Trap music is a subgenre of hip-hop that originated in the Southern United States. The term trap is derived from Atlanta slang referring to a trap house, a location associated with drug distribution. Early lyrical references to the trap environment appeared in the early 1990s, while the production style associated with modern trap began to take shape toward the end of that decade. The music typically features minimalistic and rhythmic arrangements built around synthesized drums, complex hi-hat patterns, snare and bass drum elements influenced by the Roland TR-808, and lyrics that frequently address drug culture and urban life.
Producers including DJ Spanish Fly, DJ Paul and Juicy J, Kurtis Mantronik, Mannie Fresh, Shawty Redd, Fatboi, Zaytoven, DJ Screw, and DJ Toomp, as well as rappers T.I., Jeezy, and Gucci Mane, are widely regarded as early contributors to the style. Producer Lex Luger helped popularize the genre with his work on the Waka Flocka Flame album "Flockaveli" in 2010 and through the production collective 808 Mafia.
In the 2010s, trap music gained broad mainstream popularity. It became a prominent influence on American popular music and frequently appeared at the top of the Billboard Hot 100. Artists such as Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Future, Playboi Carti, 21 Savage, Migos, Lil Uzi Vert, Post Malone, XXXTentacion, Roddy Ricch, Young Thug, DaBaby, Juice Wrld, Yeat, and Travis Scott released commercially successful songs with trap-influenced production. The style has also influenced pop and R&B artists including Ariana Grande, Beyoncé, Miley Cyrus, Rihanna, the Weeknd, and Sabrina Carpenter, and has had an impact on other genres such as reggaetón and K-pop. Its rise coincided with hip-hop becoming the most commercially popular music genre in the United States in 2018. Trap-influenced singles such as Ariana Grande’s "7 Rings" and Lil Nas X’s "Old Town Road" featuring Billy Ray Cyrus achieved significant chart success in 2019, with the latter setting records for its duration at number one and rapid attainment of Diamond certification.
Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.
