Numerous acts in the book How to Rap (2009) are described as being both underground and politically or socially aware, these include B. Dolan,[4] Brother Ali,[4] Diabolic,[5] Immortal Technique,[6] Jedi Mind Tricks,[7] Micranots,[8] Mr. Lif,[5] Murs,[5] Little Brother,[3] P.O.S,[9] Zion I, and Madlib.
[10] Underground artists with critically acclaimed albums include Atmosphere,[4] Binary Star,[7] Blu, Cannibal Ox,[3] Company Flow,[11] Del the Funky Homosapien,[12] Roc Marciano, Danny Brown, Freestyle Fellowship,[7] Hieroglyphics,[13] Juggaknots, Jurassic 5,[11] Kool Keith,[6] Little Brother,[4] MF DOOM,[14] Non Phixion,[15] Planet Asia,[16] RJD2,[6] and MC TP.
[17] Additionally, many underground hip-hop artists have been applauded for the artistic and poetic use of their lyrics, such as Aesop Rock, Aceyalone,[7] Busdriver, Cage,[16] CunninLynguists,[18] Dessa, OhSo Kew,[19] Doomtree, El-P,[5] Eyedea & Abilities,[5] Illogic,[14] Onry Ozzborn, MF DOOM, Rob Sonic,[12] billy woods,[20] and Sage Francis.
[23][24] It featured rappers such as The Notorious B.I.G., Big L, Jay-Z, and Eminem, as well as groups like Wu-Tang Clan, Mobb Deep, Onyx and Fugees, all before they gained any popularity.
[26] In the late 1990s, progressive rap acts such as Black Star and Juggaknots helped inspire and shape the underground hip-hop movement that would follow in subsequent decades.