indie
Indie music features a sampling of maverick musicians that favor the DIY approach to music making.
Best Underground Rappers in 2026
The underground has always functioned as hip-hop’s early warning system. Long before radio rotations, label press runs, playlist politics, or festival billing shape public perception, artists begin building real momentum quietly. Track by track, show by show, post by post, they form loyal audiences without relying on industry permission. By the time the mainstream finally reacts, the underground has usually already evolved into something new. In 2026, that pattern hasn’t changed—only the scale has. The underground is louder, faster, and more influential than ever, even when it deliberately refuses the spotlight.
By RapRadarDigest30 days ago in Beat
South Carolina Rap Scene in 2025: Who’s Leading the New Wave
For years, South Carolina lived in the shadows of the Southern rap conversation. Atlanta, Memphis, and Houston dominated the narrative, while South Carolina was often treated as a flyover state in hip-hop discussions. In 2025, that perception no longer holds. The state’s rap scene has entered a new phase—one defined by independence, ownership, and artists who are building momentum without waiting for national permission.
By RapRadarDigestabout a month ago in Beat
How Independent Rappers Protect Their Masters
In the modern music industry, owning your masters is no longer a niche concern—it’s the line between long-term wealth and short-term momentum. For independent rappers especially, protecting master recordings determines who controls the music, who profits from it, and who decides how it’s used years down the line.
By RapRadarDigestabout a month ago in Beat
Who Owns FOF Records? Understanding Independent Artist Ownership
In today’s music industry, ownership has quietly become the dividing line between artists who build temporary buzz and those who build lasting power. As independent labels continue to reshape the landscape, one name that keeps coming up in underground and online rap conversations is FOF Records. That naturally leads to a simple but important question: Who owns FOF Records?
By RapRadarDigestabout a month ago in Beat
Salvation Army Gets Bell Rung by Brave Survivor
In late September of 2024, singer/composer Robert Jeffers, aka Bobby Wizdum, was preparing for the release of his record Long Way Home. While the record brought truth to light about organized corruption, its real message was a journey of growth, enlightenment, and miraculous trauma recovery. Unfortunately, as he was about to bring this record and story to the world, his microphone was unplugged by a popular and powerful “Christian” organization.
By mysoundMusicabout a month ago in Beat
Queens Raised, Queens Reinvested: Poiison Comes Home With Purpose by NWO Sparrow
Giving Back Where It Started: Poiison’s Full Circle Moment in Queens by NWO Sparrow Rooted in Queens: Poiison Turns Momentum Into Meaningful Community Impact photo by Marquitta Davis
By NWO SPARROWabout a month ago in Beat
The Quiet That Follows the Applause
I didn’t cry at the end of Better Call Saul. I cried three days later, while washing dishes. The water was hot, the sponge worn thin, and suddenly—without warning—I saw Kim Wexler’s hands again. Not in the courtroom. Not in the finale. But in that tiny Albuquerque office, adjusting the blinds just so, trying to control one small thing in a world spinning out of her grasp.
By KAMRAN AHMADabout a month ago in Beat
A New Year's Piano Medley
Welp, time for some humble honesty: I did in fact abandon my New Year's resolution for 2025. This is rather expected, for many; jokes are found everywhere about many of us would-be-changed-folks not lasting more than three days into a new year before failing their resolutions. More embarrassing than that, though, I failed at the resolution which I made public on Vocal (and even got a runner-up prize for in their New Year's resolution-based challenge...yikes!). My resolution was to create and share, on YouTube and on Vocal, new original pieces of music every month. I did this for a while, but trailed off a little before the halfway mark through the year, just as some life things started to really pick up frenetic speed.
By Gabriel Huizengaabout a month ago in Beat
The Song That Brought Him Back
After my mother passed, grief settled into our home like winter fog—thick, gray, and impossible to ignore. He stopped whistling while fixing the sink. Stopped tapping his boot to the oldies station. Even his laugh, once so loud it startled the dogs, vanished into a silence so heavy it filled every room. For two years, he moved through life like a man walking in someone else’s shoes. So when he said, voice barely above a whisper, “Let’s go south for New Year’s,” I didn’t ask why. I just booked the tickets.
By KAMRAN AHMADabout a month ago in Beat
Tyla’s Chart-Topping Rise
Introduction When South African singer Tyla released her self-titled debut album in late 2023, few predicted it would ignite a global movement. But by 2025, her name was everywhere: on Billboard charts, Grammy stages, and playlists from Lagos to Los Angeles. Fueled by her breakout hit “Water”—a seductive fusion of amapiano, R&B, and pop—Tyla didn’t just enter the global music scene; she reshaped it.
By KAMRAN AHMADabout a month ago in Beat
Richard Smallwood
Introduction In recent months, false rumors have spread online with alarming speed: searches like “gospel singer Richard Smallwood died”, “Richard Smallwood passed away”, and “Richard Smallwood cause of death” have surged—despite having no basis in truth.
By KAMRAN AHMADabout a month ago in Beat
