these rappers started from the bottom
and made it big all on their own rip it
off between the beneath every fragmented
figure of speech talking reversed
whenever the bee causes my jaws to call
welcome to watchmojo.com and today we're
counting down our picks for the top 10
independent rappers we'll be taking a
look at rappers and emcees who found
most of their fame independently they
may have made their name with impressive
record sales incredible stage shows or
just a unique style that earned them
critical acclaim regardless of how they
achieved success including if they spent
time on a major label these are the
rappers who did it their own way and
we're basing our choices on a mix of
their song quality credibility and
talent strange days when your favorite
rappers popping Buzzi on top of
something you can gauge we've excluded
Macklemore because even though he's
still indeed his massive mainstream
success makes him an inappropriate fit
for this one
number ten are a the ruggedness watch
you fade like a high top when I drop if
you flattened like a pancake at IHOP
just about any famous rapper and you'll
likely be able to find ties to an RA the
rugged man he's the Kevin Bacon of the
rap game everyone is connected to him
despite just two official full-length
releases over as 20 plus year career
spitted the cops are resisting arrest
they want to see me cry like a chicken
wing and impress the trophies behind
Cole forth I'm a bit of a city thing
above balance the [ __ ] like Lionel
Richie ra has built a reputation as one
of the best independent performers
around wrote an opponent opposed and
even your float memos you was Aliya back
in the potently but he's worked with
artists like notorious b.i.g the wu-tang
clan critical did they talk this [ __ ]
mobb deep and many other accomplished
artists and when you've been rapping
since you were 12
it's no surprise to find out you've got
some skills will bless the poor man his
favorite yeah I took a biblical one
aside
number nine Aesop Rock rapping is easy
tell that to Aesop Rock arguably raps
finest wordsmith the East Coast rapper
is set to have the richest vocabulary in
hip-hop has also been compared to
literary greats like Shakespeare and
Herman Melville he flashes his lyrical
brilliance with off-the-wall metaphors
and regular use of homonyms and just a
talented rapper Aesop also flashes his
production skills both on tracks for
others and on his own he's a prolific
artist both on the mic and in making
beast but the quantity doesn't dilute
his quality
I'll see you at the bottom ZZ top always
start off good number eight brother Ali
I don't play nobody pardon to be
confident I'm the saying mustard in
existence oh I did it
I'm the one to suffer for the politics
that I speak I quit I hit that become
and then embodied it there's no other
rapper quite like brother I'll leave
after gaining the attention of rhyme
sayers entertainment only began
appearing on his labelmates tracks
including working with rhyme sayers
co-founder slugs group atmosphere only
won over audiences with his intense
presence which has carried over to his
albums he's never been afraid to speak
his mind even when sponsors backed away
from him and cuts his tour short only
has built a strong following with strong
sentiments through his politically
charged passion filled self examining
lyrics
baby number seven Action Bronson
you know much - who colours like a kid
oh yes you prepare for most of the
artists on this list rap is their
primary passions but rap came later for
action Bronto he spent his life
cultivating a reputation as an esteemed
New York gourmet chefs before leaving it
behind for the rap game now Bronson
cooks up lyrics instead of meals though
he's maintained his first love by
regularly rapping about food like Caesar
no right beat the [ __ ] night speaker
2 gets us [ __ ] up price what price
discography so far consists of two
full-length records two EPs and four
mixtapes all of which make for some
party listens and he still has more on
the way we can't wait for the desserts
just let me sharpen my knife throw one
in Texas Marcus take in the south a club
or a thing in a blue cheese caramel
complex's or to me or to skis coming up
the houses with number six Earl
Sweatshirt
graduates we have to spit
this Ashley flicked cigarette ash in
Pittsburgh so Rassman Nichols I had
deflate the Internet is responsible for
Earl Sweatshirt after being discovered
on MySpace by Tyler the Creator the
rapper producer dropped his first album
for free - odd futures website
however Earl's later music was almost
prevented from reaching the masses and
it wasn't because of a lack of a major
label instead it was his own mother
searching for big brother Tyler was dead
just like our mice to trap she sent him
to a boarding school for troubled youths
in Samoa but Earl returned to the game
and has since continued to make
critically acclaimed music from any
spell welcome to her father
Abram his word office dissing my shirt
get up off the pavement brush the dirt
off my side
number five dead crest
sometimes it's better to have someone to
share the stage with rappers m1 and
stickman acting as partners in crime has
served them well forming as the duo dead
prez these two MCS have built their
audience through their confrontational
style both in the booth and on stage
they never shy away from talking about
issues that matter to them and they
aren't afraid to back it with actions
same folks selling us lies about
Christmas Santa Claus and the Easter
Bunny just sort of capitalist can make
money they say gotta take care of it but
you a terrorist if you say the same
thing Arabic regularly lighting money on
fire or throwing healthy food into the
crowd at their show read an award I'm
from the win Miss Tubman in that turn
I'm praying for my freedom a headed for
the board
number 4 - Lib [ __ ] herself tracked or
owned up the back of the home to sum up
a musket dusk in the crack dog no nearly
as much for his contributions as an
activist as for his work as a rapper
Talib Kweli maybe the best ambassador
hip hop has action is what suspected
nothing - spoken nor boosted never gotta
go for this Brooklyn rapper there is no
differentiating between his music and
his activism and he regularly shares his
views on society and politics in his
lyrics
even during his stint with Warner
Brothers Records Wiley used his platform
to showcase underground artists to
elevate their profiles and promote the
positivity of hip-hop culture
number three MF DOOM though he likes to
position himself as hip-hop supervillain
MF DOOM is a hero to independent rap
been known for his unorthodox off-kilter
flow and a style that is nearly
impossible to replicate doom doesn't
quite fit into any of the common
categorizations for rap his solo albums
are considered by many to be classics
but his collaborations with Madlib under
the name Matt villain it's so nasty that
is probably somewhat of a travesty
having me doing
who call me your majesty and Danger
Mouse as danger dude
showcase his ability to work with others
while still standing out as a solo act
number two tec-9 my dominates will can
tolerate what everything I can
accommodate it if you're non debate
coming up against they run the grapes it
seems like tec-9 has always known that
he wouldn't quite fit in with most
rappers that would explain why he
started his own label and named it
strange music
Kansas City MC has been a standout
thanks to his chopper rhyming style in
which he raps at a breakneck pace
picking a letter then I went a mode like
a predator my letter plus gift the
people ain't no humble we luna you know
send us everything you know
yeah that's crazy nobody sounds like
this this ability to deliver a clear
message at high speeds has made him a
unique rapper who is regularly featured
on tracks with other indie sensations
and mainstream artists who respect his
ability of the people opponent to give
an opinion never do get it I want you to
come on a goblin simian you'd be given
the remedy and Wow critics are really
the enemy before we unveil our number
one pick here are some honorable
mentions
got it out in the first right picking
out the Chelsea fastest one in this game
there's nothing you can tell me because
I'm feeling in this mis'able these
warehouse wages kill the ins
introduction man I should have schooled
up when I was pop I don't mean the music
I mean the culture not the vultures
number one immortal technique soulful
fearless when I Spit the flow talk with
my hands like Cicero and the king of the
underground rap scenes immortal
technique has built his own empire
without a major record label behind him
after building a following as a battle
rapper he made the jump to music
insisted that artists should fight to
retain rights and create a freedom when
it comes to their work and he's
impressive and uncompromising and his
third album even cracked the Billboard
200 charts and his success will surely
only build from there do you agree with
our list which self-made wordsmiths do
you Bob your head to for more
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