The urban underground scene has been up and coming for many years now but it has seen its fastest growing success in the last couple of years. With Artists such as Tinie Tempah and N-Dubz making impressive movements with huge US artist and collabarating with some of the most well known producers and production companies in Hip Hop and R&B. Before such artists and such collaborations, the UK Urban scene remained underground and was only played via pirate radio stations or at budget grime clubs.
Tinie Tempah being one of the UKs biggest Underground Urban artists began making music in his bedroom at the age of 15. With a less polished sound, Tinie was then only appreciated by the heavy followers of underground music, which at this point was 'grime' as his career continued upwards and onwards, Tinie went from strength to strength after the release of this collabiration with Flukes - Wifey; This took Tinie onto another level and allowed him to be promoted by the UKs leading underground music channel- Channel U. Thereafter teaming up with Cleo Sol to create 'tears' in late 2008. A few years later, Tinie stormed back with 'pass out' ft. Labrinth which took him straight onto the mainstream table of Urban acts and ditched the Underground title. Generally, this is the pattern that most succesful underground urban artists tend to follow.
The connotations of Underground Urban music surround the ideoloy of the come uppance of the artist, the whole 'underdog is on top' story. Underground music isnt about the sound 100 of the time- it is often also about the background of the artist, in general the Underground music scene isnt flooded with BRIT school graduates or X factor winners of even desirabe contestants, its about the Artists who work their way up from the bottom to the top without the aid of competitions or fancy musical educations. People would associate Underground artists with the idea of the 'Hustle' and being economically unwell. Stereotypically, Underground artists are presented as these less economically well off, uneducated, 'gangster/road' type however this clearly isnt always the case however- this is the stereotypical view 8/10 times.
The target audience is those who can relate, among the Urban Underground scene this is usually people who listen to music of the same calibre- so, those who are highly influenced by hip hop and R&B and then also people of similar backgrounds, with similar fashion influences and similar dreams/desires.
The Urban Underground scene is still breaking out of its prime, therefore the mass following are teenagers- generally. However, those who have followed and supported underground music in london/England since is began will be in their early twentys and will be able to relate back to the pirate radio and mixtape days in the early naughties.
In comparison to more developed Genres i.e US Hip Hop, the UK Underground scene, like i've said, is still in its absolute prime. but with the come uppance of artists such as Tinie Tempah, N-Dubz, Skepta and Jessie J who knows where it could end up?
