Indie hip hop (short for independent hip hop) is hip hop that primarily exists in the independent underground music scene.
The term underground hip hop may be used to describe both indie hip hop (which is defined by its artists being unsigned or signed to independent record labels, rather than major record labels) as well as alternative hip hop (which is defined by music that diverges from mainstream hip hop music such as Gangsta rap.)
As the term "indie hip hop" is indicative of the musicians making the music rather than the music itself, it is not strictly a genre but rather covers a range of styles with clearly discernable hip hop characteristics.
Like indie rock artists, many indie hip hop artists place a premium on maintaining complete control of their music and careers, releasing albums on independent record labels (sometimes their own) and relying on touring, word-of-mouth, and air play on independent or college radio stations for promotion. Some of its more popular artists, however, may end up moving to major labels, though often on favorable terms won by their prior independent success.
Independent hip hop labels include Babygrande Records, Definitive Jux, Nature Sounds Records and Strange Famous Records . Notable indie hip hop artists include 7L & Esoteric, Bronze Nazareth, Chief Kamachi, Lord Jamar, Mr. Lif, Jedi Mind Tricks, OuterSpace, The Perceptionists, WMR Music Group and The Society of Invisibles.