The underground has always existed. Wherever there’s a mainstream, there’s a counterculture bubbling underneath it—breaking rules, moving differently and often setting the tone for what comes next. Most underground scenes don’t choose to stay hidden either; they’re pushed there. Police pressure, restrictive laws and a lack of support from the wider music industry have historically forced artists and communities to operate outside the spotlight, creating spaces that feel separate but end up shaping culture in the long-run.
Grime and other movements rooted in soundsystem culture were heavily policed in their early days, forcing artists and DJs to literally go underground. To survive, they leaned on independent, anti-establishment methods like pirate radio, creating spaces where they could gather and share music without constant interference. Other scenes get labelled “underground” because of how they sound or look. Grunge is a good example: it grew out of Seattle’s underground, producing bands like Nirvana, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam. Before it took over rock music globally, its raw, angsty, fuzzy sound was born in the sweaty, dimly-lit bars of Emerald City, far away from the mainstream spotlight.
Forty years ago, British MCs like Derek B, Cookie Crew and the London Posse were laying down the foundations of UK rap when it was ‘underground’, and through the decades we’ve had the pleasure of being introduced to artists such as Roots Manuva, Tricky, Skinnyman, Blak Twang, IAMDDB, House of Pharoahs and many more. There have been pockets and sometimes entire scenes within UK rap that are now huge but were once underground, including wave, drill and road rap. Fast forward to 2026 and UK rap is one of the biggest genres in the world, let alone in the country. UK underground rappers like YT, Fimiguerrero and EsDeeKid are great examples of artists who have contributed to its reach more recently; since the beginnings of their careers, they have been constantly touring, posting snippets and engaging with their supporters on social media, reminiscent of the same unapologetic promotion of Blog Era rappers.
It was recently announced that all three acts—who have been making huge waves over the past 18 months—will be performing at Rolling Loud, the largest hip-hop festival in the world, in May, alongside pioneers like Chief Keef and Playboi Carti. EsDeeKid and Timothée Chalamet’s collaboration formed part of the campaign for Marty Supreme—now A24’s highest-grossing film in the UK—creating one of the buzziest moments in current pop culture, and recent rumours of EsDeeKid signing a £30 million record deal marks a meteoric and groundbreaking rise for a UK rapper, particularly an anonymous one straight out of Liverpool.
