The Best Underground Hip-Hop Cities In The World

Hip-hop has evolved a lot since its humble beginning in 1980s South Bronx. And now, whilst gone are the days of the boombox and hi-top afros with hi-top Nikes to match, hip-hop has expanded as an international power into different countries, even if only in the underground. Grab your shovels as we unearth some of the best underground hip-hop cities from around the globe.

Brighton, United Kingdom

The stomping ground of big-beat titan Fatboy Slim since the early 80s, a lot has gone on in the way of hip-hop in Brighton during the past couple years. Don’t Flop Entertainment, the largest rap battle league in the UK was established here in 2008 and since then the Brighton scene has been all about making your lyrical voice heard. As well as hip-hop gigs, evening open mic jam sessions are rife around the seaside town; Slip Jam:B, the oldest hip-hop night in the resort (and, according to them, the whole country) has been busting instrumentals for you to spit angrily about your ex over, once a month since 1999, and with free entry too.

Durban, South Africa

South Africa’s seat on the dollar-sign-shaped table of the united hip-hop nations became established in 2010, thanks to fever-dream albino aliens Die Antwoord. But rather recently, the flame sparked by zef-kind has been blown upon and then spread, sending the whole country up in musical flames, particularly in beach city Durban. Originating from the area, and gaining exposure from commercial grime lord, Stormzy, has arrived gqom music. Played booming out of taxi cabs or in the sandy streets, it is described as minimalistic, high tempo house, which artists such as Bhejane and Okmalumkoolkat have begun to rap over. Definitely a one to watch.

Brussels, Belgium

Good for more than just a strong pint and a chocolate bar, Brussels is where many talented francophone rappers call home. Belgian rap concentrates more on emotional expression and is quite heavy lyrically, showcased in artists like Stromae and rap group La Smala, both popular in the Brussels hip-hop community. You can hear such rap in bars like Club Madame Mustache, which in 2012 was graced by the presence of Wu-Tang’s own Inspectah Deck and if you’re there during the summer, you should check out Couleur Cafe, a 3-day festival that has seen the likes of Busta Rhymes and Cypress Hill take its stage.

Atlanta, USA

Ok, so, not so much of a secret as more like the undisputed hip-hop capital of America, but Atlanta, Georgia does have an underground scene. The birthplace of gods Cee Lo Green, Lil’ Jon, Ludacris, Outkast and Gucci Mane to name but a tiny gangsta few, this is a city where hip-hop is ingrained into culture. It hosts several hip-hop festivals throughout the year including: A3C Festival, a 5-day long cultural bonanza and featuring over 500 performances from artists including Wiz Khalifa, Raury and De la Soul, as well as art-oriented Counterpoint Festival, 3 days long and this year with music from Travis Scott as well as ILoveMakonnen.

Stockholm, Sweden

For beat-heads looking for something different, Swedish hip-hop is ideal and has a tendency to be unique, fusing genres such as grime and neo-soul popularized due to the city’s multi-culturalism. In 2008, Stockholm was the host city for the European Intercultural Dialogue hip-hop summit and as a city it really values originality and worldliness in its hip-hop. Popular Swede rapper, Yung Lean (he is a person, not a root vegetable), is a perfect example of this, succeeding over 2 million YouTube views in 2013 with his unique, chilling ‘sad rap’. There are plenty of places to enjoy this culture, such as the Debaser in Slussen, Stockholm which is a restaurant as well as a hip-hop club and gig venue.

By Max Harris