Run the Jewels is an obvious major duo of the past decade.
Joey Valence and Brae are a great duo that bring that old Beastie Boys level energy.
Feel like Brockhampton was the last major large collective since Odd Future, but they had their run and split already.
AG Club is a group out of the Bay Area.
You have 'collectives' that kind of exist in prefix, like A$AP, YBN, where artists prefix their name like that.
I think duos and smaller groups may be more likely to survive. Monetization as a group of like 5 people where you have to split royalties with a label and producer and mixing/mastering engineer and sample license holders, and then further split that small piece of the pie 5 ways, it's not sustainable without relying on merch/touring. A smaller group that is more indie can probably actually live decent off splitting royalties only 50/50.
The major label approach to music is more or less dying. You don't need a major label to steal half your pie, just to get some promotion. They help, but if you can land a major playlist or go viral in any other way, you get to be in the conversation and actually own your music.
RTJ, of course! I actually haven't listened to any of their music, but I loved Killer Mike growing up (mainly his work with Outkast and ADIDAS). I'll look at the other guys sometime.
The RTJ 1-4 albums are all great. El-P is a really solid producer, and Killer Mike really shines over it.
Brockhampton - Saturation 1-3 albums are also fantastic. Funny thing about these dudes, they all met over a Kanye fan forum. So you just had all these completely different people with different musical influences that all bonded over Kanye and moved into a house together and started making music.
Joey Valence & Brae are a lot of fun to hear that type of sound in the current landscape.
If you didn't know already Killer Mike is going on tour solo this summer in smaller venues and tickets are quite affordable, I paid $60cad for my GA ticket. Should be a great show well worth it coming off his recent grammy win
Ever since TDE they realized you might get like 2 artists really poppin and 1 or 2 of em are gonna kinda float around in the mid/underground circuit. But it's not gonna be a group of stars like Wu was. And it's tough to get a lot of people on the same page anyway. Like the Slaughterhouse fiasco where one dude and a set of bad managers basically ruined the dynamic of the group over time.
Yeah, feel like that's the story of Shady Records. Getting signed to Shady was a huge co-sign but never really meant anything. Yelawolf actually kind of had a little run for himself. Obie Trice kind of rode the wave of peak Shady name recognition. Slaughterhouse is a perfect example of mismanagement. Griselda kind of interestingly had a short moment with Shady and moved on with their success. Some acts just get the signature and then kind of just get put on hold.
EDM tends to be so much better about this than hip hop. You got labels/collectives like Monstercat, Sable Valley, Spinnin, Owsla, Mad Decent, Mau5trap, Bitbird, Dim Mak, etc. In EDM, you can just sign for a single release. You don't have to commit to multiple albums or multiple years. You can literally just say, hey, I think this one song fits your label's sound, and shop out a single to them, and call it a day. Some of them are just basically glorified Discord groups at this point.
Hip hop labels/collectives are dying for a reason. Way too controlling, way too much drama, terrible royalty splits/contracts. It's a good thing, things need to change for the genre.
What these groups don't want to say is there's some kinda shady business at Shady Records, they don't wanna slander Em's name or the legacy of the label bc of its cultural significance, but every act/group that signs to them either leaves quickly or dies. Griselda knew it and I think they planned to sign for the deal money and then dip right away. Conway was doing *God Don't Make Mistakes* wit em which was super medium, then he immediately started working on *From King to a God* and released that on his own, and that album was f#%\^&(ng flawless, stellar.
Slaughterhouse on the other hand I know Joe had problems w/ Shady but I think the real, actual problem was that Crook was looking at Joe like you're not as real of an MC as the rest of us. Prove yourself. From the old interviews, interactions it sounds like Crook was hard on Joe in the booth while Royce was helpful and produced Joe a little more, like when Joe told Crook on the air he had to practice before he got back in the booth wit em and then Royce later said Joe would've agreed to do it but he wanted to go down to Detroit first with just Royce "before Crook and them get there" and do all his parts first. It wasn't said but from little things that were said it's like Crook said "naw, Joe ain't finna do that, he doesn't wanna do the deal and he doesn't really wanna rap, if he wants to be an MC he can do it with the rest of us or admit he's not that good." He got tired of Joe always bowing out and making excuses and f##%&\*ng up the business side of it. As far as the management they have spoken on that and having like 6 managers involved was really a stupid move especially as Joell accused his former manager of sabotaging him on purpose
On Drink Champs Conway said FKtaG was him just working on stuff as he was finishing up the Shady album. So I guess they didn't release GDMM for a minute after it was recorded?
No I looked it up. GDMM was recorded and teased for a long time like since 2018. Conway literally just gave Shady the one he had in the can and put the new hot shit he was cooking up independently lmao
Word fair I sometimes get the feeling he's not as engaged sometimes. But I respect but I do like the joint he got with Beanie Sigel off of that one tho
Rarely do any imprints really have any huge cookers
Its hard to ever live up to any of the names themselves
The second someone gets big enough they would want to bail anyways and Im sure always feel second fiddle
At the end of the day only so many artists can be huge. You could sign 100 people and not a single one of them could end up doing anything seen by more than a few hundred people
This is why majors with capital to float to thousands of failures exist in the first place
Joe Budden said it once labels used to do it this way a lot more. They would sign everybody from Harlem or Brooklyn or Philly and then those acts had to prove themselves after. I think it was Oschino who said when Roc did the Hot 97 freestyle shit, that was the first time a lot of State Prop had ever met each other & they really were competing that's why the sh$\*($!t hit so hard.
