By Teddy Pendergrass

Hip Hop was born on innovation. People hadn’t heard anything like it before and so they flocked to it. They couldn’t help but enjoy originality. Not only was Hip Hop different, lots of skill was involved. Fans respected Hip Hop artists for doing things that they couldn’t, and they were enlightened with a new, refreshing culture.

Most of these pioneers have run their course. New generations seem to rarely relate to the sweat and blood these human beings initially put into this style of music. Seldom will todays generation notice that legendary rappers were going against all odds.  Today flashiness and personality make Hip Hop look easy with many artists boasting about the things that fans would love. These are the same individuals that frequently “make it” via the highly accessible Internet… and the over-saturation ensues.

In opinion, the Hip Hop industry needs to revert back to a time when every song had to be a hit, a new sound, more lyrical, more passionate, etc. What’s special about a Hip Hop artist that follows trends and only makes one type of harmony? These artists won’t be remembered beyond ten years if their albums cannot generate the need to press repeat. Yes, we’re talking the whole album from start to finish.

As a child, I believed the mainstream was my only road to great rap music. I pondered, ‘if this rapper isn’t famous, then it’s because he is not good.’  However, wisdom comes with age and today I see talented underground emcees doing things right, the way that our Hip Hop fathers did. That is, fighting against the brick walls and working hard to develop something with lasting appeal. They’re generating projects that may be overlooked at first in today’s bombardment of new media and flash based Hip Hop. But talent can only be ignored for so long.

Growing up in Philadelphia, I saw that the city’s musicians (as a whole) were commonly neglected by radio/TV. I remember people saying things like “Just a battle rapper” about my favorites. Yesterday’s Philly rapper may have been that. But, today’s hates that and has dedicated their life to proving that statement wrong. Mont Brown is clearly one of the best in the game and he’s been making music in Philly for years. He is surely debunking said stereotype, along with his go-to beat smith Pace-O Beats. Check out these examples:

The track “Hi Top Fade” screams emcees that know their roots. Mont and Pace most likely said “Let me show some love to the greats and blow out some speakers with big bass.” And, also “Let me be original enough to let listeners understand that it’s not a gimmick.”

“Fantastic” is Pop music for sure. Mont and Pace don’t want to just make street anthems. They want to go platinum. So, they created a soothing beat as a backdrop to feel good lyrics, without sacrificing the quality of the song. That’s something that is so rare these days. “Let’s have a good time, I’m on cloud 9.”

“Rent” proves Mont and Pace didn’t forget about the strippers. They can use auto-tune just as effectively as your favorite rapper and indeed make them asses clap, while doing so.

“All I Had” is Mont and Pace letting out the pain and suffering. There is meaning here. And you can’t compare the beat to anything you’ve heard before. It’s distinct, something that is lacking far too much in rap. These guys came from the bottom and still are at the bottom. What’s crazy is, as you can see, they’ve had plenty of hits before this one.

Finally, “All Tied Up” is Mont and Pace recognizing that songs for the ladies can’t always be strip club bangers or pop-tunes. You have to make some baby making tracks too. They once again showcase you can make music for the masses without watering down anything.

You don’t have to keep downloading one or two songs from everyone’s albums, when you have someone that never releases bad music. Mont Brown and Pace-O Beats did all of this independent. I’m interested to see what they do with the proper recognition. 

Stay tuned for my take on more of the best underground Hip Hop for your speakers.