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trap

Trap

United States · 2000s
DarkIntenseDancingSadEpic
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Description

Trap is a subgenre of hip hop that emerged from the Southern United States, defined by half-time grooves, ominous minor-key melodies, and the heavy use of 808 sub-bass.

The style is characterized by rapid, syncopated hi-hat rolls, crisp rimshot/clap on the backbeat, and cinematic textures that convey tension and grit. Lyrically, it centers on street economies, survival, ambition, and introspection, with ad-libs used as percussive punctuation.

Production is typically minimal but hard-hitting: layered 808s, sparse piano or bell motifs, dark pads, and occasional orchestral or choir samples. Vocals range from gravelly, staccato deliveries to melodic, Auto-Tuned flows, often using triplet cadences.

History
Origins (late 1990s–early 2000s)

Trap crystallized in Atlanta and the broader U.S. South as producers and rappers fused Southern hip hop’s boom with the dark, skeletal moods of Memphis rap. Early architects like T.I. (who popularized the term with “Trap Muzik” in 2003), Gucci Mane, and Jeezy set the thematic and sonic template: gritty narratives over minor-key beats with dominant 808s, claps, and fast hi-hats. Producers such as Shawty Redd and Zaytoven helped define the stark, cinematic sound.

Breakthrough and Codification (late 2000s–early 2010s)

Waka Flocka Flame’s collaborations with Lex Luger introduced a maximal, orchestral strain of trap featuring bombastic brass stabs, strings, and thunderous 808s. This era codified the rhythmic language—triplet hi-hats, snare rolls, and halftime swing—while normalizing ad-lib heavy arrangements. Metro Boomin and 808 Mafia refined the palette toward darker minimalism and meticulous low-end design.

Mainstream Expansion (mid–late 2010s)

Artists like Future, Young Thug, and Migos globalized trap through melodic, Auto-Tuned vocals and infectious flows (including the triplet “Migos flow”). Trap’s production grammar became the default for much of mainstream hip hop, while its motifs permeated pop and R&B. The sound diversified from icy, nocturnal beats to lush, atmospheric variants.

Global Diffusion and Hybrids (late 2010s–present)

Trap influenced or fused with numerous scenes worldwide: drill (Chicago, then UK/NY), Latin trap, trap soul, and aggressive crossovers like trap metal. Parallel EDM-oriented developments (“EDM trap”) imported trap drum patterns and 808s into festival drops. Today, trap functions as both a distinct hip hop subgenre and a rhythmic/production vocabulary used across pop, electronic music, and global rap.

