Trap music, also known simply astrap, is a subgenre ofhip-hop music which originated in theSouthern United States, with lyrical references to trap starting in 1991 but the modern sound of trap appearing in 1999.^[1][3] The genre gets its name from theAtlanta slang term "trap house", a house used exclusively to sell drugs.^[4] Trap music is known for its simple, rhythmic, minimalistic productions that use synthesized drums, and is characterized by complexhi-hatpatterns,snare drums,bass drums, some tuned with a longdecay to emit a bass frequency (originally from theRoland TR-808drum machine), and lyrical content that often focuses on drug use and urban violence.^{[5][6][7][8][9][10]}

Pioneers of the genre include producersDJ Paul &Juicy J,Kurtis Mantronik, Harry James Barton,Mannie Fresh,Shawty Redd, Fatboi,Zaytoven,DJ Screw, andDJ Toomp, along with rappersT.I.,Jeezy, andGucci Mane. The style was popularized byproducerLex Luger, who produced the influentialWaka Flocka Flame albumFlockaveli in 2010, and cofounded the prolifichip-hop production team808 Mafia.^[4]

Since crossing over into the mainstream in the 2010s, trap has become one of the most popular forms of American music, consistently dominating theBillboard Hot 100 throughout the decade, with artists such asDrake,Kendrick Lamar,Future,Playboi Carti,21 Savage,Migos,Lil Uzi Vert,Post Malone,XXXTentacion,DaBaby,Roddy Ricch,Young Thug, andTravis Scott (among many others) all achieving No. 1s on the chart with songs featuring production inspired by the trap subgenre.^{[11][12][13][14]} It has influenced the music of many pop andR&B artists, such asAriana Grande,Beyoncé,Miley Cyrus,Rihanna,The Weeknd, and more.^[4][15] Its influence can also be heard inreggaetón andK-pop.^[15] In 2018, hip-hop became the most popular form of music for the first time ever (according toNielsen Data), coinciding with trap's continued rise in popularity.^[16] 2019 saw trap-influenced hits amass high commercial success such as Ariana Grande's "7 Rings" spending eight weeks at No. 1 on theBillboard Hot 100 chart and the country-trap song "Old Town Road" byLil Nas X (featuringBilly Ray Cyrus), which broke the record for spending the most weeks (19) on top of theBillboard Hot 100 chart, as well as becoming the fastest song to reach aDiamond Certification.^[17][18]

In trap music, lyrical themes mostly revolve around the general life and culture in the "trap" or in the actual southerntrap house where controlled substances are being sold. The term "trap" refers to places where drug deals take place. Other topics also include street life, acquiring wealth,violence, American vehicles, and life experiences that artists have faced in their southern American surroundings.^[19]

Trap music employs multilayered thin- or thick-texturedmonophonicdrones with sometimes a melodicaccompaniment expressed with synthesizers; crisp, grimy, and rhythmic snares, deep808kick drums,double-time,triple-time, and similarly dividedhi-hats, and a cinematic and symphonic use of synthesized string, brass, woodwind, and keyboard instruments to create an energetic, hard-hitting, deep, and variant atmosphere.^{[7][8][20][21]} These primary characteristics, the signature sound of trap music was pioneered and originated byShawty Redd's minimalist,horror-inspired style andDJ Toomp's melodic,sample-driven approach, drawing inspiration fromjazz,soul,R&B,gospel, andfunk. Trap may use a range oftempos (oftenprogrammed inhalf-time to achieve finer hi-hat subdivisions) from 50 (100)BPM to 88 (176) BPM, but the tempo of a typical trap beat is around 70 (140) BPM.^[22]

As hip hop grew, it created many forms such asgangsta rap, which shone more of a light on the dangerous lifestyle of those in impoverished American neighborhoods, and on political issues. As hip hop mutated into 'gangsta' rap, 'gangsta' rap would then transform to trap, a new form of music, that followed a different thought process and different tones.^[23] Early producers creating trap music includedLil Jon fromAtlanta,Georgia, where the term originated as a reference to places where drug deals are made.

Lil Jon, along withMannie Fresh fromNew Orleans andDJ Paul &Juicy J fromMemphis, Tennessee worked with local acts in Atlanta includingDungeon Family,Outkast,Goodie Mob,Three 6 Mafia,Tommy Wright III andGhetto Mafia.^[24] In 1992, one of the earliest records to release wasUGK's "Cocaine In The Back of the Ride" from their debut EP, "The Southern Way". Later in 1992, they released the popular "Pocket Full of Stones" from their major-label debut albumToo Hard to Swallow. It was also featured in the 1993 filmMenace II Society. In 1996,Master P released his single "Mr. Ice Cream Man" from his fifth studio albumIce Cream Man. Fans and critics started to refer to rappers whose primary lyrical topic wasdrug dealing as "trap rappers".^[7]T.I.'s 2001 song "Dope Boyz", from his debut albumI'm Serious, includes the lyrics "the dope boyz in the trap nigga / the thug nigga, drug dealer where you at".^[25] David Drake ofComplex wrote that "the trap in the early 2000s wasn't a genre, it was a real place", and the term was later adopted to describe the "music made about that place".^[26]