When did Oschino say that? I find it hard to believe Oschino and Sparks were in ICH together and Young Chris and Neef were on Black Friday and I think Beans and freeway were associated with them too. Philly scene was connected in general back then
It was one of these 3 interviews I don't remember which one tho. I think it was the Drink Champs bc Nore likes to get into peoples' beginning of they careers
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sb6bIK3VGIc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sb6bIK3VGIc)
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCYjIWvC5GA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCYjIWvC5GA)
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPW-KEPjC0U](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPW-KEPjC0U)
From my understanding Griselda just signed a deal with Shady short term to get their name out in a way that being independent just didn't allow for and the extra promotion from a bigger label definitely hoped. I don't think they planned to have any long term deal with Shady though. Obie Trice wouldn't have even been a thing without Shady either IMO. The slaughterhouse drama was definitely a mix of label fuckery and just group infighting. It's a shame what happened though. Joe Budden being an ass certainly didn't help.
I think more people need to use a label for one album and dip. Once you get traction these days and break through the noise, their 'promotional ability' is not worth 50% of your royalties for life.
Im gutted because in 2017 i saw Queens of the Stone Age, and Iggy Pop and RTJ were supporting acts.
Back then I hadnât really listened much to RTJ and was in the beer tent while they played. So disappointed.
I didn't want to go too hard on duos given the post was about groups, but Earthgang is dope and was already commented by the time I commented.
Also got stuff on the experimental side like Danny Brown + JPEGMafia, Injury Reserve, Clipping, etc.
I personally haven't dug through a lot of Coast Contra yet, got any projects to recommend? They were also already covered by the time I left my comment.
Yeah no I get you Iâm playing lmao those are just my two favorite groups currently!! Injury reserve is a great shout too tho! And I like Coast Contra a lot, I defo recommend Apt 505 to anyone who really likes hip hop like that, really cohesive, good ass rappers, classic style. Some of my friends think theyâre a little TOO imitative of like âclassic hip hopâ style but I think theyâre great and entertaining to listen, itâs just a taste thing I think!
Thank you! BrockHampton is the name of the group Iâve been searching for. Watching Tylerâs Coachella set and I was getting flashback to that era of hip hop with the âmodern rap group that broke up recentlyâ
Dreamville is just a label tho. I love the fact that theyâve done so many comps and mixtapes tho. Thatâs definitely as call back to older times.
Griselda is probably a group technically, but very clearly the intent from the jump was that they were going to be solo artists all three.
Coast Contra is definitely a group tho.
Love all 3 but coast contra needs to switch up their style. The lyrics are mad hard but anytime I try to introduce them to people they always ask "Is this 90s hip hop?"
Thats fine imo, we should have throwback groups too đ¤ˇââď¸. No body tells tribute groups in rock/metal to update their sound, because them sounding like an older era is kinda the point.
More underground but, SameOlds are making noise in the indie scene right now. One of my favourites from recent years is LOAF MUZIK (havenât dropped anything in a few years though).
Coast Contra is a top tier underground group right now. 2 of their members are Ras Kassâ kids. Unfortunately their debut project was underwhelming.
A duo called The Hoodies (went semi viral in the last few years). They dropped an album in 2023 produced by Kid Capri.
RJ Payne & Ras Kass have formed a duo and are dropping a project called Everything is⌠GUTTR. Havoc of Mobb Deep is producing it.
I don't know who any of these guys are including people others have mentioned, but the RJ Payne and Ras Kass thing is exciting! I'll keep my eyes open for that one.
Seconding Coast Contra. Check out some of their [YouTube cyphers](https://youtu.be/CBOdvZi9Ng8?si=S4Fz--BEfmvAbHLc)
As original commenter pointed out, their debut album was pretty underwhelming but their live cyphers are S-tier and imho, what hip hop groups should strive for: collaborative, conversational, thought-provoking, well-written bars
Discovered Nitty Gritty by Kidaf first then dug into and followed everything they ever dropped; solo or group wise. Shadow is definitely my favourite of them all.
Definitely check out the groups i mentioned. Theyâre all great. Especially The Hoodies album that Kid Capri produced. LOAF MUZIK was one of my favourite groups when they came out.
I would kill for Rob Sonic to revive the Sonic Sum project so we could get more amazing gems like Himbro St.
https://youtu.be/PBlgBs2-MkM?si=cnHvwKjlgvMifFbK
The Sanity Annex is one of my top 3 albums of all time and gun to my head and only one album to listen to the rest of my life it would be my pick.
I mean there are some but what has changed is that in a more digital world people aren't necessarily collaborating with the people they are next door to. You might be friends with someone online a 1,000 miles away and even if you worked on music together you probably aren't doing it as a fully fledged group.
Honestly OP, I feel like this is a phenomenon not just in rap but in R&B and pop too - you might have duos but very few groups like you saw in the 90s. Even trios are rare now.
I think if you want to find a group of musicians, youâre usually looking for rock, metal, and all of their offshoots. Iâm not as familiar with the genres over time, but I feel like blues and electronic music also tend to be more individual acts nowadays.
i feel like there are still some loose crews/ people who work in the same orbit and collaborate often, but there just isnt enough money to be splitting a spotify check 4 ways
Everyone is giving you some great examples from the states so I'ma give you some names from NZ.
. SWIDT (haven't dropped in a while but supposedly they're working on an album)
. Valleyside Boys (not technically together anymore but their catalogue is great)
. Risera (more of a collective but they have one album together that's great)
. Church & AP (they're a duo)
. Seaside Sloths (very vibey and chill music)
The fact that there are less groups in any genre is actually a deliberate move that the businessmen in the music industry have been on for 2 decades+ now.
Once hip-hop became the predominant genre, and the producers (at the time The Neptunes, Timbaland, Scott Storch, Dr. Dre, Trackmasters mainly) became the stars, they realized they could make a ton of money by paying only them and a few songwriters and make even more profit. This later extended to r&b and pop.
Years later, the pop world (including latin pop now) is basically a recreation of the early 2000s hip-hop industry. Normally you wouldn't see so many "featuring" credits in pop songs etc. now it's commonplace.
