Generally, for an album to be considered a classic, it must sell millions of copies and be appreciated by the masses. However, with underground hip hop, that is not necessarily the case. For an underground hip-hop record to be considered a classic, it simply needs to be great, influential, and stand the test of time among the genre’s niche and dedicated fan base. This has resulted in many amazing classic underground hip hop albums that an average rap fan may have never even heard of. For instance, Cannibal Ox’s The Cold Vein, although may be considered a bonified classic in the genre, never gained enough buzz in the mainstream to obtain the type of coverage that, let’s say, 50 cent would have. In the past, this unwillingness among major media outlets to cover this more unique and unconventional side of hip hop has resulted in many artists’ stories and experiences never seeing the light of day – at least outside of their lyrics. Recently, Open Mike Eagle; one of today’s most creative and forward-thinking hip hop artists, recognized this drought of genuine stories surrounding the creation of some of underground hip hop’s most celebrated classics and saw it as an opportunity to build a platform for these important stories to be told. Mike, who is already known for his do-it-yourself mentality, releasing his latest record without a label, continued his streak of inspired independence by creating his own podcast network called Stony Island Audio. This network is a breath of fresh air for the hip hop heads who are tired of reading about who’s “beefing” who, and instead, want a raw and unfiltered look into the music industry.
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