For our Indie Gem this week, we’ve pulled a fast one on ya and decided to reel in an underground hip-hop force to keep you on your toes. Today we have for you Paloalto, a mainstay on the underground K-hip-hop and rap scene. Established in the early 2000s, Paloalto has been continuously active writing, rapping, and producing. After parting ways with Jungle Entertainment, Paloalto started up Hi-Lite, which has now become one of the premier indie labels in Korea.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVdsmyeNV6c&w=560&h=315] [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShXyUwO3GGU&w=560&h=315] [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5XA7QJavfE&w=560&h=315]

Like many K-hip-hop artists, Paloalto is always working in collaboration with other friends and artists to compliment and amplify his own sound. His most recent project, the Behind the Scenes album, was a duo project with labelmate EVO.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2rS5dK1wLQ?list=PLB9223A409E795A52&w=560&h=315] [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2rS5dK1wLQ?list=PLB9223A409E795A52&w=560&h=315]

Paloalto also just performed at the A.F.O (All Force One) hip hop concert at UNIQLO-AX in Seoul on April 13th alongside K-hip-hop’s greatest like: Huckleberry P, Dok2, Andup, and Beenzino, among others.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ly4geZDQw5o&w=560&h=315]

Since his rise to the game and through his struggles to remain a conscious music voice, Paloalto, who is still an active artist, has put out eleven singles and full albums, as well as four videos. In the great aftermath of “Gangnam Style,” XXL Magazine even names him one of 15 Korean Rappers You Should Know That Aren’t PSY. He is a creative mind that works relentlessly to keep his flow and rhythm relevant and make beats that are always clean and effortless sounding. From time to time, his music channels some RnB and soul vibes, and at other times he can be infusing orchestrated and acoustics into his sound. But whatever he’s doing, Paloalto is always spitting something real.

(YouTube 1,2,3, 4, 5XXL Mag, UNDERSOUNDZ)