Underground hiphop...what?

Why would I ever write about underground hiphop in a mountain biking-centric blog?

Because if anyone is going through the same struggles as an aspiring racer, it's an aspiring hiphop artist. Last night I saw Dilated Peoples live at the Bluebird in Denver. My friend Will and I got there early, lining up in the front row to watch the opening acts. I'd never heard any of the openers before, so I listened closely to their lyrics.

I heard rhymes about dreaming. Rhymes about being the little guy that no one believes in. Rhymes about the people who did believe. Rhymes about making their own path. And I watched as Dilated Peoples gave shoutouts and support to the locals artists, much like the big-name racers give advice to the fledgling riders out there.

In short, hip hop is a community, just like bike racing. Except hip hop artists say it better.