| Jerk | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Xaviersobased performing at Baby's All Right in Brooklyn on February 2, 2023. | |
| Other names | |
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | c. 2020;New York, United States |
| Typical instruments | |
| Derivative forms | Jugg |
| Subgenres | |
| Regional scenes | |
| United Kingdom | |
| Other topics | |
Jerk is amicrogenre ofhip-hop that emerged inNew York City during the early 2020s, drawing inspiration from the original wave ofjerk rap, known asjerkin' in the street dance culture, which initially gained popularity in the early 2010s.
Music criticKieran Press-Reynolds while writing for British magazineThe Face described jerk as "fidgety rhythms, staggered snares and mangled vocals", and noted that a variety of jerk rappers "boast" but also showcase "a quirky and sensitive lyrical undercurrent [that] tends to lurk beneath the tough-guy facade".[3]
According to New York magazineThe Fader, althoughXaviersobased and his collective1c34 are credited with spearheading the jerk microgenre,[4] he never listened to the original wave ofjerk rap and is more inspired byMilwaukee rap'slowend scene in his "percussion choices".[5]
In 2021, New York rapperXaviersobased formed the collective1c34,[6][3][4] who reimagined the sound ofjerk rap into a completely different style, adapting its framework to fit the evolving aesthetics ofunderground rap.[3][4] They are credited with spearheading and popularizing the movement which was then further developed by Californian producer kashpaint.[3] This new style of jerk rap blended elements ofcloud rap,digicore,Milwaukee lowend andplugg.[3][7][8]
The Face labelled tracks such as Xaviersobased's "Patchmade" (2022),[9] Phreshboyswag's "Inspire" (2023),[10] andNettspend's "Shine n Peace" (2023) as "jerk anthems".[3] Artists such asYhapojj,[11][12] ksuuvi,[8] Bloody!,[2] idkcap,[2] percosits,[2] Tenkay,[13] Nettspend[14][15] and Feardorian[1] further contributed to the movement.[1] "Underground heroes" likeDuwap Kaine later drew influence from the style, releasing the albumDuwapSoBased in 2023.[3] Artists Islurwhenitalk and Subiibabii were credited with pioneering the "vampjerk" style, which drew from the genresigilkore.[3][16]
While rooted in the US, the jerk scene gained further momentum in the UK, with the movement being regarded as a "new UK rap revolution".[17][18] The British jerk scene saw wider popularity in 2024, being spearheaded by artists likeFakemink[19][20][21][22] as well asYT[9][23][24] with his singles "Black and Tan" and "Prada or Celine".[25][26] These releases were followed by further contributions in the genre by artists such asJim Legxacy,EsDeeKid,[27] Len and Fimiguerrero.[10][28][29]
Jugg Edit rap (also known asJugg orFXspam) is amicrogenre that draws from the "twitchy snare rhythms" of jerk.[16]While writing forPitchfork, music criticKieran Press-Reynolds stated that the style's "breakout smash" was the song "everyday is the same" by rapper ocelot, who drew inspiration from rapper islurwhenitalk "asigilkore deity who pioneered this sort of ultra-twitchy, rhythmic meltdown that's as much dance music as rap".[16] Artists such as Gomi, len333, syrgn and ss3bby have also been noted as influential in the development of the genre.[16] The style is characterized by "sequences of sound effects and sidechained bass that swallows everything".[16] The term "FXspam" has also been used onSoundCloud to describe the scene for its use of "degraded samples".[16]
