It's a Trap! An 11-Part History of Trap Music, From DJ Screw to Gucci Mane to Flosstradamus
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| Gucci says, "It's a trap!" |
It's superhuge right now with the cool kids and it's overrunning Soundcloud. Yet despite its growing popularity, a lot of people have one basic question ... What the fuck is trap?
Because of recent EDM trends, many people would tell you it's the "new dubstep" or the "new moombahton." But actually, trap music's been filtering through the hip-hop scene for years, and its trademark hi-hats and thin snares are nothing "new."
So cutting through some of the hype and clearing up confusion, we he here at Crossfade present this brief history of trap music. Put down the purple drank and learn something.
1980
The Roland TR-808 is released. Its deep bass bumps matched with tinny snares and hi-hats will become central to the trap sound.
1990s
Houston, Texas hip-hop producer DJ Screw begins recording and selling slowed-down mix cassettes, inventing the famous chopped-and-screwed style. The music is slow because the listener is supposed to be "sippin' sizzurp" (AKA codeine cough syrup), often mixed with soda to become "purple drank." His friends begin rapping over the mixes, eventually coming together as the Screwed Up
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