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Even though there are plenty of hip hop purists that want to separate trap from rap, they will always be connected as trap is a sub-genre of rap. Trap music started to gain traction in the early 90s in Southern America; the signifiers of the trap style became an aggressive sound, and equally as aggressive lyrics which primarily focused on drug dealing and drug use.

Instrumentally, trap separated itself from hip hop with heavier basslines, faster time signatures, prominent 808s, layered synths, and for the more experimental trap artists, cinematic strings. Lyrically, trap artists were even more visceral in their rap bars about the inescapable gang and drug lifestyles (hence, trap) than the original gangster rappers. Atlanta became the capital of trap, while Ghetto Mafia, Goodie Mob, Outkast, Dungeon Family and Cool Breeze became the pioneers.

A decade after the inception of trap, artists such as Gucci Mane, 2 Chainz, Triple 6 Mafia and Young Jeezy started pushing the genre even further and allowing it to branch out into the diverse scene that it is today. Producers also had a pivotal role in the evolution of trap; the likes of Drumma Boy, Shawty Redd and Mike WiLL contributed to the contemporary trap sound that incorporates a dark atmosphere, street culture and a hard-hitting high-octane sound. At the turn of the century, trap not only dominated the airwaves, but it also became commonplace in strip clubs in the south too.

The first wave of trap broke into the mainstream in 2003 with the release of T.I.’s second studio album; it sold over 2 million copies and T.I. received a sync deal with EA sports. After his success, T.I. explained the motivation behind his career; to help people understand the actions of people that come from a less privileged side of life. A similar ethos is carried by the new generation of trap artists who are often misbranded as brash or crass when really, their music is reflective of their lives. In 2005, Young Jeezy entered the US Billboard Charts at number 2 after selling 172,000 copies of his album, Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101, in the week after its release. It later became a platinum record.

Fast forward to 2012; the trap scene started to merge with the EDM scene as producers and DJs started to weave trap styles into their dance mixes. Many are under the false impression that this was the beginning for trap, and it came along as some new millennial trend, but this is far from the case. In 2021, there are multiple trap sub-genres, even ones as far-reaching as trap metal. The most promising trappers to watch include the likes of Rico Nasty, Nayana Iz, Lil Uzi Vert and Waka Flaka Flame.

Kilabear created a sonic sanctuary for the disillusioned with his dark trap stormer, leave me alone

Kilabear

In leave me alone, the alt-rap pioneer, Kilabear, stakes his claim as the dark sovereign of trap, invoking a prelude reminiscent of Sisters of Mercy, only to shatter the gothic serenity with a bass-heavy beat that propels us into his world of brooding introspection. The track is a raw confluence where the polished production of pop and the grit of trap music coalesce into an evocative vignette of how desperation for isolation can swarm the psyche.

Kilabear’s verses, laden with a poignant candour, penetrate relatable melancholy deep into the mix; his words don’t just hit close to the bone, they soak into the marrow as you’re confronted with unfeigned vulnerability, which acts as an olive branch to connect through one of life’s most solitary experiences. If you’ve ever wanted to withdraw into the recesses of your own spirit through disillusionment and scorn, consider leave me alone you’re new sonic sanctuary.

With his music, Kilabear addresses themes of heartbreak, substance abuse, and the everyday struggles that often go unspoken. leave me alone is a testament to his fearlessness in exposing unvarnished truth.

leave me alone will be available to stream on all major platforms from October 9th; check out the single on Spotify and Apple Music.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Caleb X ticked all the right dream trap boxes in ‘Ricky Hoodie’

Caleb X’s standout single, Ricky Hoodie, drawn from his third LP, Dreams of Rodeo, introduces listeners to a dreamscape where the trap genre isn’t just revisited; it’s reinvented. The track embodies a dreamy trap aesthetic that could lift the heaviest souls to ethereal heights with its light, transcendent tonality. The instrumental work is nothing short of entrancing, setting a cloud-like stage for Caleb X’s vocals.

His verses meld the sticky sweetness of pop harmonies with the sharp cadence of hip-hop, demonstrating his unique flair for bridging genres. It’s a polyphonic exploration that promises to peel back layers of the mundane and add a fresh sound to any vibe-out playlist. Ricky Hoodie ticks every proverbial box for what dream trap can aspire to be—polyphonic, innovative, and utterly mesmerising without resorting to cliché.

Caleb X, hailing from Atlanta, continually defies the ordinary, shaping sounds that refuse to be shackled by the conventional boundaries of trap music. With each new release, he distinguishes himself from his contemporaries by bending sonic boundaries towards his creative will.

