How Trap Music Went From a Genre to a Fully Embraced Culture

Somewhere in the world right now, there’s an aspiring DJ, Producer, or Vocalist uploading music to the internet.

They’ve been making music for a few years now and they’re favorite genre of music is…

TRAP.

Since hitting the scene, Trap has been one of the most dominant genres of music, and it’s also become a worldwide phenomenon inspiring other sub-genres of Hip-Hop like Drill – a genre that has roots in Chicago, but is also big in the UK, and Italy.

For many, Trap music is characterized by its dark moody feel, 808 drums, and harsh lyrical content. However, like most cultures that are pop, people have forgotten the roots of this music.

THINK OF TRAP MUSIC IN THE SAME WAY YOU THINK OF PROHIBITION…

Trap rappers are music’s version of The Kennedy’s.

We all love the Kennedy’s, right? Great family. JFK was the guy. All great stuff.

HOWEVER… they (allegedly) made their money from bootlegging.

Does that diminish them? Nah. In fact it built an empire and we revere them for it.

Trap music is built around that same ethos, more or less. It’s a soundtrack about the American Dream.

It was created by people with little to no options who took the only commodity they had and used it to survive. Is it toxic? Possibly? I can’t judge – but I think Andre’ 3000 said it best in the song “Sixteen”

A dolphin will indeed shake its fin…

The reality is that trap music’s influence on everything from sneaker culture to fitness can’t be overstated, so today’s piece is chronicling a culture which although is negative in many ways, is the crux of what youth culture is built upon.

Let’s start with the basics…

WHAT IS A “TRAP” MUSIC ?

In a nutshell, it’s drug-dealing music.

A “trap” is slang for a house where drugs are being sold. It references run-down, often-abandoned, houses that are generally on streets where everyday people tend not to visit.

In the early 90s, the term “trap” started to make its way into hip-hop songs via southern rap groups like UGK, Three-si* Mafia, 8ball & MJG, and Goodie Mobb.

Khujo Goodie of Goodie Mobb credits Andre’ 3000 as the first rapper to use the word “Trap” in a song, however it appears to have first been used in a record by Khujo’s group first. (For reference look below at his VladTV interview)

“Dre was the first one to say ‘trap’ anyway on Southernplayalistic on ‘Player’s Ball…As far as selling contraband to your own people in a broke down house, I think that might have came after Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, but it was way other people doing that, too. They just didn’t call it that. Like Ghetto Mafia, they was in Decatur doing they thing.”

“TRAP MUSIC” HAS 3 FOUNDING FATHERS

To Khujo’s point, “trap” was slang that had been around for decades but it never really bubbled into pop culture. However, this changed in the early 2000s — New York’s hiphop scene was beginning to decline and a new superpower in music began to emerge:

ATLANTA

With Atlanta becoming the dominant force in music scene, 3 hip-hop heavyweights emerged with a similar story, but very unique sounds. These 3 are widely respected as the founding fathers of Trap Music as we know it today. They are: Gucci Mane, Young Jeezy, & T.I.

Each played a separate role in furthering Trap Music’s reach. At best, I’ll sum it up like this:

T.I. COINED THE PHRASE “Trap Music”

“Trap Music” became a recognizable term because of T.I. and his 2003 album by the same name “Trap Muzik.” At the time he was scorching hot in hip-hop, and songs like Rubberband Man powered him to a new level of stardom.

T.I. was never shy about being from Bankhead, or what he had to do to survive — because of his lyrical content “trap” began to take shape culturally.

GUCCI MANE SHOWED THE LIFESTYLE

While T.I. was responsible for the phrase “Trap Music,” the lifestyle was attributed to Gucci, who became the embodiment of what trap music was: coming from the gutter to prominence.

In that sense, Gucci Mane is like Jack Kennedy — the things he’s done will set a new path for his family, and his contributions to the culture led to a slew of artists that we love today, like Brick Squad, The Migos, Metro, 808 Mafia.

To date, Gucci has released literally 100s of mixtapes, singles, etc. and people were able to see his rise from the literal streets Atlanta.It wasn’t uncommon to find Gucci cruising through East Atlanta, or even at lenox mall. While T.I. made the phrase popular Gucci brought the lifestyle that powered the music to an entirely new audience.

JEEZY EMBODIED THE DREAM

When Jeezy emerged in 2005 he brought a new energy to Hip-hop.

Trap music was well-established because of Gucci Mane & T.I. but Jeezy became the mainstream’s emblem for its power in culture.

Remember “The Snowman” T-shirt that got banned from schools? It belongs to Jeezy.

Have you ever heard of the phrase “Trap or Die” – that belongs to Jeezy.

His presence in Atlanta along with his various affiliations to the streets, and music industry created a groundswell in Atlanta that led to his massively successful debut album Thug Motivation 101.

While Jeezy’s counterparts helped coin the phrase and the intimate details of the trapper’s lifestyle, Jeezy was one the who showed what it looked like on the other side – he was the motivation, the inspiration, and the dream personified.

THE FOCUS SHIFTED FROM THE LYRICS TO THE PRODUCTION

After Gucci/T.I./Jeezy laid the foundation for what we now know as Trap we saw a shift start to take place in the world of hip-hop production. The world was moving from analog gear (i.e. desktops and large equipment), to digital and with that, Hip-hop production became more easily accessible.

That same marginalized group who grew up on Gucci/T.I./Jeezy started to experiment with music production equipment, and eventually, their idols (who were from the same neighborhoods/city) began to rap on their production.

Take a look at this video from 808 mafia who many credit as the early innovators the trap sound (along with Shawty Redd, Drumma Boy, Lex Luger, and host of others)

You may be thinking to yourself…

“This sounds cool, but what does this have to do with trap becoming a culture?”

The answer is simple:

THE MUSIC PRODUCTION SHIFT CAUSED A WORLDWIDE ADOPTION OF “TRAP MUSIC”

Let’s review what’s happened so far:

1. Atlanta became the dominating force in music
2. It’s 3 biggest rappers (and the ones they inspired) were all from the trap
3. Music production software became more accessible

When you look at how these factors combine the emergence of the next generation of Atlanta rap talent helped propel trap music into stardom. All of a sudden people who’d never heard of Gucci Mane or 2 Chainz were hearing the music blaring in the clubs — not just hip-hop clubs, but worldwide.

The result? “Trap Music” became known as “Trap.”

EDM Producers & DJs outside of the culture latched onto the sound created by Trap producers and distilled that into something they could replicate. Although it’s not really “Trap Music” they brought the sound to audiences who probably don’t like rap music.

SO… WHERE IS “TRAP” NOW?

Trap is worldwide – it’s not just a music genre anymore it’s a cultural.

People refer to their jobs as “their trap”

Trap Karaoke is now a thing too (and a pretty dope event from what I’ve seen)

EDM DJs make dub-trap-dance beats… I mean… I guess.

Brands like Peleton even has “trap-themed” workouts.

But those worldwide changes doesn’t come without some… local changes

The neighborhoods that birthed this music have undergone redevelopment and many of the former residents can’t afford to live there. And on top of that it’s birthed another sub-genre that’s just as damaging to the youth.

It’s crazy to see the changes happen in real-time. Trap changed the world, and continues to do so. Personally, I feel a shift coming though — it feels like the 90s again and I can’t wait to see where things go.

Peace.