New hip-hop and rap songs are hard to find in my opinion because a lot of it is rather poor in quality and smaller artists have a harder time getting recognized. I enjoy many hip-hop artists but I do get rather bored of all the mainstream songs played on the radio over and over again, or the same artists always being featured week after week atop the charts mainly because of their name rather than the actual quality of their work. Below are some rap and hip-hop songs I feel are underrated and if you haven't heard will quite enjoy. There is a nice mix of various artists amongst this list and most of them have other songs I would recommend as well. So if you are looking for more rap and hip-hop look in to these artists if you haven't already.
1. Be A King - E-dubble
2. Caribou Lou - Tech N9ne
3. Colt 45 - Afroman
4. Gangsta'sParadise - Coolio
5. Good Day - Nappy Roots
6. Hood Go Crazy - Tech N9ne ft. B.O.B & 2 Chainz
7. Like Me - Jake Miller
8. Run This Town - Upper West
9. Still Not A Playa - Big Pun ft. Joe
10. Sunrise - Childish Gambino
11. Till I Get There - Lupe Fiasco
12. Tipsy - J-Kwon
These aren't just my favourite underrated hip-hop and rap songs these are some of my favourite hip-hop and rap songs. Let me know which ones you enjoyed the most!
If part 1 of my "Great songs you may have never heard before" didn't have enough to offer I hope some of the songs below in Part 2 will be new and interesting for you. If you haven't seen Part 1 make sure to check it out (See Part 1). There is also a great variety of music genres in this list and these songs which have never gained huge popularity are certainly ones I recommend to everyone.
1. Breezeblocks - Alt-J
Breezeblocks is a song brought to us by British Indie rock band Alt-J and is from their album "An Awesome Wave". Breezeblocks is my favourite song produced by Alt-J along with another song of theirs called "Left Hand Free". Alt-J truly have a unique sound and while I find a lot of their music rather plain and uninviting to the ear, Breezeblocks is certainly an exception.
2. Oceans - Coasts
Coasts are an English rock band and produced Oceans in 2014. I would describe Oceans as an Indie pop song and it is a total jam! These guys haven't received much head way with any of their music yet but I feel like this song may be a huge hit soon enough. Coasts time is definitely coming.
3. Hit It - American Authors
I first heard this song on the playlist of Fifa 14 which had an awesome soundtrack giving us songs such as "Love Me Again" by John Newman or "Magic" by the Olympic Ayres. "Hit It" however was my favourite from the soundtrack and the American Authors proved to be a quality American rock group. You may have heard of them for their hit single "Best Day of My Life" which was a big hit on the radio, but if you haven't heard Hit It yet, check it out!
4. I'm Ready - AJR
This song did manage to reach a high of number 65 on the Billboard American Hot 100 but didn't stay there for long and I feel like most people may have missed it. So I am going to give it some more recognition to make sure everyone knows about it. It's not the best song on this list but still a good one for your library.
5. PaperPlanes - East of Avenue
This song is a little different from the other songs in this list because it is a slow inspirational pop song unlike the others which are more upbeat. I found this one on a Walmart commercial and searched it on YouTube and it doesn't even have 100,000 views. Its simple lyrics and playful melodies give it great feel and makes it relaxing to listen to.
6. Start A Fire - Unspoken
"Start A Fire" produced in 2014 by the band Unspoken is kind of similar to Paper Planes in style and it certainly gives you a feeling that makes you feel inspired and makes you want to go out and seize the day. It feels like the type of song that could be played at a graduation or a wedding and the lyrics are moving. If you are having a bad day this song will definitely give a spark to your day.
7. The Walker - Fitz and The Tantrums
Fitz and the Tantrums are also an Indie pop band and their song "The Walker" is sooo catchy. I use this song as my alarm in the morning because the band starts whistling and then the music starts playing and it makes for a great start to my morning. Love this song!
8. YoungAgain - Hardwell ft. Chris Jones
Hardwell is a House and Electric DJ and Young Again is one of his biggest singles to date. This is another song that I believe in good time will become very popular. Add this one in your Summer 2015 playlist because this song is definitely a keeper. Good vocals and a great beat make for an all around great song. I can't wait to see what Hardwell produces in the future.
I hope you enjoyed Part 2 of my "Great songs you may have never heard before" and if you haven't seen Part 1 Check it out here, Part 1.
