When discovering new music, many people gear towards pop, country, rock, or Latin. But there is a different genre many people may not know about: underground rap, where underground comes primarily from SoundCloud. The underground rappers that I discovered I enjoy the most are Xaviersobased, Nettspend, and Phreshboyswag.
SoundCloud, itself, is an app most people put their music on when they are just starting out as rappers or they are simply underground singers. An underground rapper is a title you achieve by being unknown while having good music. Most of these rappers I have listed were unknown at one point, which gave them the title of underground.
Xaviersobased started his career through SoundCloud and was very consistent with making his music, but one song, in particular, helped him to make it big. That banger of a song is called “Patchmade,” and it became so popular because of TikTok memes.
Xavier likes to skateboard and perform his music with others. One of his closest collabs is Nettspend; they are close friends who perform music videos and concerts together.
Xavier also met Ishowspeed, Plaqueboymax, and various other streamers, even TikTokers like Jay Quapo. Before Xavier was famous, he was a part of a social experiment – if a person would buy a child cigarettes. He bought a kid cigarettes, thereby failing the social experiment, but this brought even more recognition to his character.
Nettspend is known as a viral Gen-Z rapper from Virginia, famous for his unique, glitchy, and atmospheric trap/jerk sound, characterized by distorted 808s, auto-tune, and short, impactful songs that blew up online, leading to a major label deal and a distinct “aura” on tracks like “Drankdrankdrank,” defining a new wave of underground hip-hop. Nettspend collaborated with artists like Xaviersobased, OsamaSon, PinkPantheress, and producers like Kenny Beats. Upcoming projects are rumored with Fakemink and Bladee, along with potential features from big names like Metro Boomin and A$AP Rocky, showcasing his growing influence across underground and mainstream scenes, including fashion links with Vans.
Phreshboyswag is an emerging artist in the indie music scene, known for his unique blend of rap and alternative soundscapes. Defying easy categorization, his music often explores themes of self-reflection, social commentary, and the complexities of modern youth culture. At 22 years old and less than a decade into his career as an artist and producer, he’s already achieved major success. He frequently collaborates with artists like Xaviersobased and Tenkay, and he quickly gained traction from his songs “Surphing Freestyle” and “Cut.”
I would really recommend these artists and the underground genre if you like fast and electric beats. I personally love this genre and blast underground rap in my ears practically 24/7.