Stream and purchase the 3rd LP from Caleb X on Apple Music and Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Skinny Blacks fired up a new wave of hip-hop with his hypersonically hot track, Getaway Bae

With roots stretching from South London to St. Elizabeth, Jamaica, Skinny Blacks delivered a pulsating summer anthem with Getaway Bae. If you’re searching for a track that hits harder than a heatwave in July, this high-octane single offers everything you’d expect from an artist fusing his Jamaican heritage with trap-heavy beats.

In an era where so much hip-hop sounds formulaic, Skinny Blacks smashes through the monotony with energy levels that could power a city. The track comes with the unrelenting force of a tropical storm, combining rhythmic precision with an edge that demands a replay.

By blending melodic rap with bold trap production, Skinny Blacks crafted an adrenalised hit for the wanderlust generation. Lyrically, it’s an unapologetic testament to being in control of your destiny, and musically, it’s a blueprint for the new direction UK rap is taking. It’s clear Skinny Blacks isn’t just riding the wave – he’s creating his own tsunami in the scene.

Getaway Bae was officially released on September 1st; stream the single on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Goodfellow delivered the antidote for obsessive rumination with his alt-pop hit, Think 2 Much

Goodfellow, accompanied by the honeyed harmonies of female vocalist seleen, dropped a genre-defying single that seizes the RnB Trap Pop scene with an undeniable groove. ‘Think 2 Much‘ hit the epicentre of the contemporary genre-fluid zeitgeist by weaving pop elements reminiscent of Maroon 5’s chart-dominating era with ‘Payphone’ into a foundation of trappy beats.

In ‘Think 2 Much’, the lyrics paint a chaotic whirlwind of thoughts induced by an overwhelming crush, offering listeners a sticky-sweet vignette of emotional turmoil. This perennial earworm doesn’t just narrate; it plunges you into the heart of melodious obsession where there’s no escaping the razor-sharp hooks which are embedded within the quintessential soul of RnB.

The slick production ensures that the beat remains too addictive for just one listen, and the same goes for Goodfellow’s cheeky, hedonistic charm that permeates the track, resonating through augmented summer-vibe melodies that promise to outlive the season.

For those entangled in the messy throes of romance, here’s your anthem.

Think 2 Much is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Bari Mcknight synthed away the pain of ephemeral affection in ‘SUMMER THINGS’

Two things are guaranteed every summer: swathes of stellar summer pop hits and the inevitable ashes of quick-to-burn romances. In his latest single, SUMMER THINGS, the independent artist, Bari Mcknight, brought one of the former and consoled casualties of the latter by fusing echoes of Afrobeat with catchy pop hooks, the soul of stylistically synth-driven RnB and a trappy beat, resulting in an irresistible earworm which is weighted in evocative realism, contrasting the dreamy etherealism of the track.

If the lingering sting of ephemeral affection is making the onslaught of autumn feel that much colder, SUMMER THINGS is the ultimate source of salvation. The echoes of The Weeknd’s aesthetic coursing through the neon-lit, synaesthesia-inducing production leaves enough room for Mcknight’s sonic signature which is scribing his legacy – one hit at a time.

It’s rare to find a pop track with the potential to dominate the charts while resonating with the sincerity of a diary entry, but that’s exactly what the New Jersey-residing independent artist achieved in SUMMER THINGS, which features on his latest album, Summer of Love; a curated anthology of laidback melodies and relatable narratives.

SUMMER THINGS dropped on August 2nd; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

EGO DEF struck only the rawest chords with the alt-indie trap hit, wings

Fans of Fijmar, Alixx, and LIL NYX won’t want to miss EGO DEF’s single, wings, which transports through the darker recesses of indie-licked electronic alchemy, merging emo’s raw emotional intensity with the rhythmic pulse of trap.

The track’s plaintively striking beats lock you in as you sink into the razor-sharp tendrils of melancholy, making it a deeply resonant experience that echoes the all-too-relatable growing pains of youth.

wings laments over feelings of inadequacy, the overwhelming uncertainties of life, and the reckless desires that often accompany them. With every beat and lyric, EGO DEF’s polished and magnetic melodicism pulls you deeper into his world, where vulnerability meets the danger of desire.

