Hip-hop music and culture have always had a strong presence in the UK. However, British hip-hop has rarely had a significant presence in the country's music charts and most of the time mainstream media portrayal of hip-hop leaves those in the know cringing at the inconsistencies and misrepresentation of something they love.

Despite the potential of the genre, major record labels and the media have been reluctant to give it a fair shot, so a fully-grown independent hip-hop scene has developed. The UK is now home to a fully-functioning industry of home grown artists, record labels, magazines, websites, club nights, radio stations and dedicated fans.

It's the D.I.Y approach of the scene which most people involved in it love the most, and it's the lack of corporate control which allows the quality of the music to remain true to its roots. Occasionally, an artist will get signed by a big record label hoping to make money, but due to the insincere marketing of those artists and the boardroom demands those artists comply to, these rare occurrences frequently fail.

The music is typically created by people who understand that they're likely to need a full-time job aside from pursuing their passion for music. This immediately improves the quality of their output, which is all the more honest and enjoyable for it. In any area of art, when the denominator of business and money is absent from the equation, the integrity of the work is so much healthier for it.

The independency of the UK hip-hop scene's music allows rappers and producers the freedom to take their art in whatever direction they wish, without having to comply to any criteria laid down by unattached old men in grey suits. Many artists include a fair dose of politically-orientated material in their releases which would be absolutely out of the question outside of the scene's independent operations.

Modern technology allows an artist with a very small budget to create high-quality music from their bedroom. With just a few hundred pounds they can release that material. They can sell their work on the street, in the few independent record shops that exist and over the internet, and they can promote themselves through professional e-zines created by fans and specific hip-hop-orientated radio broadcasts to the point that they're known throughout the country. They can generate fans and income by touring at various hip-hop-focused club nights and shows throughout the UK, and then work on the next release, which by that point a solid number of admirers are anticipating and willing to buy before it has even been created.

Through the years, the quality of UK hip-hop music has grown to a point where certain artists are now getting significant attention from mainstream media and record labels which for the most part have stayed away up to now. But there's a great deal of scepticism within the scene whenever a large record label tries getting involved. Increasingly, independent UK artists are turning down seemingly lucrative record deals waved at them by people they have witnessed and learnt in the past to be mere culture vultures.

The North London artist Klashnekoff, from the Terra Firma collective, quickly built a large following on the underground scene by releasing a series of raw and powerful singles and then a compilation of these tracks. As his career progressed, record labels started to talk big figures , which he declined. He is soon to release his debut album which is certain to make an impact.

Similarly, the artist Sway released two promotional mix CDs which sold well and earned him a number of fans. Record label big wigs took note and cheque books were waved about, yet Sway continued on the independent route. He has released a single that reached the UK Top 40 and an album which was well received by major broadsheets and music magazines alike.

Now that such artists are making significant moves, chalking up impressive record sales and large nationwide followings whilst insisting that they maintain an independent approach to their careers, it will be interesting to see how the UK hip-hop scene develops. The irony is that the UK hip-hop scene, which has grown despite the adversity of major label interest and support, is itself moving steadily up the independent ladder and getting closer to being a major force of its own.