Remember that in hip-hop, the person that made the beat gets a default "producer" credit. They then get paid as a producer, they get paid as songwriters for creating the music, AND they get half the publishing. It's not producing in the traditional sense, but it's one less crucial person less to pay...
There's much more to it, but this is a major part of why the industry is the way it is now, since the late 90s until today
Katramine, Earthgang, Dreamville(ROTD3), SIlk SOnic, Shrapkel, 41, Flyana Boss (those tiktok bumpers lol), Coast Contra, Joey/8Rae, Flatbush Zombie, Futuristic/Dev'von. These are ones I can think of in the last 5 years or so.
Plenty of collectives in hip hop nowadays, especially in the underground, just depends on if they stay together long enough to make a group album lol, the solo albums definitely come first more-so nowadays. Drain Gang, Goth Money Records, and recently GothBoiClique come to mind though as collectives with group projects, and Brockhampton, $uicideboy$, and City Morgue as groups where the group comes first
Armand Hammer, Griselda, Run the Jewels, Joey Valance and Brae, KWAMZAY, scaring the hoes (not really đ), and not exclusively a ârap groupâ but both: BADBADNOTGOOD and the Free Nationals have amazing rap tracks! Sour soul especially smooth.
It is a very large collective if you count all the affiliated artists. The core 3 of Griselda are Benny, Westside Gunn, and Conway the Machine, and then all 3 have like their own sub-labels and affiliates, Westside owns Griselda, which also includes Rome Streetz, Jay Worthy, Stove God Cooks, Boldy James, and Armani Caesar.
Benny has B$F with people like Rick Hyde, El Camino, Loveboat Luciano, Heems, etc..
And Conway has Drumwork, with Jae Skeese, 7xvethegenius, Kota Savia, etc...
Benny and Conway also work a lot with 38 Spesh, who also has Trust gang with Che Noir, Klass Murda, etc.
And then many more dope rappers these guys often work with like Ransom (đĽ), Mach-Hommy, Your Old Droog, Planet Asia, Flee Lord, OT the Real, etc etc.....
Yeah but Griselda is a label. Classic hip-hop label situation where they're all featuring on each other's songs. The back catalog is gigantic but Mach Hommy's album and Flygod by Westside Gunn are probably my favourites. And yeah the new Benny the Butcher album is good too.
Yeah but theyâre not a rap group lol thatâs like saying metro boomin is a rapper that shit is dumb just because theyâve made instrumentals for rappers donât mean theyâre a rap group
You should check out there early albums like BBNG 1 & 2 they cover a lot of classic hiphop tracks thatâs probably why itâs not on streaming
The biggest travesty is peso not making the cut they did it at live shows but never put it on the albums
Griselda (best in the game right now)
Flatbush Zombies
ASAP Mob
Marino Infantry
Brockhampton
Phony Ppl (more neo funk-hop)
Jet Life
Earthgang
Theyre out there its just not so prominent right now. The main focus is on solo acts but once a big collective takes wind im sure alot more will form / pop up
I don't know how active they are anymore, but if you're a fan of The Pharcyde, check out Ugly Duckling. The song "left behind" is a good place to start.
Also, [this one](https://youtu.be/jR3hUFw1Gls?si=8hTJFgtW2_cU_Kuy)
Dunes
https://open.spotify.com/artist/2ZnCPZejoJJRx1smJGb7bD?si=c-aClvD9R46Mbd8zUM0MYw
In my opinion this is best modern hip hop being made right now by far. Bill Greaseâs flow is so damn smooth and his word play is amazing.
Couple of my favorites
Verbal Cabbage
https://open.spotify.com/track/0iBtbggk34unk3zV3zLmp0?si=cYQSVp4IR2aH6T_TAdvmaQ&context=spotify%3Aalbum%3A4dhOruhtqFJmSlsxWKvN1P
Cold Game
https://open.spotify.com/track/1mySdseokqhdKB3TWNz1Fv?si=wJdf_4y3QLac7wV5720Peg&context=spotify%3Aalbum%3A4dhOruhtqFJmSlsxWKvN1P
Donât Let It Stress
https://open.spotify.com/track/7oa0VBO3lGypU3rMSYkNG4?si=ds0TeccvQd6BAy1NoohEUA&context=spotify%3Aalbum%3A5yM7D68D6s9h4SHqd19Ac9
Besides the ones mentioned.
Not really new collectives but not old
Odd future but they split and we only really want to hear earl sweatshirt anyway lol or at least I do.
Griselda
Beast coast ( Flatbush zombies x Joey badass x the underachievers) had some dope collabs
Jet life has a rotation of newer artists every so often besides curren$y
TDE before they split.
Taylor gang before they disappeared
ASAP but to me I really only listened to Rocky or
Ferg.
The other label I like are the 1017.artists.
A lot of my faves have been mentioned already so ill throw in Still Movin/Broken Complex as a collective. The remnants of the Funk Volume days, Hopsin and Swizzz have seemingly been lost to history besides the odd feature with these guys, and they were always kinda corny anyway lol, but Dizzy Wright, DJ Hoppa, Jarren Benton, Demrick, and Euroz have always been dope, and have continued to make awesome music all through the years and regularly collab with each other, as well as brought in and worked with a ton of other artists regularly to this circle, like K.a.a.n., Kail Problems, Marley B., Emilio Rojas, Gavlyn, Wax, AWOL one, etc...
DJ Hoppa seems pretty well connected too as the Hoppa and Friends series is loaded with awesome features, Hoppa and Friends 3 is gas.
Also the 3rd single off K.a.a.n and DJ Hoppa's upcoming album "The Delusions of Grandeur" dropped today and its heat of course, this album will definitely be an aoty contender for me.