As EGO DEF inches closer to the coveted 1 million streams mark, it’s clear that his achingly resonant productions are striking a chord with listeners. His ability to channel raw emotion into agonised earworms suggests he’s destined for top chart positions.

wings is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Bang emotional ambiguity cascades into Bang’s alt-indie lullaby, HOLD ON

In his latest single, HOLD ON, the alt-indie visionary, Bang, plunged his eternally expanding following into a pool of lush reverb-swathed ambience, intersected by sharp, reverberant trap beats that push momentum into the hazy lullaby which envelops the senses with wavy dream-like soul.

With this seminal release, bang captured the essence of affection as the harbinger of comfort and the precursor to uncertainty and confusion. The exposition of the dangers of letting down your walls is intricately crafted into the thematic visualisations of the introspective lyrics that are filled with late-night longing.  The sensory expedition into the heart of emotional ambiguity is an irresistible invitation to escape into the delicious delirium.

The seraphically disorientating release marks the Michigan-raised Asian-American artist as the Thom Yorke of his generation while becoming a milestone stride in his set-to-be illustrious sonic journey which was chartered after early exposure to Bollywood rhythms and 00s hip-hop beats.

As the architect of hits that pulsate with modern indie rhythm and find superlative equilibrium between evocative and innovative cultivation, Bang is elevating the airwaves with his solo work and his role in the genre-defying collective, Rarehearted.

HOLD ON will be available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify, from July 24th.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

J Cass subverted RnB with the neon-lit melancholy in ‘In Da Club’

In Da Club by J Cass unleashes itself from the parameters of the typical RnB anthem by subverting expectations with its Weeknd-esque pensiveness layered beneath the shimmering, neon-lit instrumentals.

The follow-up to his debut, What We Gon’ Do, showcases J Cass’s scintillating ability to blend visceral colour and melancholy within smooth, minor key melodies. His vocals, heavy with gravitas, sweep across the trap-infused beats, marking this track as a profound exploration of emotional depth and artistic maturity.

In Da Club tears down the barriers to the soul, inviting listeners to reflect on their own journeys while dancing to its rhythm. As J Cass continues to navigate and reshape the R&B landscape, his tracks invite us to submerge into our own introspective experiences.

Joseph Castro, the man behind J Cass, hails from Tampa, Florida, and brings a rich background in music and life philosophy to his work. As a graduate of Berklee with a BA in Music Business, he is deeply committed to influencing the music scene through his soul-stirring sonics and educating young minds as a teacher at the Bach to Rock Music School, where he is fostering the next generation of musical talent.

In Da Club is available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

$chaff the Prophet – TELEPHONE: The Cosmic Psych-Trap Track You Won’t Be Able to Put Down

$chaff the Prophet burst through the bubblegum pop trend and established his own cosmic bubblegum psych trap niche with his second LP for 2024, PSYCHEDELIC BUBBLEGUM.

The standout single, TELEPHONE, is an electrifying synth-driven kaleidoscopic synthesis of 8Bit, trap, hyperpop, and Owl City-esque electronica. If the viscerally hued sonics of the track don’t ensnare you, $chaff the Prophet’s sticky-sweet approach to painting a neon-lit vignette of a lonely protagonist searching for connection while keeping social life in the palm of her hand hits hard enough to bruise.

The exposition of how easy it is to get “lost in information, pixels and tones” couldn’t hit closer to home now given the hyperconnected nature of Gen Z and Gen Alpha. The artist’s signature arpeggios lend themselves effortlessly well to the playful yet empathy-evoking production, which shows just how far $chaff the Prophet has come since the launch of his debut in 2019. Now 11 LPs deep, his authentic sound has become so cultivated that he deserves to be revered as a pioneer in his own right.

TELEPHONE is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Dani Enli opened the doorway to the RnB Pop pantheon with ‘till the end of time’

After the phenomenal success of her debut single, used to it, singer-songwriter & producer Dani Enli ensured the momentum amassing around her stayed high by releasing her sophomore single, till the end of time. By synthesising future-forward RnB melodies with a pensive trap beat and the sentimentality of pop balladry, Enli opened the doorway to the RnB pop pantheon with the downtempo release which gives every aching word to breathe and resonate over the synths that echo emotion as much as the lyrical poetry.

The bittersweet RnB pop symphony delivers the heart-wrenching epiphany that in the mind and reality of the one that got away, all you will ever be is a memory that fades. Inspired, written, composed and produced following a breakup, the single tenderly explores the transitions between resentment and longing, regret and mourning, proving that nothing is ever black and white; everything lies on a spectrum which Enli profoundly explores with the blissful tonal hues that drift between the progressions in this mellifluously flawless production.

till the end of time reached the airwaves on May 10th; add the single to your Spotify playlists or stream the single on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast