995 song California
4. A female South Korean singer active in the 2000s (see: 왁스)
5. An alias of Dutch dance producer Robert Meijer
6. A short lived Swedish punk band active in the early 1980s
7. A Japanese rapper from the group SD JUNKSTA

Read more about Wax on Last.fm.

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Kool Keith

An original member of New York's pioneers the Ultramagnetic MC's, "Kool" Keith Thornton is best known as a solo rapper. His signature style is stream-of-consciousness lyrical flow and complex vocals, two skills that earn him a perennial nod from the underground community. The average Kool Keith album is peppered with bizarre, disjointed, even delusional or disassociated themes, concepts, and references. Nearly all of his albums incorporate a satirical dislike for more commercialized strains of hip-hop, as well as major record labels.

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Lyrics Born

Lyrics Born (a.k.a. Asia Born) is Tom Shimura (b. 1972), originally from Berkeley, California, though through his childhood he lived in Tokyo, Japan, and Salt Lake City, Utah. He began his hip hop career while at college at UC Davis, where he was a DJ at the college station KDVS. He is a founding member of the group of artists known as Quannum Projects. He is also one half of the group Latyrx with fellow MC Lateef The Truth Speaker.

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Fresh Daily

Good music, dope flows, fresh tees and kicks define the personal style of Brooklyn native Fresh Daily, a rising lyricist who is taking an impressive multifaceted approach to . As an emcee, graphic designer, this artist’s persona and prowess make it hard to disagree with his self-proclaimed title of himself as “the New Jack of Brooklyn boom bap”. Of his moniker he says: "Fresh Daily just fits me right, I stay fresh all day, every day, with the rhymes, with the style". Under the former name, Ill Tarzan the lyricist gained notoriety on the NYC underground circuit.

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Jneiro Jarel

Jneiro Jarel (born Omar Gilyard) is a Philadelphia-based hip hop producer. Noted for his abstract style, he is also known for his beat-making alias Dr. Who Dat? and his group Shape of Broad Minds, who released both their debut EP and album on Lex Records in the summer of 2007.
Jneiro grew up in Brooklyn, and moved out of the Brownsville section at the age of 5. His mother was in the army, and as a result, he lived in many places (Maryland, Arizona, Georgia, etc.). Finally touching down in Houston, Texas in the mid 80's, where his cousin "DJ Starr" put him on to hip hop at an early age.

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Mr Lif

Jeffrey Haynes also know by his stagename Mr. Lif is an American hip hop artist from Boston, Massachusetts. Often noted for his political lyrics, he has released two studio albums on El-P's Definitive Jux label and one on Bloodbot Tactical Enterprises.Mr. Lif grew up in the neighborhood of Brighton in Boston, Massachusetts. After attending the Dedham, MA private school Noble and Greenough School, he went on to attend Colgate University for two years, and he eventually dropped out. He became a performer in 1994.

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