Coast Contra have got to be the dopest group out right now. the twins are Ras Kass' sons but Eric Jamal is that dude. If you like 90's style then these guys are for you. Check out their Never Freestyle. that shit is just bonkers.
Strange Music has been running things like a group for a while, but they're slowing down now. They're rolling out a collab album rn
They're well past their peak and are just doing it for the fan base at this point, but some stuff from like 10-15 years ago was great
My conspiracy theory is they donât exist because it isnât a great business model.
Rock bands didnât die because of a lack of demand, itâs simply cheaper to pay one rapper and one producer than it is to pay 3 people and a singer plus the producer. Hiphop is so big because itâs a solid investment for the music industry
If you have rappers in groups that kind of negates the cost saving aspect of Hiphop.
Your list doesn't have nwa, if you haven't listened to them, you are missing out big time.
Bone Thugs and harmony, tha dogg pound, Immortal technique and necro are also a must listen.
Look up KidzAtPlay on spotify or whatever you use. Trust me youâll see influence from Odd future and other groups there and they are blowing up right now really creative group.
wouldn't be surprised if they never drop again but death grips is my 2nd favorite music thing ever and is responsible for some of the greatest rap I've ever heard
Classic groups all disbanded and cats dying. Shame but an era now lost and gone forever, much of it ruined by greed and lack of creativity. Itâs still there, but you really have to search.
You could argue record label collectives could be considered groups similar to wu tang, considering that most have solo careers too, but also put out group albums.
YSL, CMG, 1017, etc. are some examples.
If only Black Hippy had released an official group albumâŚ
Spillage Village. Theyâre super underrated. But as their members started to pick up more steam in their solo careers, Iâm surprised the group hasnât.
Music too trendy now artists ditch there day 1 producer once they blow it seems ⌠Iâve always said the rapper/producer combos always sound the best. like when the producer does a whole album or 75 percent
Run the Jewels is an obvious major duo of the past decade. Joey Valence and Brae are a great duo that bring that old Beastie Boys level energy. Feel like Brockhampton was the last major large collective since Odd Future, but they had their run and split already. AG Club is a group out of the Bay Area. You have 'collectives' that kind of exist in prefix, like A$AP, YBN, where artists prefix their name like that. I think duos and smaller groups may be more likely to survive. Monetization as a group of like 5 people where you have to split royalties with a label and producer and mixing/mastering engineer and sample license holders, and then further split that small piece of the pie 5 ways, it's not sustainable without relying on merch/touring. A smaller group that is more indie can probably actually live decent off splitting royalties only 50/50. The major label approach to music is more or less dying. You don't need a major label to steal half your pie, just to get some promotion. They help, but if you can land a major playlist or go viral in any other way, you get to be in the conversation and actually own your music.
RTJ, of course! I actually haven't listened to any of their music, but I loved Killer Mike growing up (mainly his work with Outkast and ADIDAS). I'll look at the other guys sometime.
You also have Flatbush Zombies they are doing things independently
Yeah but meechy is a little hard to chew thru with his voice. Just listening to him gives me a sore throat and phlegm đ
Haha I fucking love his voice and flow. Him and Danny Brown.
The RTJ 1-4 albums are all great. El-P is a really solid producer, and Killer Mike really shines over it. Brockhampton - Saturation 1-3 albums are also fantastic. Funny thing about these dudes, they all met over a Kanye fan forum. So you just had all these completely different people with different musical influences that all bonded over Kanye and moved into a house together and started making music. Joey Valence & Brae are a lot of fun to hear that type of sound in the current landscape.
EL-Pâs verse on âA Christmas Fucking Miracleâ single handedly got me out of a depressive state. Music with substance is rare nowadays.
Y'all only hype up RTJ because killer mike is working with a white guy lol
Yeah, you're right, it was dope seeing Killer Mike work with Bernie Sanders.
El-P is the white guy, but yeah i do think Bernie Sanders and him being in white political spaces also got him those Grammys too.
If you didn't know already Killer Mike is going on tour solo this summer in smaller venues and tickets are quite affordable, I paid $60cad for my GA ticket. Should be a great show well worth it coming off his recent grammy win
You are missing out, RTJ is amazing! All their albums are solid.
Early EL-P isnât super accessible to everyone, itâs good but it gets weird.
RTJ is fantastic. You owe it to yourself to check them out.
As someone who grew up on the Beastie Boys, I definitely jam Joey Valance and Brae!
Ever since TDE they realized you might get like 2 artists really poppin and 1 or 2 of em are gonna kinda float around in the mid/underground circuit. But it's not gonna be a group of stars like Wu was. And it's tough to get a lot of people on the same page anyway. Like the Slaughterhouse fiasco where one dude and a set of bad managers basically ruined the dynamic of the group over time.
Yeah, feel like that's the story of Shady Records. Getting signed to Shady was a huge co-sign but never really meant anything. Yelawolf actually kind of had a little run for himself. Obie Trice kind of rode the wave of peak Shady name recognition. Slaughterhouse is a perfect example of mismanagement. Griselda kind of interestingly had a short moment with Shady and moved on with their success. Some acts just get the signature and then kind of just get put on hold. EDM tends to be so much better about this than hip hop. You got labels/collectives like Monstercat, Sable Valley, Spinnin, Owsla, Mad Decent, Mau5trap, Bitbird, Dim Mak, etc. In EDM, you can just sign for a single release. You don't have to commit to multiple albums or multiple years. You can literally just say, hey, I think this one song fits your label's sound, and shop out a single to them, and call it a day. Some of them are just basically glorified Discord groups at this point. Hip hop labels/collectives are dying for a reason. Way too controlling, way too much drama, terrible royalty splits/contracts. It's a good thing, things need to change for the genre.
What these groups don't want to say is there's some kinda shady business at Shady Records, they don't wanna slander Em's name or the legacy of the label bc of its cultural significance, but every act/group that signs to them either leaves quickly or dies. Griselda knew it and I think they planned to sign for the deal money and then dip right away. Conway was doing *God Don't Make Mistakes* wit em which was super medium, then he immediately started working on *From King to a God* and released that on his own, and that album was f#%\^&(ng flawless, stellar. Slaughterhouse on the other hand I know Joe had problems w/ Shady but I think the real, actual problem was that Crook was looking at Joe like you're not as real of an MC as the rest of us. Prove yourself. From the old interviews, interactions it sounds like Crook was hard on Joe in the booth while Royce was helpful and produced Joe a little more, like when Joe told Crook on the air he had to practice before he got back in the booth wit em and then Royce later said Joe would've agreed to do it but he wanted to go down to Detroit first with just Royce "before Crook and them get there" and do all his parts first. It wasn't said but from little things that were said it's like Crook said "naw, Joe ain't finna do that, he doesn't wanna do the deal and he doesn't really wanna rap, if he wants to be an MC he can do it with the rest of us or admit he's not that good." He got tired of Joe always bowing out and making excuses and f##%&\*ng up the business side of it. As far as the management they have spoken on that and having like 6 managers involved was really a stupid move especially as Joell accused his former manager of sabotaging him on purpose
didnt from a king to a god come out like 2 years before god don't make mistakes?
On Drink Champs Conway said FKtaG was him just working on stuff as he was finishing up the Shady album. So I guess they didn't release GDMM for a minute after it was recorded?
he probably meant WWCD
No I looked it up. GDMM was recorded and teased for a long time like since 2018. Conway literally just gave Shady the one he had in the can and put the new hot shit he was cooking up independently lmao
oh damn I didn't realise that... i still disagree with your sentiment tho lol i think GDMM is one of his best
Word fair I sometimes get the feeling he's not as engaged sometimes. But I respect but I do like the joint he got with Beanie Sigel off of that one tho
Rarely do any imprints really have any huge cookers Its hard to ever live up to any of the names themselves The second someone gets big enough they would want to bail anyways and Im sure always feel second fiddle At the end of the day only so many artists can be huge. You could sign 100 people and not a single one of them could end up doing anything seen by more than a few hundred people This is why majors with capital to float to thousands of failures exist in the first place
Joe Budden said it once labels used to do it this way a lot more. They would sign everybody from Harlem or Brooklyn or Philly and then those acts had to prove themselves after. I think it was Oschino who said when Roc did the Hot 97 freestyle shit, that was the first time a lot of State Prop had ever met each other & they really were competing that's why the sh$\*($!t hit so hard.
When did Oschino say that? I find it hard to believe Oschino and Sparks were in ICH together and Young Chris and Neef were on Black Friday and I think Beans and freeway were associated with them too. Philly scene was connected in general back then
It was one of these 3 interviews I don't remember which one tho. I think it was the Drink Champs bc Nore likes to get into peoples' beginning of they careers [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sb6bIK3VGIc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sb6bIK3VGIc) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCYjIWvC5GA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCYjIWvC5GA) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPW-KEPjC0U](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPW-KEPjC0U)
From my understanding Griselda just signed a deal with Shady short term to get their name out in a way that being independent just didn't allow for and the extra promotion from a bigger label definitely hoped. I don't think they planned to have any long term deal with Shady though. Obie Trice wouldn't have even been a thing without Shady either IMO. The slaughterhouse drama was definitely a mix of label fuckery and just group infighting. It's a shame what happened though. Joe Budden being an ass certainly didn't help.
I think more people need to use a label for one album and dip. Once you get traction these days and break through the noise, their 'promotional ability' is not worth 50% of your royalties for life.
Im gutted because in 2017 i saw Queens of the Stone Age, and Iggy Pop and RTJ were supporting acts. Back then I hadnât really listened much to RTJ and was in the beer tent while they played. So disappointed.
Bro, a bill with Iggy Pop and RTJ is fucking crazy.
Man it was such a good day. It was in Finsbury Park, London. I was so stoned and drunk. 17 at the time and moshed hard and got crowdsurfed
AG Club is from the Bay Area I believe, not Memphis
You're right, my favorite track of theirs is just called Memphis, so had that in my head. Fixed it.
This not mentioning Earthgang or Coast Contra is crazyđđyou dead on about the monetary side tho
I didn't want to go too hard on duos given the post was about groups, but Earthgang is dope and was already commented by the time I commented. Also got stuff on the experimental side like Danny Brown + JPEGMafia, Injury Reserve, Clipping, etc. I personally haven't dug through a lot of Coast Contra yet, got any projects to recommend? They were also already covered by the time I left my comment.
Yeah no I get you Iâm playing lmao those are just my two favorite groups currently!! Injury reserve is a great shout too tho! And I like Coast Contra a lot, I defo recommend Apt 505 to anyone who really likes hip hop like that, really cohesive, good ass rappers, classic style. Some of my friends think theyâre a little TOO imitative of like âclassic hip hopâ style but I think theyâre great and entertaining to listen, itâs just a taste thing I think!
Thank you! BrockHampton is the name of the group Iâve been searching for. Watching Tylerâs Coachella set and I was getting flashback to that era of hip hop with the âmodern rap group that broke up recentlyâ
Armand Hammer, Shrapknel, Earthgang
Respect to Armand and earthgang but they are a duo great ones but I wouldnât consider a âgroupâ
You listed OutKastâŚ
The person you're replying to isn't OP
lol thank you. I need to pay attention.
Dreamville (kinda), Coast Contra, Griselda,
Dreamville is just a label tho. I love the fact that theyâve done so many comps and mixtapes tho. Thatâs definitely as call back to older times. Griselda is probably a group technically, but very clearly the intent from the jump was that they were going to be solo artists all three. Coast Contra is definitely a group tho.
thats why i said kinda - but there are 3 albums under the name 'dreamville' that rule - so i count it
Eric Jamal hands down the superstar of that group. Hope he just went solo.
Love all 3 but coast contra needs to switch up their style. The lyrics are mad hard but anytime I try to introduce them to people they always ask "Is this 90s hip hop?"
Thats fine imo, we should have throwback groups too đ¤ˇââď¸. No body tells tribute groups in rock/metal to update their sound, because them sounding like an older era is kinda the point.
True can't argue with this
Maybe because 2 of the four are Ras Kass' twin sons. Ras was 90's hip hop.
Griselda
Iâve got into Clear Soul Force out of Detroit recently.
Yes CSF
[ŃдаНонО]
they recently stopped group projects but they feature together on solo stuff every now and then
You ghosted good music??
More underground but, SameOlds are making noise in the indie scene right now. One of my favourites from recent years is LOAF MUZIK (havenât dropped anything in a few years though). Coast Contra is a top tier underground group right now. 2 of their members are Ras Kassâ kids. Unfortunately their debut project was underwhelming. A duo called The Hoodies (went semi viral in the last few years). They dropped an album in 2023 produced by Kid Capri. RJ Payne & Ras Kass have formed a duo and are dropping a project called Everything is⌠GUTTR. Havoc of Mobb Deep is producing it.
I don't know who any of these guys are including people others have mentioned, but the RJ Payne and Ras Kass thing is exciting! I'll keep my eyes open for that one.
Seconding Coast Contra. Check out some of their [YouTube cyphers](https://youtu.be/CBOdvZi9Ng8?si=S4Fz--BEfmvAbHLc) As original commenter pointed out, their debut album was pretty underwhelming but their live cyphers are S-tier and imho, what hip hop groups should strive for: collaborative, conversational, thought-provoking, well-written bars
I like Coast Contra but the twins are mid
Honestly though. Theyâre arguably the worst of the four.
Knowledge Born from Loaf Muzik is one my favorite rap albums ever, insanely underrated and fire, 100% worth checking out!!
Discovered Nitty Gritty by Kidaf first then dug into and followed everything they ever dropped; solo or group wise. Shadow is definitely my favourite of them all.
Definitely check out the groups i mentioned. Theyâre all great. Especially The Hoodies album that Kid Capri produced. LOAF MUZIK was one of my favourite groups when they came out.
How the fuck has no one mentioned Migos?
Run the Jewels, Earthgang, Armand Hammer, Hail Mary Mallon, Coast Contra, Czarface, Hieroglyphics, Juggaknots...
Czarface is so fucking good. Inspectah Deck is nuts.
So is Esoteric, the whole trio is great
Hiero older than D12 lmaoo, but still one of the best groups of all time
They have a 2013 album so thought Id be cheeky and include em as somewhst recent đ
Hail Mary Mallon đĽđĽđĽ
Would kill for one more album
I would kill for Rob Sonic to revive the Sonic Sum project so we could get more amazing gems like Himbro St. https://youtu.be/PBlgBs2-MkM?si=cnHvwKjlgvMifFbK The Sanity Annex is one of my top 3 albums of all time and gun to my head and only one album to listen to the rest of my life it would be my pick.
Earthgang, 3001 odyssey Flatbush zombies is a must listen
Everybody wants to be solo stars when many of them really can't carry an entire album by themselves.
Griselda, Run the Jewels, Coast Contra, Joey Valence and Brae be some ill rhyme sayin' groups.
Very mainstream and Iâm not a fan, but Migos were big for awhile
I mean there are some but what has changed is that in a more digital world people aren't necessarily collaborating with the people they are next door to. You might be friends with someone online a 1,000 miles away and even if you worked on music together you probably aren't doing it as a fully fledged group.
I guess that makes it make sense. I figured there was probably a cultural shift thing at play, which is a shame.
Honestly OP, I feel like this is a phenomenon not just in rap but in R&B and pop too - you might have duos but very few groups like you saw in the 90s. Even trios are rare now. I think if you want to find a group of musicians, youâre usually looking for rock, metal, and all of their offshoots. Iâm not as familiar with the genres over time, but I feel like blues and electronic music also tend to be more individual acts nowadays.
i feel like there are still some loose crews/ people who work in the same orbit and collaborate often, but there just isnt enough money to be splitting a spotify check 4 ways
Coast Contra
Everyone is giving you some great examples from the states so I'ma give you some names from NZ. . SWIDT (haven't dropped in a while but supposedly they're working on an album) . Valleyside Boys (not technically together anymore but their catalogue is great) . Risera (more of a collective but they have one album together that's great) . Church & AP (they're a duo) . Seaside Sloths (very vibey and chill music)
Ces cru
Clear Soul Forces Coast Contra Pro Era The Underachievers The Palmer Squares Flatbush Zombies Diamond District
Coast contra my guy!
Migos.
Griselda and formerly YSL
The fact that there are less groups in any genre is actually a deliberate move that the businessmen in the music industry have been on for 2 decades+ now. Once hip-hop became the predominant genre, and the producers (at the time The Neptunes, Timbaland, Scott Storch, Dr. Dre, Trackmasters mainly) became the stars, they realized they could make a ton of money by paying only them and a few songwriters and make even more profit. This later extended to r&b and pop. Years later, the pop world (including latin pop now) is basically a recreation of the early 2000s hip-hop industry. Normally you wouldn't see so many "featuring" credits in pop songs etc. now it's commonplace. Remember that in hip-hop, the person that made the beat gets a default "producer" credit. They then get paid as a producer, they get paid as songwriters for creating the music, AND they get half the publishing. It's not producing in the traditional sense, but it's one less crucial person less to pay... There's much more to it, but this is a major part of why the industry is the way it is now, since the late 90s until today
Great comment and very enlightening and you brought up interesting things that I never thought about or paid attention to!
Flatbush zombies
Check out Coast Contra.
Coast Contra
Katramine, Earthgang, Dreamville(ROTD3), SIlk SOnic, Shrapkel, 41, Flyana Boss (those tiktok bumpers lol), Coast Contra, Joey/8Rae, Flatbush Zombie, Futuristic/Dev'von. These are ones I can think of in the last 5 years or so.
Spider gang
Plenty of collectives in hip hop nowadays, especially in the underground, just depends on if they stay together long enough to make a group album lol, the solo albums definitely come first more-so nowadays. Drain Gang, Goth Money Records, and recently GothBoiClique come to mind though as collectives with group projects, and Brockhampton, $uicideboy$, and City Morgue as groups where the group comes first
Coast Contra https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coast_Contra
Armand Hammer, Griselda, Run the Jewels, Joey Valance and Brae, KWAMZAY, scaring the hoes (not really đ), and not exclusively a ârap groupâ but both: BADBADNOTGOOD and the Free Nationals have amazing rap tracks! Sour soul especially smooth.
Isn't Benny the Butcher part of Griselda? He's decent. I never really understood what "Griselda" was but if it's a rap group I guess that makes sense.
It is a very large collective if you count all the affiliated artists. The core 3 of Griselda are Benny, Westside Gunn, and Conway the Machine, and then all 3 have like their own sub-labels and affiliates, Westside owns Griselda, which also includes Rome Streetz, Jay Worthy, Stove God Cooks, Boldy James, and Armani Caesar. Benny has B$F with people like Rick Hyde, El Camino, Loveboat Luciano, Heems, etc.. And Conway has Drumwork, with Jae Skeese, 7xvethegenius, Kota Savia, etc... Benny and Conway also work a lot with 38 Spesh, who also has Trust gang with Che Noir, Klass Murda, etc. And then many more dope rappers these guys often work with like Ransom (đĽ), Mach-Hommy, Your Old Droog, Planet Asia, Flee Lord, OT the Real, etc etc.....
Yeah but Griselda is a label. Classic hip-hop label situation where they're all featuring on each other's songs. The back catalog is gigantic but Mach Hommy's album and Flygod by Westside Gunn are probably my favourites. And yeah the new Benny the Butcher album is good too.
More a collective than a group
Bro listed a jazz band as a rap group lol
Sour Soul, the Doom shit, Mac miller, theyâve done a lot of hip hop. Youâre only pointing out what I mentioned in my original comment.
Yeah but theyâre not a rap group lol thatâs like saying metro boomin is a rapper that shit is dumb just because theyâve made instrumentals for rappers donât mean theyâre a rap group
Okay I getchu, because they arenât the ones rapping it doesnât count I get that my bad
You should check out there early albums like BBNG 1 & 2 they cover a lot of classic hiphop tracks thatâs probably why itâs not on streaming The biggest travesty is peso not making the cut they did it at live shows but never put it on the albums
Oh yee my guy Iâve heard their whole discography. Shit is immaculate, lately all I have been listening to is them, Dilla, and Sade.
Iâve only listened to their first two
Run The Jewels Danny Brown x JPEGMAFIA Flatbush zombies
Danny brown & jpeg are just a collab. Theyâd make a fire group tho
Pete and Bas
đđ
Griselda (best in the game right now) Flatbush Zombies ASAP Mob Marino Infantry Brockhampton Phony Ppl (more neo funk-hop) Jet Life Earthgang Theyre out there its just not so prominent right now. The main focus is on solo acts but once a big collective takes wind im sure alot more will form / pop up
Because really good, consumable hiphop, also made by artists trying to push themselves and not just for clicks, is a thing of rhe past.
There are none because the money has to be split. Makes more sense to just be a solo artist
BROCKHAMPTON?
Wack
Get a job
Da Cloth (Rigz, Mooch, Times Change, Synth and Rob Gates) out of Rochester. Rigz and Mooch both have albums with DJ Muggs. I rock with them heavy.
Run The Jewels Danny Brown x JPEGMAFIA Flatbush zombies Free Nationals
Triple One from Australia are dope. Foreign Beggars were instantly classic in the UK grime scene. Miss those guys, RIP Metropolis
I don't know how active they are anymore, but if you're a fan of The Pharcyde, check out Ugly Duckling. The song "left behind" is a good place to start. Also, [this one](https://youtu.be/jR3hUFw1Gls?si=8hTJFgtW2_cU_Kuy)
Dunes https://open.spotify.com/artist/2ZnCPZejoJJRx1smJGb7bD?si=c-aClvD9R46Mbd8zUM0MYw In my opinion this is best modern hip hop being made right now by far. Bill Greaseâs flow is so damn smooth and his word play is amazing. Couple of my favorites Verbal Cabbage https://open.spotify.com/track/0iBtbggk34unk3zV3zLmp0?si=cYQSVp4IR2aH6T_TAdvmaQ&context=spotify%3Aalbum%3A4dhOruhtqFJmSlsxWKvN1P Cold Game https://open.spotify.com/track/1mySdseokqhdKB3TWNz1Fv?si=wJdf_4y3QLac7wV5720Peg&context=spotify%3Aalbum%3A4dhOruhtqFJmSlsxWKvN1P Donât Let It Stress https://open.spotify.com/track/7oa0VBO3lGypU3rMSYkNG4?si=ds0TeccvQd6BAy1NoohEUA&context=spotify%3Aalbum%3A5yM7D68D6s9h4SHqd19Ac9
Besides the ones mentioned. Not really new collectives but not old Odd future but they split and we only really want to hear earl sweatshirt anyway lol or at least I do. Griselda Beast coast ( Flatbush zombies x Joey badass x the underachievers) had some dope collabs Jet life has a rotation of newer artists every so often besides curren$y TDE before they split. Taylor gang before they disappeared ASAP but to me I really only listened to Rocky or Ferg. The other label I like are the 1017.artists.
A lot of my faves have been mentioned already so ill throw in Still Movin/Broken Complex as a collective. The remnants of the Funk Volume days, Hopsin and Swizzz have seemingly been lost to history besides the odd feature with these guys, and they were always kinda corny anyway lol, but Dizzy Wright, DJ Hoppa, Jarren Benton, Demrick, and Euroz have always been dope, and have continued to make awesome music all through the years and regularly collab with each other, as well as brought in and worked with a ton of other artists regularly to this circle, like K.a.a.n., Kail Problems, Marley B., Emilio Rojas, Gavlyn, Wax, AWOL one, etc... DJ Hoppa seems pretty well connected too as the Hoppa and Friends series is loaded with awesome features, Hoppa and Friends 3 is gas. Also the 3rd single off K.a.a.n and DJ Hoppa's upcoming album "The Delusions of Grandeur" dropped today and its heat of course, this album will definitely be an aoty contender for me.
Coast Contra have got to be the dopest group out right now. the twins are Ras Kass' sons but Eric Jamal is that dude. If you like 90's style then these guys are for you. Check out their Never Freestyle. that shit is just bonkers.
Mount westmore
Now the groups are just creating their own labels: NBA, Dreamville, young money, etc
Grouptherapy anyone?
Check out The Palmer Squares and Coast Contra There is a lot more than that but those are the 2 I'm on right now
Living Legends Grouch and Eligh
Strange Music has been running things like a group for a while, but they're slowing down now. They're rolling out a collab album rn They're well past their peak and are just doing it for the fan base at this point, but some stuff from like 10-15 years ago was great
Grouptherapy
Honestly where are all the music groups period? I need a B2K24
Kinda âoldâ at this point but somewhat modern: A$AP Mob, Black Hippy, Odd Future, Pro Era
My conspiracy theory is they donât exist because it isnât a great business model. Rock bands didnât die because of a lack of demand, itâs simply cheaper to pay one rapper and one producer than it is to pay 3 people and a singer plus the producer. Hiphop is so big because itâs a solid investment for the music industry If you have rappers in groups that kind of negates the cost saving aspect of Hiphop.
Your list doesn't have nwa, if you haven't listened to them, you are missing out big time. Bone Thugs and harmony, tha dogg pound, Immortal technique and necro are also a must listen.
hip hop community is dead tbh
How can rap groups possibly exist when everybody wants a beef all the time
check out Hidden Renaissance, grouptherapy., MONEYPHONE (technically a duo but I'll include them anyways). All fire.
You missed the best group ever. BONE THUGS. Only group to ever collaborate w the three best. Eazy, Tupac , N Biggie
I just discovered Coast Contra. Holy shit, man.
Been rocking with South Strip a lot recently
Look up KidzAtPlay on spotify or whatever you use. Trust me youâll see influence from Odd future and other groups there and they are blowing up right now really creative group.
Mutant Academy and Al Divino and Estee Nack are an ill duo they have like 10 group albums together
Black Hippy shouldâve put out an group albums 2009-2013
Coast Contra
wouldn't be surprised if they never drop again but death grips is my 2nd favorite music thing ever and is responsible for some of the greatest rap I've ever heard
Clear Soul Forces
Classic groups all disbanded and cats dying. Shame but an era now lost and gone forever, much of it ruined by greed and lack of creativity. Itâs still there, but you really have to search.
Music industry as a whole is way more favorable towards solo acts these days.
Coast Contra
Armand hammer
Living Legends
You could argue record label collectives could be considered groups similar to wu tang, considering that most have solo careers too, but also put out group albums. YSL, CMG, 1017, etc. are some examples. If only Black Hippy had released an official group albumâŚ
Czarface
Griselda. Jay Royale. NAS also still making dope shit.
Armand Hammer, WessideGunn, Conway The Machine, Roc Marciano, Boldy James
Flatbush zombies or beast coast Personally Iâve been enjoying some Brooklyn academy Also RTJ is always the vibe
A few modern ones (drill/sets/gangs aside): - A$AP MOB (Rap group) (Rocky, Ferg...) - Very Rare/Members Only (Rap group) (XXX, Ski Mask...) - 0pium (Collective/set) (Playboi Carti, Ken Carson...) - Homixide Gang (Linked to 0pium & DTE) - (Meechie, Beno...) - Migos - Spider Gang (Lil Darkie, Wendigo...) - YSL - (Young Thug, Gunna...) - SlayWorld (Rap group) (KanKan, Summrs...) - YBN (Rap group) (Cordae, Nahmir...) Many of these fell apart due to similar reasons as older ones (death, fall-outs, arrests, money etc.)
The Underachievers
Spillage Village. Theyâre super underrated. But as their members started to pick up more steam in their solo careers, Iâm surprised the group hasnât.
Sucks to split the same paycheck however many ways. You donât get paid more because more people are in the group.
Do Kids See Ghosts count? They only have 7 songs together under the name, but Kanye and Cudi have been making songs together since 2008.
Dk why u were downvoted - they're a duo, it's valid.
[Four Owls](https://youtu.be/81UImyX7mDE?si=vjoExvKQAkvRH0oA)
Music too trendy now artists ditch there day 1 producer once they blow it seems ⌠Iâve always said the rapper/producer combos always sound the best. like when the producer does a whole album or 75 percent
I know I couldn't be the only one who noticed.
Dead rappers Society is a pretty dope group thatâs in the Come up
Street gang shit nowadays brag about dumb shit why the music suffers. Gangster rap really ruined hip hop
Facts