CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that the underground hip-hop streaming surge began in early 2026. The surge actually began gaining momentum in late 2025. This article has been updated to reflect the correct timeline.
What’s going on with hip-hop right now? As of 2026, the best things going on in the genre are coming from some very underground sources. Not only is there a growing respect for the underground artists, but they’re garnering just as many streams as their major label labelmate were getting a few years prior. It’s a revolution in the music world, and it’s making a ton of sense.
New figures released within the music industry reveal that independent hip-hop artists as a whole have seen a 147% rise in their total streaming figures when compared to last year. This sharp increase comes as streaming giant Spotify reports that the number of underground playlists has risen dramatically, with the majority of new additions coming from independent artists.
Music is becoming more accessible and, therefore, more powerful. While in 2023 an up-and-coming artist might have had a decent following of 50,000 monthly listeners, they are now generating over 500,000, all without the help of a big record label. “Now that there are more open platforms and opportunities for music distribution and promotion to exist, it is having a huge and positive impact on the music industry,” explains Sarah Chen, music industry expert.
A surge has been backdated to 2025. Honestly, it was the end of 2025, not late in the year, when this surge occurred.
In early 2025, a couple of artists crossed our radar and everything changed. Virality on TikTok and shifts in how music gets pushed on streaming platforms both played a role. Atlanta native Mike Torres and Detroit native Luna Verse are currently leading the charge as two of the leading Hip Hop artists driving the non-compliant future of the music industry. The two artists collectively amass more than 2,000,000 monthly listeners. This rapid ascension is impressive and comes organically, without much marketing.
There are a number of reasons why record sales are once again on the rise – the fall in marketing costs associated with many artists reaching their audience via social media, the ability to directly engage with fans, and the streaming services focusing less on promoting record sales via radio airplay.
“Major labels are spending $500,000 to market an album, but are being left in the dust by artists who are spending $500 to advertise,” Chen said.
The music industry continues to grow as forecasters predict the industry will continue to rise until 2026. With more artists taking control of their own success, exploring independent methods of promotion, the music industry continues to climb to new heights.