Underground hip-hop is an umbrella term for hip hop music that is outside the general commercial canon. It is typically associated with independent artists, signed to independent labels or no label at all. Underground hip hop is often characterized by socially conscious, positive, or anti-commercial lyrics. However, there is no unifying or universal theme – AllMusic suggests that it "has no sonic signifiers". "The Underground" also refers to the community of musicians, fans and others that support non-commercial, or independent music. Music scenes with strong ties to underground hip hop include alternative hip hop and conscious hip hop. Many artists who are considered "underground" today were not always so, and may have previously broken the Billboard charts.
Grayskul is an American hip hop duo based in Seattle, Washington, consisting of rappers Onry Ozzborn and JFK Ninjaface. Since its formation in 2003, the group has released ten solo albums. The duo often collaborate with artists from the Pacific Northwest hip hop collective Oldominion.
Fake Four is an independent record label based in New Haven, Connecticut. It was founded by brothers Ceschi and David Ramos in 2008.
Dark Time Sunshine is an American hip hop duo, consisting of Seattle rapper Onry Ozzborn and Chicago producer Zavala. The group is signed to Fake Four Inc.
Christopher Tafoya, better known by his stage name Sleep or Sleep of Oldominion, is an American hip hop artist from Farmington, New Mexico, who is currently based in Portland, Oregon. He is a founding member of the Pacific Northwest hip hop collective Oldominion and hip hop duo The Chicharones alongside Josh Martinez. He is signed to Strange Famous Records.
Oldominion is an American hip hop collective, consisting of more than twenty members. It was described by Casey Jarman of Willamette Week as the "Northwest's largest hip-hop crew" which "united the local underground rap scene for the first time".
Alexander Robert Zavala, better known mononymously by his stage name Zavala, is an American hip hop and electronica record producer from Chicago, Illinois. He is a founding member of the hip hop duo Dark Time Sunshine alongside Onry Ozzborn.
Deadlivers is a studio album by American hip hop group Grayskul. It was released on Rhymesayers Entertainment in 2005. The album is produced by Mr. Hill, Fakts One, Bean One, Rob Castro, and Onry Ozzborn and features guest appearances from Canibus, Aesop Rock, Sleep, and Mr. Lif, among others. "Prom Quiz" was released as a single from the album.
Zenith is a studio album by American hip hop group Grayskul. It was released on Fake Four Inc. on September 17, 2013.
Oregon Failure is a studio album by American rapper Sleep, a member of the Pacific Northwest hip hop collective Oldominion. It was released on Strange Famous Records in 2014. The album is entirely produced by Maulskull, and it features guest appearances from Ceschi, Onry Ozzborn, and Pigeon John, among others.
Rhymesayers Entertainment is an American independent hip-hop record label based in Minneapolis.
All Your Friend's Friends is a hip hop album released by K Records on November 11, 2014. It was produced by Thee Xntrx and pairs verses from various Pacific Northwest rappers with samples from older K Records artists, including punk and indie rock bands. Rappers on the compilation include The Chicharones, MG! The Visionary, Onry Ozzborn and JFK Ninjaface of Grayskul, Xperience, and Iame, while samples are taken from Mirah, The Microphones, and Jeremy Jay.
Michael Sean Martinez, better known by his stage name Onry Ozzborn, is an American rapper and producer from Seattle, Washington. He is a founding member of alternative hip hop groups such as Grayskul, Dark Time Sunshine, and Oldominion, among others.
Hold On for Dear Life is a studio album by American hip hop artist Onry Ozzborn. It was released on Fake Four Inc. on January 25, 2011.
One is the debut studio album by Seattle hip hop collective Oldominion. It was released in 2001 on Under The Needle Recordings.
Ryan McMahon, better known by his stage name Iame, is an American hip hop recording artist, record producer and record executive from Portland, Oregon. He is a member of the hip hop groups Oldominion and Sandpeople. In 2012, he released the album Lame$tream, which was given favorable reviews including Willamette Week, who on said "This is an MC at the very top of his game" and the albums's songs "shines a light on the MC's powerful grasp of storytelling." He has shared stages with Grayskul, Sleep, The Chicharones and Boom Bap Project, among many others.
Todd Joseph Gumke, better known by his stage name Mr. Hill, is an American hip hop record producer and DJ from Seattle, Washington. Mr. Hill has produced for the likes of Kool Keith, Mr. Lif, Boom Bap Project and Grayskul, among others. He is a member of the Pacific Northwest hip hop collective Oldominion.
Tyler W. Andrews, better known by his stage name Xperience, is an American hip hop recording artist from Detroit, Michigan, who is currently based in Seattle, Washington. He is a member of the hip hop group Oldominion and is a frequent collaborator with fellow Pacific Northwest hip hop artist Macklemore.
The Grey Area is a studio album by American hip hop artist Onry Ozzborn, a member of the Pacific Northwest hip hop collective Oldominion. It was released June 17, 2003 on One Drop Records. Guest appearances include Sleep, Qwazaar and Luckyiam of Living Legends, among others.
In Between is the third solo studio album by American hip hop artist Onry Ozzborn, a member of the Pacific Northwest hip hop collective Oldominion. It was released November 8, 2005 on Camobear Records, an independent Canadian hip hop record label run by Josh Martinez. Guest appearances include the likes of Aceyalone, Busdriver and Ill Bill.