During the early- to mid-2000s, trap music began to emerge as a recognized genre after the mainstream success of a number of albums and singles with lyrics that covered life in "the trap", drug dealing and the struggle for success.^[8] Several Southern rappers with drug dealer personas such asT.I.,Young Jeezy,Gucci Mane,Boosie Badazz,Young Dolph,Lil Wayne, andRick Ross produced crossover hits and helped expand the popularity of the genre, with trap records beginning to appear more heavily on mixtapes and radio stations outside of the South.^[10] Though trap artists were somewhat diverse in their production styles, the signature and quintessential trap sound (typically based aroundsynth,orchestra, and string swells with tight,bass-heavy 808 kick drums) that would come to be associated with the genre developed in Atlanta during trap's mid-2000s breakthrough. Some of the notable trap producers during the mid to late 2000s includeDJ Toomp, Fatboi,Drumma Boy,Shawty Redd, D. Rich, andZaytoven. The first wave of the trap sound was influenced by earlier Southern producers such asLil Jon,Mannie Fresh, andDJ Paul.

With the exception of Outkast, let me think, Goodie Mob... with the exception of that, before I came in the game, it was Lil Jon, Outkast, Goodie Mob, okay so you hadcrunk music and you hadOrganized Noize. There was no such thing as trap music, I created that, I created that. Icoined the term, it was my second album,Trap Muzik it dropped in 2003. After that, there was an entire new genre of music created. An open lane for each of you to do what you do, and live your lives, on T.V., and be accepted by the masses. The masses have accepted you 'cause I opened the door and you walked through it. Don't forget who opened that door, cuz.

— Atlanta-based rapperT.I., in a December 2012 interview^[27]

By the end of the decade, a second wave of trap artists gained momentum and frequently topped theBillboard hip hop charts.^[10] Trap producerLex Luger gained huge popularity, and produced more than 200 songs in 2010 and 2011, including a number of singles for mainstream rap artists such as Rick Ross' "B.M.F. (Blowin' Money Fast)". Since Luger's rise, his signature trap sound has been the heavy use of 808s, crisp snares, fast hihats, synth keys, and orchestration of brass, strings, woodwind, and keyboards.^[21] Many of his sounds have been adopted by other hip hop producers trying to replicate his success. As such, Luger is often credited with popularizing the modern trap sound.^[28] Since the 2010s, an array of modern trap producers have gained industry popularity, most notably808 Mafia'sSouthside andTM88,Sonny Digital,Young Chop,DJ Spinz,Tay Keith andMetro Boomin. Some producers expanded their range to other genres, such ascontemporary R&B (Mike WiLL Made It) andelectronic music (AraabMuzik).^[5]

Throughout 2011 and 2012, trap music maintained a strong presence on the mainstreamBillboard music charts with a number of records released by rappers such as Young Jeezy,Chief Keef andFuture.^[10] Jeezy's single "Ballin" reached number 57 on theBillboard charts and was considered one of Jeezy's best tracks in some time.^[29] Future's single, "Turn On the Lights", was certified gold and entered at number 50 on theBillboard Hot 100 and Keef's "I Don't Like" and "Love Sosa" generated over 30 million views on YouTube, spawning a new subgenre within trap calleddrill, or later called Chicago drill following the rise of the less-trap oriented,grime-influenced UK drill.^[30] Music critics called drill production style the "sonic cousin to skittishfootwork,southern-fried hip-hop and the808 trigger-finger of trap". Young Chop is frequently identified by critics as the genre's most characteristic producer.^[31][32][33] The sound of trap producerLex Luger's music is a major influence on drill,^[32][34] and Young Chop identified Shawty Redd, Drumma Boy and Zaytoven as important precursors to the drill movement.^[33] "I Don't Like" inspired fellow Chicago native, notable hip hop producer and rapperKanye West to create a remix of the song, which was included on his labelGOOD Music's compilation albumCruel Summer.Stelios Phili ofGQ called trap music "the sound of hip hop in 2012".^[9]

Since maintaining a strong presence on the mainstream music charts, trap music has been influential to non-hip hop artists. R&B singerBeyoncé's songs "Drunk in Love", "Flawless" and "7/11", all from her 2013 albumBeyoncé, also contained trap influences. American dance-pop singerLady Gaga recorded a trap-inspired song titled "Jewels 'n Drugs" for her 2013 albumArtpop, featuring rappers T.I.,Too Short andTwista. The combination of pop and trap music was met with mixed responses from critics.^[35][36] In September 2013, American pop singerKaty Perry released a song titled "Dark Horse" featuring rapperJuicy J, from her 2013 albumPrism; the song is credited with cementing trap music's place on theBillboard charts.^[37][38] The song reached number one on theBillboard Hot 100 by the end of January 2014.^[39]

