Trap music has exploded in popularity, captivating a global audience, particularly among younger generations. But What Is A Trap Song, exactly? It’s much more than just auto-tuned vocals and controversial lyrics. This genre’s rise is intertwined with the democratization of technology and the evolution of hip-hop. Let’s delve into the history and cultural significance of trap music.
If you haven’t actively sought out trap music, you’ve likely encountered it passively – perhaps on someone’s phone or playing in a store. Trap emerged as a subgenre of rap in the early 1990s within the impoverished neighborhoods of Atlanta, Georgia. These neighborhoods were characterized by “trap houses,” locations where crack cocaine and other drugs were produced, sold, and consumed, trapping individuals in a cycle of addiction and a unique underworld culture. The term “trap” itself began gaining traction in the late 90s, particularly through the Dungeon Family collective.
To truly understand trap’s origins, we need to rewind to the birth of hip-hop in the 1970s Bronx, New York. DJs and MCs like Afrika Bambaataa, Kool Herc, and Grandmaster Flash pioneered rapping over mixed beats. In the 1980s, as hip-hop moved from the streets into the mainstream, groups like Public Enemy, Rakim, KRS-One, and Native Tongues (known as the New School) emerged, delivering socially conscious and poetic lyrics.
Afrika Bambaataa, a pioneer of hip-hop whose work laid the groundwork for trap music.
The 1990s witnessed the rise of gangsta rap with artists like N.W.A., UGK, Three 6 Mafia, Master P, Dr. Dre, and Ice-T. This subgenre focused on the often violent realities of disadvantaged urban communities, shifting away from the more political and poetic themes of earlier rap. This transformation is evident in Three 6 Mafia’s Mystic Stylez (1995), which paved the way for Gucci Mane and his Trap House (2005).
While gangsta rap represented a mutation of hip-hop, trap can be viewed as a further evolution of gangsta rap. It evolved into a distinct culture, often prioritizing sinister musical tones over complex verses, conscious ideology/poetry, and intricate rhyming. Artists like Future, Migos, Gucci Mane, Fetty Wap, and 2 Chainz, along with producers such as Shawty Redd, Mannie Fresh, Zaytoven, and Tony Fadd, were instrumental in shaping trap into the globally popular genre it is today.
Trap music, characterized by its three-note synth melodies, ironic use of Auto-Tune, and lyrical themes, expanded from Atlanta and the Southern United States, permeating Latin America, Europe, and Asia. While trap gained significant traction in the United States around 2010, it arrived in Spain around 2013, spearheaded by artists like Kefta Boyz (later known as PXXR GVNG), featuring Khaled and Yung Beef. Subsequently, artists like D. Gómez, M. Ramírez, C. Tangana, Big Jay, Pimp Flaco, Kinder Malo and Cecilio G, P.A.W.N. Gang, La Zowie, and Ms Nina emerged, while others like Bad Gyal, Nathy Peluso, and Rosalía blended trap elements with other genres to create innovative and exciting sounds. These musicians often embraced unconventional language, creating unique and surprising linguistic styles in their lyrics.
Beyond the disregard for traditional linguistic norms, trap music also embraces an aesthetic of intentional “ugliness,” originating from the drug trafficking underworlds of the United States. This aesthetic finds parallels with the quinqui cinema of 1980s Spain. Furthermore, many female voices within the genre are re-evaluating gender roles, addressing issues such as sexism, the objectification of women, abortion, racism, classism, and misogyny, as exemplified by artists like Las VVitch, Tribade, IRA, and Chocolate Remix.
Gucci Mane, an influential figure in the development and popularization of trap music. (Image source: Wikimedia Commons)
The global success of trap music, in contrast to hip-hop’s earlier trajectory, can be attributed to several factors. Firstly, the accessibility of technology and social networks has played a crucial role. Trap represents a musical style where individuals without record deals or significant capital can create music using their own computers. The ability to upload songs and videos to digital platforms has revolutionized music production, distribution, and consumption. Secondly, trap music’s themes often resonate with social classes struggling with economic hardship and unemployment, transcending geographical boundaries. Young people worldwide, facing uncertain futures in the face of social and economic inequality, connect with the genre’s portrayal of their experiences.
Paradoxically, despite trap’s overt celebration of capitalism through lyrics about success, fame, luxury, and money, its DIY ethos has enabled it to circumvent the control of major record labels. This represents a challenge to the traditional music industry, as artists are saying, “We’re not playing by your rules anymore; we’re doing things our way.” This approach involves questioning the industry’s established practices while simultaneously leveraging its infrastructure. Trap music diminishes the significance of the physical record as an exclusive piece of art, embracing the power of global community and replacing overarching ideological narratives with a fragmented collection of smaller stories spread across the digital landscape. While this shift has democratized music creation, it has also led to a potential loss of the social message and transformative power that hip-hop once held, replaced by an emphasis on individualism, consumerism, and the artificiality of neoliberal values.
The debate surrounding trap music continues. Just as with hip-hop, rock, punk, and reggae, trap transcends mere musical genre, serving as a lifestyle, a fashion statement, a mode of communication, and a form of self-expression for an entire generation. It provides a sense of identity and challenges conventional norms with a specific attitude. Whether one enjoys trap or not, it represents a significant cultural phenomenon with its own systems, codes, and specific rules, reflecting the complexities and contradictions of the modern world.
