What is backpacker Rap? Why do brehs hate it?

[Mike Wins]

Black moon and Duck Down were the original "backpackers" cause they always wore backpacks.

before the word got b*stardized.

Was just gonna say, the first time I heard backpacker used it was referring to dudes who were heavy into Boot Camp Clik and/or Native Tongues. Then it became a negative term for the stereotypical dusty purist who thought anything more commercial than Tribe was trash. Then it started being associated with the Rawkus roster then it got applied to straight up suburban geek shyt like Def Jux

 

[Suspicions]

I’ve never liked the term backpack rap because the likes of Slum Village, Little Brother, Black Milk, Tanya Morgan, Mickey Factz, Lupe, Blu, etc don’t fit into the box you think of when discussing backpackers. The level of musicality, themes and storytelling isn’t anything close to the stream of consciousness, rappity rap aesthetic the likes of Aesop Rock, Slug & Atmosphere have.

By today’s standards, pre-So Far Gone Drake would be considered backpack as he was working closely with Slakah, Hazel and other non-mainstream producers.

Yeah those dudes are too dope. They just happen to be rappers who aren’t gangsta

 

[Mike Wins]

Damn really? Nas is (an actual) lyricist though

"No bookbags or trucker hats, just army jacks and diamonds that's flashin"

 

[Suspicions]

This here.

It started in the mid to late 90's. When the posers came in and started making wack obscure shyt that mostly suburban kids fukked with. Same dudes tried to divide the underground. It was all these new people who didn't really know much about the culture, but wanted to be a part of it by acting like they were anti-commercial rap or whatever. It was a way for certain subpar wannabe rappers to feel like they were making "real" Hip Hop, after years of not being accepted by actual heads who rejected them before. The term was used widely in the 2000's, but started as a way for the fakes to feel like they belonged.

I agree with this

 

[Living Bait]

Funny enough tho I do remember Method Man wearing a back pack on Yo! Or something freestyling. . Before it became a term

 

[Rozay Oro]

Thats the reason why I love Elzhi, he has the perfect blend of a wide vocabulary and technical rhymes, but does not over do it.

I used to listen to Elzhi back in the day but them first two tracks are boring. Good beats. Last song I can fukk with. What happened to Danny? I remember he was on Arsenio and his debut Old was cool

 

[boogers]

Do yall consider Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Lupe, and Kanye backpackers? Also, I remember when Kanye use to wear backpacks in photos.

Nah. I don't think so. They may have been loved by those fans at the time (then) but they kept progressing. I still don't really like Talib that much lol.

EDIT: I feel like I should explain why I don't fw Talib. It's cause of this:



I'm not mad at Talib for his verse, more the fact that he participated in the song to begin with. RA's verse is literally just listing genocides, but not even saying why they were wrong, just listing them. It seems to be a common theme amongst white MCs to just list awful shyt that happened with no context, to impress the listener. It rubs me the wrong way.

I really fukkin hate this dude.

 

[Rozay Oro]

Can't forget Jurassic 5.

Another thing about backpack rappers is when they're about to start spitting they hit you with that "Yo, yo, yo, yo" & then jump into their verse.

Holding to what’s golden was corny but I liked the intro to the album with them sitting on black crates at a street or park or some shyt

 

[Rozay Oro]

I swear Mos was talking about snuffing dudes for calling him a backpacker

I’d snuff someone too, Mos ain’t no damn backpack rapper

 

[Rozay Oro]

Lol I hear this a lot on Strange Fruit Project Pandora radio.

It got recommended by listening to the vids on here

 

[imfromthesouthside]

Is this back pack or underground?

Backpack

 

[darealvelle]

I used to listen to Elzhi back in the day but them first two tracks are boring. Good beats. Last song I can fukk with. What happened to Danny? I remember he was on Arsenio and his debut Old was cool

Danny still around. He about to drop a new album soon actually. He had his own show on Vice too.

 

[Rozay Oro]

Danny still around. He about to drop a new album soon actually. He had his own show on Vice too.

Is he independent now?

 

[imfromthesouthside]

Backpack was cool before the Def Jux, Sage Francis, Atmosphere gay shyt. The original backpackers played Black Moon, Wu Tang, Mobb Deep, Poor Righteous Teachers, Lords Of The Underground, MOP, Gangstarr. Then it got taken over after 9/11 and turned into Incel rap. All those back packed white groups sucked dikk.

 

[2 Up 2 Down]

Who the fukk are these nikkas