In May 2015, trap music once again surfaced to the top of mainstream music charts as New Jersey rapperFetty Wap's hit single "Trap Queen" peaked at number two on the USBillboard Hot 100 chart.^[40] Fetty Wap's subsequent singles, "My Way" and "679", also reached the top 10 of theBillboard Hot 100 chart.^[41] Brooklyn-based rapperDesiigner gained major recognition in 2016 upon the release of "Panda" as his debut single which topped the USBillboard Hot 100 chart.^[42] The commercial success of trap songs also began to be assisted byInternet memes, as was the case withRae Sremmurd andGucci Mane's 2016 song "Black Beatles", which reached number-one on theBillboard Hot 100 chart after exposure through theMannequin Challenge Internet phenomenon.^[43] Similarly, in 2017 the collaboration betweenMigos andLil Uzi Vert "Bad and Boujee", with the now popularly spread lyrics "Raindrop (drip), Drop top (drop top)"^[44] reached number-one after internet meme exposure.^[45][46]2 Chainz released his fourth studio albumPretty Girls Like Trap Music in June 2017. RapperCardi B became extremely popular with her song "Bodak Yellow", which topped theBillboard Hot 100 in 2017.^[47][48]

In 2013,trap-influenced EDM came into the mainstream, popularized by producerDJ Snake.

In 2015, a new fusion of trap music namedLatin trap began to emerge.^[50] Spain was the first Spanish-speaking country to make trap music, with performers as the music group PXXR GVNG, formed byYung Beef,Kaydy Cain, Khaled and the producer Steve Lean, who was a part of808 Mafia. Latin trap is similar to mainstream trap in its themes ofla calle (the streets), hustling, sex, and drugs.^[51] Prominent artists of Latin trap include Bryant Myers,Anuel AA, Miky Woodz, Almighty,Maluma andBad Bunny.^[52] In July 2017,The Fader wrote "Rappers fromPuerto Rico have taken elements of trap—the lurching bass lines, jittering 808s and the eyes-half-closed vibe—and infused them into banger after banger."^[52] In an August 2017 article forBillboard's series, "A Brief History Of", they enlisted some of the key artists of Latin trap, includingOzuna,De La Ghetto,Bad Bunny,Farruko andArcángel—to narrate a brief history on the genre.^[50][53] Elias Leight ofRolling Stone noted "[Jorge] Fonseca featured Puerto Rican artists like Anuel AA,Bryant Myers andNoriel on the compilationTrap Capos: Season 1, which became the first "Latin trap" LP to reach number one onBillboard'sLatin Rhythm Albums chart."^[54] Aremixed version of Cardi B's single "Bodak Yellow" (which had previously reached number one on the USBillboard Hot 100 chart), dubbed the "Latin Trap Remix", was officially released on August 18, 2017, and features Cardi Brapping in Spanish withDominican hip hop recording artist Messiah contributing aguestverse.^[55][56] In November 2017,Rolling Stone wrote that "a surging Latin trap sound is responding to more recent developments as it fuses with Reggaeton, embracing the slow-rolling rhythms and gooey vocal delivery popularized by Southern hip-hop".^[54]

"Bubblegum rap" consists of a "booming, trap-laden" beat with "flavorful" elements andmumble rap.^[57] It is also described as "ushering in a new wave ofInternet-born music stars".^[58]

On 5 May 2018, rapper and musicianChildish Gambino released "This Is America", which is "built on the sharp contrast between jolly, syncretic melodies and menacing trap cadences".^[59] It debuted at number 1 on theBillboard Hot 100 and was streamed over 65 million times in the first week of its release.^[60]

In 2018, in promotion for his albumDime Trap, T.I. opened a pop-up Trap Music Museum inAtlanta:^[61] "We curated it from conception. The purpose of it was to acknowledge the most significant contributors to the culture. Secondly, inform those who may be least knowledgeable about the genre. And inspire those who are in the environment that inspires the genre."^[62] The museum also includes anescape room entitled 'Escape the Trap'.^[63][64]

In 2018, American pop-R&B singerAriana Grande incorporated trap elements in her fourth studio album,Sweetener, while maintaining her signature pop-R&B sound. She furthered trap experimentation in "7 Rings", "Bad Idea", "In My Head" and "Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored" from her fifth studio albumThank U, Next. BothSweetener andThank U, Next were critical and commercial successes, with the former winning theGrammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album, and the latter breaking numerous streaming records and spawning two number one singles on theBillboard Hot 100. Grande's sixth studio album,Positions, is largely a trap-inspired R&B-pop album.

In 2019,Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road" crossed trap withWestern andcountry music.^[65] In March 2019, the song debuted at number 19 on theHot Country Songs before being removed from the chart a week later.^[66] Aremix withBilly Ray Cyrus was released on April 5, 2019, and later became the longest-running number one hip-hop single of all time and the overall longest number one single of all time on theBillboard Hot 100, at 19 weeks, surpassing the record set byMariah Carey andBoyz II Men's "One Sweet Day" andLuis Fonsi andDaddy Yankee's "Despacito" featuringJustin Bieber.^[67]