Being that Coalmine’s been defined by many over the years as an “Underground” label, we figured that it would be only right to address what it means to be underground in 2011.  The meaning has taken on a whole new form since the days of Das Efx, Lyricist Lounge & Triple 5 Soul, so we thought we’d have ya boy Mero break it down…peep game:

“UNDERGROUND DEFINED”

By THE KID MERO A/K/A The KnowledgeGod

YO WHATS GOOD ITS YA BOY MERO AKA THE KNOWLEDGEGOD AND SINCE WHAT I DO IS IMPART KNOWLEDGE ON YOU NIGGAS IMA TAKE THIS SECOND TO TRACE THE HISTORY OF “UNDERGROUND” HIPHOP FROM BACK IN THE DAY TO MODERN JUSTIN BIEBER REMIX FUCKERY TIMES.

WHAT IS UNDERGROUND HIPHOP?  DURING THE EARLY DAYS OF HIPHOP EVERYTHING WAS UNDERGROUND CUZ THE WHOLE GENRE WAS UNDERGROUND.  THEN THE SHIT MOVED OUTTA THE BRONX WHERE IT BEGAN AS TWO DUDES BEIN LIKE “IM BETTER THAN YOU AT RAPPING” OVER A JAMES BROWN DRUM LOOP AND THEN FIGHTING OR HAVIN A SHOOTOUT.  THEN IT BECAME SOME OTHER SHIT, REMEMBER BACK IN THE DAY IF YOU SAID YOU WERE GOIN TO AN “UNDERGROUND” HIPHOP SHOW YOU WOULD GET THERE AND EVERYBODY HAD ON A BACKPACK OR A HOODIE AND WAS FREESTYLIN SOME BULLSHIT ABOUT THE CATACLYSM OF MY METABOLISM AND PHYSICALISM?  I WENT TO A SHOW FOR SOME NIGGAS I CAN’T EVEN REMEMBER BECAUSE I WAS OFFERED WEED AND BEER, AND SOME DUDE FOUND OUT I WAS FROM THE BRONX (WE WERE IN FLORIDA) AND IMMEDIATELY WANTED TO “BATTLE” ME.  I TOLD HOMIE “I’M NOT A RAPPER B” BUT HE INSISTED “YOU’RE NOT GONNA REPRESENT FOR THE BOOGIE DOWN BRO?!” AND THE DRUNK ME AGREED.  I SAID SOME IGNANT SHIT LIKE “NIGGA ILL SHOOT YOUR FACE OFF YOUR NECK AND SMOKE A BLUNT TO THE HEAD” OR SOME OTHER BULLSHIT AND THE NIGGA CAME BACK WITH THE PERIODIC TABLES AND ANIME REFERENCES. SHIT WAS LIKE THE BATTLE SCENE FROM 8MILE B IF EMINEM WAS A JAPANESE VIRGIN ORGANIC CHEMISTRY MAJOR.  THE WHOLE SCENE WAS NOTHIN BUT EARTH TONES AND CAMOUFLAGE AND SHIT B. OD SHADES OF GRAY IN THAT BITCH.

THAT WAS IT B, THAT WAS “UNDERGROUND” BACK THEN.  WHEN YOU ASKED SOMEBODY “YO PLAY ME SOME UNDERGROUND SHIT SON!” AND STARTED DOIN AN UPROCK, MUTHAFUCKAS WOULD PLAY YOU SOME JEDI MIND TRICKS OR SOME NIGGA OFF THE SOUNDBOMBING COMPILATIONS.  UNDANCEABLE MUSIC.  THE ONLY THING YOU COULD DO WAS NOD YOUR HEAD.  RAWKUS RECORDS CAPITALIZED ON THIS SHIT AND DID THE SOUNDBOMBING SERIES AND EVERY DUDE THAT OWNED A FATIGUE SUIT AND LIVED IN SUBURBIA COPPED EVERYTHING THEY PUT OUT.  YOU KNOW THAT SHIT WAS UNDERGROUND CUZ ALL THE MERCHANDISE WAS DARK OLIVE GREEN B. DARK OLIVE GREEN WAS THE OFFICIAL COLOR OF LATE 90′S-EARLY 00′S UNDERGROUND HIPHOP B. NIGGAS ALL LOOKED LIKE HIP HOP SOLDIERS, BREAKDANCIN IN A BASEMENT & SHIT AND SMOKIN JOINTS WHILE “CRATE DIGGING” AND DOIN GRAFFITI.  THEY ALSO HAD A LITTLE ALTAR TO GIVE OFFERINGS TO KRS-ONE’S NOSE.  LIKE IF THAT SHIT WASN’T PUT OUT ON RAWKUS RECORDS AND FEATURED TALIB KWELI THAT SHIT WAS NOT UNDERGROUND ENOUGH MY NIGGA YOU HAD TO GO BACK TO THE LAB WITH THAT AND ADD A VERSE ABOUT CHOPPIN PUFF DADDY’S HEAD OFF WITH YOUR “LYRICAL METAPHYSICAL SWORD OF THE DIRIGIBLE”.

