[Column] Experimental Hip Hop / Abstract Hip Hop reconstruction

Column en Abstract Experimental Hiphop

06 Dec 2025

[Column] Experimental Hip Hop / Abstract Hip Hop reconstruction

Another hip-hop history created by “beat deconstruction experiments” since the 2000s

Text: mmr｜Theme: History of beat experiments, sampling culture, and changes in major works

Experimental Hip Hop and Abstract Hip Hop have developed as trends in hip hop that ““deconstruct and recompose forms.’’ In the late ’90s, there was a spirit of “structural destruction” presented by Company Flow and Anti-Pop Consortium, and in the 2000s and beyond, Flying Lotus, Shabazz Palaces, Busdriver, Milo, Clipping. and others pioneered their own aesthetics.

In this article, we will summarize the history of beat experiments, sampling techniques, and developments after the LA beat scene based on facts. It also deals with the “swing/slip” culture after J Dilla and its contact with jazz/electronic music/club music, giving an overview of trends up to the 2020s.

1. Definition of Experimental Hip Hop / Abstract Hip Hop

The definitions here are based on those used in general criticism and music research papers.

● Experimental Hip Hop

A trend that intentionally deviates from the syntax of hip-hop (rhythm structure, sampling, rap format) and fuses it with surrounding genres such as electronic music, noise, free jazz, and ambient.
Great expansion from the 2000s LA beat scene.
Focused on producers such as Flying Lotus, Teebs, Daedelus, and Samiyam.

● Abstract Hip Hop

Hip-hop, which was established in the late 1990s and has an “abstract idiom”.
Features abstract wordplay, Stream of Consciousness-like lyrics, and a beat that deviates from the traditional “boom bap” structure.
Represented by Company Flow, Anti-Pop Consortium, Cannibal Ox, Aesop Rock, etc.

2. 1990s: The origin of abstract hip-hop

The foundations of Experimental/Abstract Hip Hop were formed in the late 1990s.

● Company Flow (1992–2001)

Formed in New York mainly by El-P.
1997’s “Funcrusher Plus” is a masterpiece of abstract hip-hop.
Balancing criticality towards industrial structure and experimental production.

● Anti-Pop Consortium (1997–)

An important role in the NY underground at the end of the 1990s.
Introducing noisy sounds, segmented rap and electronic music.
Expands the connection between electronic music and hip-hop by signing with Warp Records.

● Cannibal Ox (2001)

El-P’s production on “The Cold Vein” was highly praised.
A historic piece that introduced industrial/noise textures to hip-hop.

These created the musical ground that directly led to later Shabazz Palaces and Clipping.

3. 2000s: The rise of the LA beat scene and the redefinition of “experiment”

● Low End Theory (2006–2018)

A famous event started at the club “The Airliner” in Lincoln Heights, Los Angeles.
Led by Daddy Kev, Gaslamp Killer, and others, it became the mother of the LA beat scene.
Flying Lotus’ signature song “Massage Situation” (2007) symbolizes the expansion of the scene.

● Flying Lotus (late 2000s~)

One of the most important figures in experimental hip-hop.
Belongs to Warp Records since 2006.
Crossed jazz/electronic music/hip-hop with ““Los Angeles” (2008) and ““Cosmogramma” (2010).
Characterized by “pulsating non-linear rhythm” and complex sampling structure.

● Brainfeeder (2008~)

Label founded by Flying Lotus.
Featuring Teebs, Samiyam, Tokimonsta, Thundercat, and more.
Spread abstract beat culture on a global scale.

4. Shabazz Palaces: Redefining hip-hop abstraction

Shabazz Palaces was started around 2009, led by Ishmael Butler (formerly of Digable Planets).

Features

A combination of West African percussion, psychedelia, ambient and experimental sound.
Rap is often melodic and cryptographic, and does not rely on the traditional 16-bar structure.
“Black Up” (2011) is a masterpiece of abstract hip-hop in the 2010s.

5. Beat experiment: “misalignment” and non-linear grooves after J Dilla

At the heart of experimental hip-hop since the 2000s is the ““reinvention of rhythm.’’

● Influence of J Dilla

The “humanized swing” and “drunk beat” found in 2006”s “Donuts” had a decisive influence on later generations.
His style of not completely following the grid, leaving intentional deviations and disturbances, permeated the LA beat scene and Flying Lotus’ work.

