Forked from the scope of the music world, Hip-Hop music can further be organized into two different classifications: mainstream and underground.\u00c2\u00a0 Hip-Hop\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s mainstream artists are among the most affluent and well-known musicians alive today, and are responsible for most of the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153pop\u00e2\u20ac\u009d rap music heard on the radio. Underground Hip-Hop artists are, obviously, the opposite. Mainstream music cascades in a swift progression, fueled by the attention of millions and luxurious commodities available to only the most successful artists. However, there are more distinctions between the two groups other than their status of wealth and popularity. The reason there is such a dichotomy is because of the nature of the songs. The mainstream music is inspired by the artists\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 lifestyles, enlisting complex beats and samples that are only available to artists of their stature. Underground artists rap over simple beats, made most frequently from a bass guitar\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s constant rhythm, with a light accompaniment of a snare drum or piano.<\/p>\n
Both categories have their strengths, and are equally important to the genre. In order to see the differences between them, we can look at two songs. Kanye West\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Lost in the World\u00e2\u20ac\u009d is featured on his masterpiece, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy<\/em>. Its polished production quality, multifaceted sampling and emphasis on the instrumental render the song utterly mainstream. In contrast, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153De La Souls\u00e2\u20ac\u009d by P.O.S is distinctly underground. The beat is extraordinarily simple, the chorus adopts a punk-rock tone and it stresses the lyrics, instead of the instrumental.<\/p>\n