THEN THE INTERNET (YOUTUBE IF YOU WANNA BE EXACT) HAPPENED AND GAVE MUTHAFUCKAS AN AUDIENCE, FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE, NIGGAS THAT WOULD HAVE NO EXPOSURE OUTSIDE THE LITTLE MEXICAN THEMED IRISH PUB THAT DOES OPEN MICS, NOW GOT FUCKIN INTERNATIONAL UNLIMITED AUDIENCE.  SO YOU CAN HAVE A NIGGA LIKE LIL B TALKIN ABOUT “YOUNG BASED GOD AND MY NUTS LIKE RAISINS” AND GETTING RICH AND HAVING WHITE PEOPLE LITERALLY WORSHIPPING HIM AT HIS SHOWS B.  IF IT WASN’T FOR THE INTERNET THAT TYLER THE CREATOR NIGGA WOULD STILL BE ON SPANKWIRE AT HIS MOMS CRIB TRYING IN VAIN TO REPLICATE PHARELL BEATS AND RAPPING ABOUT “ASS MILK” (NO HOMO) TO HIS MANS TILL THEY DECIDED “FUCK LETS GO FUCKING SKATEBOARD NIGGUH!  FUCK SWAG FUCK RAD!”  PERSONALLY I THINK THOSE NIGGAS SUCK BUT THEN ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN YOU GOT NIGGAS LIKE ACTION BRONSON OR DANNY BROWN WHO ARE NICE AND ARE FUCKIN KILLIN IT VIA THE INTERNET AND BLOWING UP DESERVEDLY.  ALL THESE DUDES ARE UNDERGROUND AND THEY’RE ALL COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.  THE SHIT CHANGED, NOW NIGGAS GOT “MOVEMENTS”…LIKE “YO THIS IS THE HYPHY MOVEMENT, THIS IS THE SWAG MOVEMENT”. HERE’S A COUPLE I CAN THINK OF OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD MY G, I’LL DO MY BEST TO DEFINE THEM.  IF YOU GET UPSET WITH HOW I DESCRIBE A “MOVEMENT” YOU’RE A PART OF, I’M SORRY BUT, SUCK MY DICK AND GROW UP B.

MIXTAPE RAPPERS:  THIS IS ONE OF THE OLDER SUBGENRES CUZ THERE’S ALWAYS BEEN MIXTAPE RAPPERS EVER SINCE NIGGAS STARTED DOING DVD BATTLES IN PARKING LOTS ACROSS AMERICA AND SHIT LIKE THAT. A MIXTAPE RAPPER IS BASICALLY SOMEONE WHO CAN SPIT A DECENT 16 BARS OF PUNCHLINEY SHIT OVER WHATEVER BEATS ARE POPPIN TODAY.  THESE NIGGAS AT SOME POINT DECIDE TO “DROP THEY ALBUM NAHMSAYIN AFTER I DROP “MIXTAPE BULLSHIT VOL 19″ IMA HIT YALL NIGGAS WIT THA ALBUM NAHMEAN! “MIXTAPE BULLSHIT: THA ALBUM” YALL AINT READY YO!” THESE DUDES CAN’T WRITE A HOOK TO SAVE THEY LIFE BUT THEY DON’T NEED TO DO THAT CUZ THEY JUST SPIT 40 LINES IN A ROW AND ALL THEY SONGS BE LIKE 2 MINUTES LONG.

BACK PACKERS:  THIS IS THE “ORIGINAL” UNDERGROUND NIGGAS WHO RAP ABOUT ASTROLOGY OR GHANDHI JERKING OFF AND SHIT LIKE THAT.  IF YOU GO INTO THE DORM ROOM OF A WHITE COLLEGE STUDENT AND LOOK AT HIS ITUNES IT IS 90% THIS 5% MORRISSEY AND 5% GUCCI MANE THAT HE LISTENS TO IRONICALLY.  BACKPACK RAPPERS ARE HUGE IN THE MIDWEST B. GIGANTIC.  AESOP ROCK IS MY QUINTESSENTIAL EXAMPLE OF BACKBACK RAP. THE BEATS ARE WEIRD AND THE LYRICS ARE MORE WEIRD, AND YOU CAN NOT GET A BLOWJOB TO THIS SHIT FOR 2 REASONS. 1) A GIRL WILL NOT BLOW YOU IF THIS SHIT IS PLAYING AND 2) YOU WILL BE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE LYRICS/CANDENCE AND WILL LOSE YOUR BONER.

HYPHY:  THIS IS SOME WEST COAST BAY AREA SHIT MAC DRE MADE UP WHEN HE WAS HIGH. NIGGAS TAKE DRUGS AND EVERYTHING THAT RESULTS FROM BEING FLYIN ON ECSTASY IS PART OF THE MOVEMENT” LIKE, JUMPING OUT OF A MOVING VEHICLE, MAKIN A FACE LIKE A SAMURAI PAINTING TAKIN A GIANT HUGE SHIT, WEARING STUPID GLASSES, AND JUMPING AROUND LIKE YOU AT A RAVE, “KEAK DA SNEAK” IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THIS BUT IDK WHAT THE NIGGA IS SAYING CUZ HE SOUNDS LIKE A DUDE WITH STREP THROAT WHISPERING THE BIBLE IN BULGARIAN.