● Structure of “Drunk Beat”

Kick and snare are a few milliseconds out of sequence.
The bass line is also half a step behind the rhythm, creating a fluctuation with body temperature.
Samiyam, Knxwledge, Mndsgn, etc. inherited this idea.

● Intersection with electronic music

Warp Records introduces a structural approach to electronic music (Autechre, Boards of Canada, etc.).
The rhythmic language of experimental hip-hop expanded with the introduction of complex polyrhythms and non-repetitive structures.

6. Sampling culture: from analog to digital

● 1990–2000s: MPC culture

MPC2000/2000XL is mainstream.
The focus is on “chop culture,” in which analog samples are chopped into small pieces and reconstructed. -Madlib and J Dilla are representative examples.

● Late 2000s: Acceleration of DAW introduction

With the spread of Ableton Live and Reason, dramatically complex layer configurations became possible.
Flying Lotus uses both digital and analog to create a multi-layered soundscape.

● 2010s: The era of emphasis on texture

Teebs “pinhole texture” sampling (mixing fine noise)
Ethereal sound of Clams Casino (stretched vocal sample)
Mysterious collage of Shabazz Palaces This gave rise to a trend that focused on texture.

7. Extensions since 2010s: Clipping. / Milo / Open Mike Eagle

● Clipping. (2010~)

Built under the influence of noise music and connecting experimental electronic music techniques to rap.
He introduces noise, harshness, and glitches into his beats, and his delivery is mathematically precise.

● Milo (R.A.P. Ferreira)

Poetry/philosophical language.
Beats cross jazz/abstract/lo-fi.
The density and abstraction of the words are high.

● Open Mike Eagle

Representative of “Art Rap”.
A mix of humor and social observation based on urban life.

8. 2020s: Generalization of experimentation

In the 2020s, streaming culture has liberated “experimentation” from specific scenes, and young artists around the world have begun to freely rebuild structures.

● Features

Expand globally (Japan, Korea, Eastern Europe, Central and South America).
The beats are more minimal and ambient.
Introduction of noise components and field recording became common.

9. Chronology: Experimental / Abstract Hip Hop History

timeline title Experimental / Abstract Hip Hop 年表 1992 : Company Flow 結成 1997 : Company Flow『Funcrusher Plus』 1997 : Anti-Pop Consortium 結成 2001 : Cannibal Ox『The Cold Vein』 2006 : Low End Theory 開始 2006 : J Dilla『Donuts』 2008 : Flying Lotus『Los Angeles』、Brainfeeder設立 2010 : Flying Lotus『Cosmogramma』 2011 : Shabazz Palaces『Black Up』 2013 : Clipping.『Midcity』 2016 : Milo『The sky is crying while you look at it』 2020 : Experimental Hip Hop の国際シーン拡大

10. Diagram: Structure of Experimental Hip Hop

flowchart TD A["Underground 90s (Company Flow/APC)"] --> B["Establishing abstract language"] B --> C["LA Beat Scene (2006~)"] C --> D["Flying Lotus / Brainfeeder"] D --> E["Polyrhythm/Non-linear beat"] E --> F["Multinational experimental scene in the 2020s"]

11. Major works

Company Flow – “Funcrusher Plus” (1997)
Anti-Pop Consortium – “Tragic Epilogue” (2000)
Cannibal Ox – “The Cold Vein” (2001)
J Dilla – “Donuts” (2006)
Flying Lotus – “Los Angeles” (2008)
Flying Lotus – “Cosmogramma” (2010)
Shabazz Palaces – “Black Up” (2011)
Clipping. – “CLPPNG” (2014)
Milo – “who told you to think??!!?!?!?!” (2017)

12. Conclusion: Experimental / Abstract What is Hip Hop?

Experimental/Abstract Hip Hop is not just a derivative genre of hip hop, but an intellectual project that deconstructs rhythmic structures, narratives, sample culture, and electronic music approaches, and continues to this day.

The multi-layered electronic music of Flying Lotus, the abstract rap poetry pioneered by Shabazz Palaces, the non-linear swing of J Dilla, the noise experiments of Clipping. They continue to function today as a “laboratory for the future of hip-hop.”