While Itunes and Satellite radio have attracted most people as their source for music old and new, many still reach out to radio for their musical needs. Where regular radio falters, online radio manages to extend to the vast corners of the music world. Music subculture and smaller genres of music that would have gone unnoticed have a venue for those who want to seek them out and it has never been easier. Many online DJs turn to networks to host their stations, such as Live 365, which itself has a massive number of stations that occupy a litany of genres, a veritable 21 flavors for its listeners. Basically, any niche genre or seemingly random genre will more than likely be represented by live 365, along with the usual mainstream genres that everyone is used to.
One such genre or subculture would be underground rap. Nearly every region of the United States from the East Coast to the West and everything in between has developed its own style of music and just as the music differs in general, the specific rap elements differ as well. While aimlessly searching I came across ‘The Bassment,’ an Internet radio station devoted to underground hip hop.
The Bassment started as a college radio show at Sonoma State in 1996 and made its way to the Internet spotlight in 2000. The purpose of the station and its web site is to both help promote underground artists while simultaneously maintaining an extensive archive of radio shows that have accumulated over the years that the show/station have been in existence. DJ Spider routinely has other DJs during live shows and those that have been missed can be downloaded from the station’s web site, thebassment.com. These other DJs include the likes of Rectangle and Steve1der.
DJ Spider, the radio station’s DJ is also a DJ offline. Amongst the various spots at which he works includes the Circle Bar in Venice and Tantra in Silverlake. Amongst other things, DJ Spider is also a member of an underground hip-hop group known as “Move.meant.”
The web site which holds the archives is extremely well done and is very easily navigated. Content includes the aforementioned archives along with photographs amongst other things. So, if you’re looking for a daily dose of underground hip hop look no further than The Bassment. A dedicated DJ waist deep in his genre and a group of his own prove that you won’t ever have to be left in the dark.
URL: http://www.thebassment.com
Established: 1996 (originally) 2000 (online)
Webcaster/DJ: DJ Spider
Genre: Underground Hip Hop
Playlist at the time of Profile:
Steve Spacek – Dollar (produced by J Dilla) – Space Shift
Jay-Z / MF Doom (DJ Spider) – Eucalyptus Service Announcement – Black Herbs
Rjd2 – Ghostwriter – RJD2 – Dead Ringer
Boom Bap Project – Welcome To Seattle – Prod. by Jake One
Ghostface Killah feat. Raekwon & The Notorious B.I.G. – 3 Bricks (Dirty) – Fishscale
Recommend?: A must for any hip hop head looking to expand their horizons just a bit further.
