| Cloud rap | |
|---|---|
Sample of a cloud rap instrumental in the style ofClams Casino | |
| Other names | Trillwave |
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | Late 2000s,Southern United States |
| Typical instruments |
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| Derivative forms | |
| Other topics | |
Cloud rap is asubgenre ofhip hop music that has several sonic characteristics oftrap music with a hazy, dreamlike and relaxed production style.[3][4] RapperLil B and producerClams Casino were early pioneers of the style.[3][4] The term "cloud rap" is derived from itsinternet origins and ethereal style.[5]
Cloud rap originated inAtlanta,Houston, andMemphis during the late 2000s.[6] The term "cloud rap" is popularly used in reference tolo-fi, hazyrap.[3]
Elements of cloud rap, like lo-fi and dreamy atmospheres, appear as early as 2001 withClouddead'sself-titled album. Later in 2006 more building blocks, such as hazy and relaxed sounds, are onViper's second album,Ready and... Willing.[7] In a 2009 article, music writer Noz wrote that rapperLil B showed him aCGI image of a castle in the clouds and said "that's the kind of music I want to make", crediting Lil B with the coining of the term.[3] ProducerClams Casino has also been credited with pioneering the cloud rap sound as early as 2010 through collaborations with Lil B.[4]
The term was also used in the Space Age Hustle blog's compilation of songs,3 Years Ahead: The Cloud Rap Tape.[3] The compilation consists of songs that fall in the cloud rap genre.[3] The genre garnered mainstream attention in 2011 with rapperASAP Rocky's debut mixtape,Live. Love. ASAP.[8]
Cloud rap is melodically similar tolo-fi andchillwave but distinguishes itself with distorted, psychedelic samples and the inclusion oftrap style drums.[6] The genre takes inspiration from the "diversity of influences and the easy accessibility" that cloud computing entails.[9] Such influences includehip hop,drum and bass,grime, andtrip hop,R&B,dance,indie,rock, andpop music genres.[9]
The label "cloud" denotes distinct characteristics of the genre such as its "hazy," ethereal aesthetic (in terms of both aural and visual expression) and its ambiguity as a genre without clearly defined borders.[5] Cloud rap's lyrics sometimes revolve around themes of love and betrayal, as well as more typical themes found in popular music such as sex, drugs, and alienation.[8]
Cloud rap pulls from a diversity ofrap sounds and locales: from both theEast andWest Coasts andthe South.[9] In particular, cloud rap often utilizes looped samples from female singers, and often from those whose voices have an ethereal quality.[9] Often, cloud rap is released independently ofrecord labels, and cloud rap artists rely on internet services (such asSoundCloud,YouTube, andTwitter) to distribute and promote their music.[10]
With many of the genre's pioneers taking major influences fromwitch house andchillwave, many artists have producers in common likeClams Casino, 90's Bambino, andSpaceGhostPurrp.[11][12] In 2011,Clams Casino assistedASAP Rocky in producingLive. Love. ASAP, one of the most listened to mixtapes in cloud rap with 1,164,114 listeners.[9] The mixtape consists of common cloud rap elements and themes such as drug use, sex, and self-reflection.[13][14] Other artists such as Black Kray as a part of the collective Goth Money records, have been created as well as artists likePlayboi Carti.[15]
Swedish artistYung Lean became an eminent cloud rap artist in 2013 when the video for his single "Ginseng Strip 2002" went viral.[8]
French rap duoPNL are pioneers of this genre on the francophone hip-hop scene; their first single"Le Monde Chico" (2015) going triple platinum, "Dans la légende" (2016) diamond, and double diamond for "Deux Frères" (2019).[16]
Another notable cloud rap artist is Marlon DuBois, who is best known for his track "Pfizer".[17]
