The Mix: Hip-Hop You Won't Hear On The Radio

This story originally ran on November 7, 2011. We listened to your suggestions of which hip-hop artists you are most excited about, and added even more tracks to the Mix.

Hip-hop is almost 40 at this point, and the range of music classified as such has never been broader. Rappers in Ghana rhyme in cadences rappers from Hampton Roads, Va., would never consider. We have veterans now, like Bun B, mentoring up-and-comers, like G-Side. Big Boi and Big K.R.I.T. have completely different lyrical concerns. Shabazz Palaces wears a mask when he performs, Danny Brown shaved one side of his head and Angel Haze wears her hair down. The Roots are the house band for a late-night talk show; Method Man just made a song that's really an ad for a video game promoting Sour Patch Kids. Azealia Banks is 20 years old; Jay-Z will be 42 in less than a month.

It's a big beautiful world out there — but you wouldn't know that from tuning into commercial radio. Tiny playlists, dominated by short-lived trends and major label one-hit wonders, mean you could hear the same song multiple times a day on multiple stations. You could be listening to some top-of-the-line songcraft, but you're almost certainly missing the full breadth of rap music being made today.

Out to rectify that, we've collected 100 new (almost all released this year, a few from last year) hip-hop songs by independent musicians — artistic triumphs that Clear Channel has disregarded, remixes and B-sides, from major label deep cuts to mixtape tracks circulating on the web.

There's more out there—much more. In the comments, tell us who else we should look out for.

This mix was compiled by Larry Mizell, Jr. (KEXP), Andrew Noz, Frannie Kelley (NPR), Kwasi Ansu (NPR), Eleanor Kagan (NPR) and Robert Carter (NPR).

Artists In This Mix:

151 Feva Gang • 950 Plus • Action Bronson • AG • Nia Andrews • Angel Haze • A$AP Rocky • The Away Team • Azealia Banks • Big Boo • Big K.R.I.T. • Blu • Blue Scholars • Blueprint • Bulu • Busdriver • Casey Veggies • Chiddy Bang • Childish Gambino • Cities Aviv • Cocaine 80s • Common • Curren$y • Danny Brown • Dash • Death Grips • DJ Quik • Don Trip and Starlito • Doomstarks • DTMD • Dyme Def • Elzhi • Evidence • Fam-Lay • FowL • Freeway • G-Mane • G-Side • The Game • GLC • Hail Mary Mallon • HaLo • Heems • Invincible • Jay Electronica • Jedi Mind Tricks • The Jet Age of Tomorrow • KashFlow • Kelly Rowland • Kendrick Lamar • Kilo Kish • King Mez • Lil B • The LOX • Ludacris • Lunice • Mac Miller • Madlib • Main Attrakionz • Marc Decoca • Mata • Median • Meek Mill • MellowHype • Modeselektor • Mr. Muthaf***in' eXquire • Murs • OCnotes • Oddisee • Old Money • Olivier Daysoul • Pac Div • People Under The Stairs • Pete Rock and Smif n Wessun • Pharoahe Monch • Pharrell • Phife Dawg • Phil Ade • Phonte • The Physics • Political Peak • Prince Quan Luv • Pusha T • Q-Tip • Raekwon • Random Axe • Rapper Big Pooh • Rapsody • Roc Marciano • The Roots • Royce Da 5'9" • Melanie Rutherford • Saigon • Sean Boog • Sean Price • Scribes • Shabazz Palaces • Ski Beatz • Skyzoo • Slaughterhouse • Smoke DZA • Sneakbo • Stalley • STS • Styles P • T-3 • Tabi Bonney • Talib Kweli • Thee Tom Hardy • Theophilus London • Thirstin Howl the 3rd • TiRon & Ayomari • TKO Capone • Torae • Trae • Tyler, The Creator • Vandalyzm • Waajeed • Wallpaper. • Wiz Khalifa • Nicole Wray • Yelawolf • Young L • Young Sam • Yummy Bingham • Z-RO