How to make a track in this genre
Core Tempo, Groove, and Meter
•   Use 4/4 at 130–150 BPM with a halftime feel (effective vocal cadence often feels like 65–75 BPM). •   Place the clap or rimshot on beat 3 (halftime backbeat) to create the signature lurch.
Drums and Rhythm Language
•   Program 808 kick for sub and punch; tune it to the song key and write it as a melodic bassline. •   Craft hi-hat patterns with rapid rolls, triplets, 1/32–1/64 subdivisions, and velocity/pitch variation. •   Use occasional snare/hat fills before transitions (e.g., every 4 or 8 bars).
Harmony and Melody
•   Favor minor keys and dark modes (Aeolian, Harmonic Minor, Phrygian). •   Write sparse motifs using piano, bell/mallet, pluck, choir, or string stabs; keep melodies short and loopable. •   Layer with pads or low strings to add tension and space; avoid dense chords to leave room for vocals and 808.
Sound Design and Mixing
•   Prioritize a clean low end: carve kick/808 relationships, saturate/compress 808s for audibility on small speakers. •   Keep drums dry and upfront; use subtle reverb/delay for melodic elements to maintain space and mood. •   Employ ear candy (reverse cymbals, risers, tape stops) for transitions.
Vocals and Writing
•   Alternate between staccato bars and melodic, Auto-Tuned passages; triplet flows are common but should serve the song. •   Use ad-libs rhythmically (call-and-response, fills after punchlines). •   Lyrical themes often cover hustle, stakes, aspiration, and reflection; authenticity and cadence are key.
Arrangement
•   Typical form: Intro (2–4 bars) → Hook (8 bars) → Verse (16 bars) → Hook → Verse/Bridge → Hook/Outro. •   Drop elements out for dynamic contrast (e.g., mute 808 or hats to set up the hook).
Variations
•   Trap soul: softer drums, lush chords, R&B vocal delivery. •   Drill-inspired: sliding 808s, syncopated snare placements, colder timbres. •   Aggressive: denser 808 patterns, distorted bass, orchestral stabs.
Main artists
Influenced by
Hip Hop
Hip hop is a cultural and musical movement that emerged from Black, Latino, and Caribbean communities, centering around rapping (MCing), DJing/turntablism, sampling-based production, and rhythmic speech over beats. It prioritizes groove, wordplay, and storytelling, often reflecting the social realities of urban life. Musically, hip hop is built on drum-centric rhythms (from breakbeats to 808 patterns), looped samples, and bass-forward mixes. Lyrically, it ranges from party anthems and braggadocio to political commentary and intricate poetic forms, with flow, cadence, and rhyme density as core expressive tools. Beyond music, hip hop encompasses a broader culture, historically intertwined with graffiti, b-boying/b-girling (breakdance), fashion, and street entrepreneurship, making it both an art form and a global social language.
Southern Hip Hop
Southern hip hop is a regional style of hip hop that arose across the American South and is defined by heavy 808 bass, syncopated drum programming, and a distinctive Southern drawl and slang. It blends club-ready rhythms with storytelling about regional pride, street realities, and everyday hustle. Sonically, it ranges from the minimalist, chant-driven energy of New Orleans bounce to the eerie, lo-fi darkness of early Memphis tapes and the syrupy, slowed textures of Houston’s chopped-and-screwed technique. In Atlanta, it incubated trap’s rolling hi-hats and sub-bass, while Miami pushed party-forward, bass-saturated tracks. The genre emphasizes powerful low end, catchy hooks, and call-and-response energy, and it fostered a strong independent label culture (No Limit, Cash Money) that shaped the modern rap business.
Dirty South
Dirty South is a regional style of hip hop from the American South defined by heavy 808 bass, swaggering grooves, and gritty storytelling delivered with Southern cadence and slang. Sonically, it blends booming low-end, snappy claps/snares, rolling hi-hats, and minor-key synths or soul/blues samples. The mood ranges from menacing and nocturnal to triumphant and club-ready, with hooks that are chantable and often call-and-response oriented. Lyrically, the genre foregrounds street realities, hustling, regional pride, car culture, nightlife, spirituality, and survival. It embraces local production aesthetics such as Miami bass’s sub-pressure, New Orleans bounce’s party energy, Memphis’s dark lo-fi menace, and Houston’s chopped-and-screwed slow-motion vibe.
Crunk
Crunk is a high-energy substyle of Southern hip hop built for clubs, arenas, and call-and-response crowd participation. It emphasizes booming 808 kick drums, aggressive snare/clap backbeats, and simple, chant-like hooks delivered by a lead rapper and a hypeman or group vocals. The production is stark and percussive: sub-bass 808s, handclaps, clattering hi-hats, and brash synth stabs or brass hits carry most of the weight, with very little harmonic movement. Tempos typically sit around 70–80 BPM in half-time (or 140–160 BPM double-time), creating a stomping, anthemic feel. Lyrically, crunk focuses on amping the crowd—party commands, fight music, and swagger—more than narrative storytelling. The word “crunk,” a Southern slang blend of “crazy” and “drunk,” reflects its rowdy, cathartic intent.
Memphis Rap
Memphis rap is a dark, lo‑fi branch of Southern hip hop that emerged in Memphis, Tennessee, built on ominous minor‑key melodies, 808 sub‑bass, and relentlessly simple but heavy drum programming. It is known for horrorcore-leaning imagery, chant-like hooks, and a raw cassette-mixtape aesthetic: hiss, distortion, and minimal mixing are part of the sound rather than flaws. The style emphasizes eerie synths (organs, choirs, strings, bells), pitched or layered vocals, and sticky, repetitive patterns that create a hypnotic, menacing groove.
Gangsta Rap
Gangsta rap is a subgenre of hip hop defined by its gritty, street-level storytelling, first‑person narration, and unflinching depictions of crime, policing, poverty, and survival. It foregrounds a hard-hitting vocal delivery over sparse, heavy drum programming and sample-based grooves. Musically, it draws from the foundational elements of hip hop—looped breaks, funk basslines, and turntable aesthetics—while emphasizing menace, swagger, and cinematic detail. Lyrically, it alternates between reportage, braggadocio, social commentary, and personal testimony, often sparking controversy for its explicit content and political provocations. From mid‑1980s origins through the 1990s mainstream, gangsta rap reshaped both the sound and business of hip hop, influencing fashion, language, and global perceptions of urban America.
Miami Bass
Miami bass is a high-energy, bass-forward hip hop and electro offshoot that emerged in South Florida during the mid-to-late 1980s. It is defined by booming TR-808 sub-bass, crisp handclaps and snares, uptempo breakbeats, and chant-like vocals that favor call-and-response hooks over dense lyricism. Often nicknamed "booty bass," the style prioritizes dancefloor function and car-audio impact, with many tracks effectively serving as "bass tests" for subwoofers. Melodic and harmonic elements are sparse and repetitive, while the rhythmic programming and low-end power drive the music’s party-centric atmosphere.
Horrorcore
Horrorcore is a subgenre of hip hop defined by its fixation on dark, violent, and occult imagery, delivered through menacing flows, brooding production, and cinematic sound design. It often blurs the line between pulp-horror storytelling and social or psychological commentary, adopting personas that heighten shock value while exploring fear, trauma, or taboo themes. Musically, horrorcore favors minor keys, dissonant intervals, and eerie samples—think detuned pianos, church organs, creaking doors, screams, and snippets from horror films—over hard, bass-heavy drums. The result is an atmosphere that feels claustrophobic and threatening, yet theatrically stylized, evoking the mood of slasher movies and cult horror soundtracks.
Snap
Snap (often called snap music) is a minimalist, dance‑oriented subgenre of Southern hip hop that arose in mid‑2000s Atlanta. Its defining sonic hallmark is the use of finger snaps—placed where a snare or handclap would normally land—paired with booming 808 kick and sub‑bass, sparse hi‑hats, and simple, whistling or bell‑like synth hooks. Songs are usually mid‑tempo (around 65–75 BPM, or 130–150 BPM in double‑time) with lots of negative space, chanty hooks, and call‑and‑response vocals that invite crowd participation and associated dances. Lyrically, snap emphasizes partying, swagger, and dance instructions over storytelling. Because of its catchy simplicity and ringtone‑friendly hooks, the style became synonymous with the 2000s “ringtone rap” era and exerted a broad pop/R&B influence well beyond its Atlanta roots.
Mafioso Rap
Mafioso rap is a subgenre of East Coast hip hop defined by cinematic storytelling about organized crime, luxury, and power. Artists adopt the persona of mob bosses and kingpins, weaving intricate narratives that reference crime-film mythology, underworld codes, and upscale lifestyles. Musically, it leans on boom-bap drum programming, moody minor-key harmony, jazzy or soulful samples, and orchestral touches (strings, brass stabs) that heighten a noir atmosphere. Lyrically, it emphasizes multisyllabic rhyme, vivid detail, and complex plots, distinguishing itself from broader gangsta rap through its stylized, filmic approach and aspirational, lavish imagery.
Rap
Rap is a vocal music style built on the rhythmic, rhymed, and often improvised spoken delivery of lyrics over a beat. It emphasizes flow, cadence, wordplay, and narrative, and is commonly performed over sampled or programmed drum patterns and loops. Emerging from block parties and sound-system culture in the Bronx, New York City, rap became the core vocal expression of hip hop culture alongside DJing, breakdancing, and graffiti. While it is closely linked to hip hop, rap as a technique and genre has also crossed into pop, rock, electronic, and global regional scenes. Musically, rap favors strong drum grooves (breakbeats, 808 patterns), sparse harmony, and loop-based structures that foreground the MC’s voice. Lyrically, it spans party chants and battle brags to intricate internal rhymes, social commentary, reportage, and autobiography.
Bounce
Bounce is a high-energy regional style of hip hop that emerged in New Orleans in the early 1990s. It is built on fast, repetitive party grooves, commanding chants, and call‑and‑response hooks that directly engage dancers and the crowd. Its signature rhythmic bed centers on the "Triggerman" beat (from the Showboys' 1986 track Drag Rap) and the "Brown Beat" break, usually driven by punchy TR‑808 drums, handclaps, and chopped vocal samples. Lyrics tend to be chant-like, local, and instructional—naming neighborhoods, wards, and housing projects, and cueing specific dance moves (notably twerking). Bounce’s performance tradition connects to New Orleans second‑line and parade culture: it’s communal, percussive, and built for the club and block party. The result is a kinetic, minimal, bass‑forward sound that prioritizes movement, crowd interaction, and relentless momentum.
Famo
Famo is an accordion-driven dance and vocal music of the Basotho people of Lesotho. It pairs a bright, reedy accordion with a deep, resonant bass or barrel drum and highly declamatory Sesotho vocals that draw on praise-poetry (lifela/lithoko) traditions. Born in migrant beerhalls and mining compounds, famo is both social music and a verbal art. Songs often feature competitive boasting, satire, social commentary, and vivid storytelling delivered in a rhythmic, semi-improvised style. The groove is typically fast and propulsive in 2/4 or 4/4, designed to keep dancers moving in swirling blankets and skirts—an image strongly associated with Basotho identity.
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