Are you interested in listening to off-mainstream Musicians and Artists, but are having a hard time figuring out exactly where to go in order to facilitate such musical listening? This is a common occurrence among individuals who express interest in staying ‘in-the-know’ and continuously acclimated with Artists prior to their mainstream introduction, who are still in their creative infancy. To address these concerns, compiled below are four sources that can help the interested party begin their excursion into the world of sister-scene music, thereby uplifting smaller creative voices in return, which simultaneously contributes to the respective creator’s further success! Undoubtedly, there are more sources than are presented here, but the links exhibited here can simply be used to ‘get your feet wet’!
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Perhaps one of the more ‘mainstream’ underground sites, this resource supports 1,000s of established, Rookie, Freelance, and hierarchically distinct Musical creators, all the while releasing curated Playlists galore, ranging in Genre, temperament, locality, and even musical verbiage.
2. Ranker.com
Although practically unknown, this site produces lists correlating to a wide array of topics and content, music being one of them! They feature five genres, their corresponding lists, additionally providing music-historical information, epoch-based album inventories, and singer judgments. The idiosyncratic element is their ‘audience voting’ model, formulated as a ‘yes or no’ for the reader, which then reconstitutes premade Lists into the audience-determined alternatives.
Exclusively for Hip-Hop, HNHH prides itself on being at the forefront of Hip-Hop development, their site boasting over 8 million unique visitors monthly. They publish News corresponding with various, contemporary categories, weekly Top 100s lists, as well as avenues for mixtape, music video, and like content dissemination.
4. Bandcamp.com
Similar to Soundcloud, BC actively supports independent artists by providing a space for music purchasing, distribution, and minor income generation. They also feature daily posts ranging in themes, curated Playlists, and within their ‘New and Notable’ section, they actively encourage interaction with emergent artists and their music.
Here, at Born Genius, we pride ourselves at bringing you up-close and personal with some of Hip-Hop / Rap rising stars, established non-mainstream Professionals, and underground successes. Be sure to check-in every M, W, F, and Saturday for new content related, but not limited to Music, Music making, Playlists, Production DIY's, and more!
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Despite the customary, aesthetic practices of modern listeners and their favorite artists, there is a strong off-center culture just waiting for you to discover. All it takes is one playlist, one news article, or even one music video, and the interested participant can be introduced to their next favorite musical creator who, instead of acquiescing to mainstream tropes, perhaps actively rebels against banalities and goes off the beaten path. Regardless of your musical tastes, for every mainstream Artist, there are countess peripheral, yet equally as talented players. How exciting would it be to discover the next Drake or Nicki Minaj well before their mainstream introduction? Perhaps you’ll find them, or even someone who is unlike them entirely? I wish you luck and happy [musica] hunting!
Writer: John David Vandevert [johndavidvandevert.com]
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