SWAG RAPPERS:  SWAG RAP WAS INVENTED BY LIL B. STRAIGHT UP, THAT WHOLE “BASED” SHIT AND SAYING “SWAG” ON EVERY SNARE WAS INVENTED BY YA MAN, THEN SOULJA BOY CO-OPTED THAT SHIT AND RAN WITH IT.  NIGGAS GET ON A TRACK AND SPIT SOME STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS BULLSHIT ABOUT BITCHES, BITCHES BEING ON YOUR DICK, SWAG, AND YOUR LACK OF SWAG.  A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF THIS SHIT IS “PRETTY BITCH” BY LIL B (IF YOU DON’T KNOW ABOUT THIS SONG, WHICH YOU PROBABLY DO BUT JUST IN CASE, DO NOT WATCH THAT SHIT HIGH, YOU’LL DIE LAUGHING)…THIS SHIT MAKES FANS/PURVEYORS OF “REAL HIPHOP SON!” FURIOUS CUZ IT’S BASICALLY SHITHEAD TEENAGERS WITH WAY TOO MANY TATTOOS IN TIGHT ASS FLUORESCENT PANTS SAYIN STRAIGHT BULLSHIT INTO A MICROPHONE AND GETTING 5000000000 YOUTUBE VIEWS WHILE THEIR SINGLE FEATURING MAD LION AND SADAT X HAS 3 VIEWS AND 2 WERE SADAT X SHOWING HIS NEPHEW.

BRO RAP:  SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE WHITE RAPPERS WERE LIKE  “OH SHIT I GREW UP WITH BOTH MY PARENTS IN A HOUSE THAT HAS AN INGROUND POOL AND A WRAP AROUND PORCH, I DRANK MAD CAPRI SUNS AT SOCCER PRACTICE, I CAN’T RAP ABOUT GUNS & DRUGS.” SO THEY STARTED RAPPIN ABOUT KISSING GIRLS AND GOING TO COLLEGE AND DRIVING AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD SMOKIN WEED & SHIT.  NIGGAS WHOLE ALBUMS WILL GET PLAYED IN THEIR ENTIRETY AT A KEG PARTY, I PROMISE YOU.  ASHER ROTH INVENTED THIS SHIT THEN MAC MILLER, AND DUDES LIKE THAT WERE LIKE “OH SHIT! CHA CHING!” AND JUMPED IN THE MIX. THIS SHIT IS MUSIC FOR NIGGAS WITH MULTIPLE FANTASY BASEBALL TEAMS AND THE SAME GIRLFRIEND FOR 12 YEARS.

HIPSTER RAPPERS:  HIPSTERS THAT RAP ABOUT BASIC RAP SHIT “IM BETTER THAN YOU, IM FLY ETC ETC” BUT THEY DO IT WHILE THEY WEAR AN OUTFIT COMPOSED OF DAYGLO SHIT FROM GOODWILL WITH A HAIRCUT FROM “DO THE RIGHT THING”…KREAYSHAWN IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF THIS SHIT RIGHT HERE. THEY DON’T TAKE HIPHOP SERIOUSLY BECAUSE TAKING SHIT SERIOUSLY IS NOT “COOL”.  SO BASICALLY THEY RAP ABOUT THUG SHIT BUT THEN BUMP INTO RICK ROSS AND SOME LARGE BLACK NIGGAS AT AN AWARD SHOW AND GET WILD NERVOUS AND REGAIN THEIR NON-RAP SPEAKING VOICE REAL QUICK.

ITS LIKE 500000 MORE SUBGENRES B BUT THAT’S ALL YOU GETTING CUZ I’M LAZY AND ALSO THIS WEED IS WEARING OFF SO I CAN’T CONCENTRATE.

IN A NUTSHELL MY KNOWLEDGE SEEKERS, “UNDERGROUND” DON’T MEAN SHIT ANYMORE. ALL IT MEANS IS THAT YOUR MUSIC ISN’T ON “NOW THAT’S WHAT I CALL MUSIC VOL. 47″.  GONE ARE THE DAYS OF WEARING SKULLIES IN THE SUMMER AND NEVER WEARING A COLOR NOT FOUND IN A DECIDUOUS FOREST B. NOW UNDERGROUND CAN BE NAMING YOUR ALBUM “I’M GAY” OR SPITTING A 16 ABOUT YOUR BAR MITZVAH OR RAPPING ABOUT REGULAR ASS SHIT BUT BEING DRESSED LIKE A HOMELESS TRANSEXUAL VERSION OF ALLADIN IN YOUR YOUTUBE VIDEOS. THERE AIN’T SHIT SPECIFIC ABOUT AN “UNDERGROUND” MC ANYMORE EXCEPT THAT THEY CAN’T BUY MORE THAN 3 CARS AND UNLIMITED CRAIGSLIST HOOKERS WITH MAJOR RECORD LABEL MONEY.

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