Nikhil Ramachandran ‘15
EE Contributor
Beautiful mixtures of melodies, layers of smooth synthesizers, diverse tempos, and thumping 808 bass tracks; welcome to the world of trap music.
Although it originated in the early 2000s in the south of the United States, trap music has recently become ubiquitous, exploding in popularity around 2012. It has really taken over the stage of dubstep in terms of prominence, and plans to stay for a while. The music stemmed from several underground artists, also gaining recognition through dance forms. It became even more widespread as popular artists such as Swedish House Mafia incorporated it into new hit singles. Moreover, Youtube has become a major outlet for it, with countless users uploading their remixes of popular songs with the addition of trap and grabbing millions of views every day. It is obvious that trap music is currently in full surge.
However, trap has certainly has evolved since its origins. According to LA Weekly, a ‘trap’ referred to areas where drugs were usually sold/made, and the phrase “meet in me in the trap” was commonly used. In order to parallel with the effects of being dazed, or having extra sensory perceptions, trap music has strong synthesizers and slow but booming beats. The more modern version of trap has drawn influences from dubstep, hence the more rapid pace of songs. To put it simply,as per runthetrap.com, trap today is composed of hip-hop, dubstep, and edm (electronic dance music).
There is no shortage of artists of trap now, but the some of the best include UZ, Flostradamus, and RL Grime.
UZ’s actual identity is unknown, creating a sense of mystery to him, which is only furthered by his forward thinking beats. He is never afraid to put out something listeners are unaccustomed to, and surely enough after some time, his innovation becomes the new norm.
Flosstradamus is a genius dj duo that is sure to create the next dance party banger. Their remix of Original Don is something the audience can’t afford to miss.
RL Grime quickly became a fan favorite after his remix of Kanye West’s ‘Mercy’, and is only increasing in popularity, his quirky tracks can easily give listeners goosebumps.
Providing an insight into the student body’s stance on trap music, senior Charles Pitcher laid out his opinion on the newfound musical phenomenon. When asked what his favorite part about trap was, he quickly responded, “The drops of course! They build all the tension and excitement, and create sounds you just normally don’t hear, especially not in dubstep.” He said he just really enjoys “Good party music, something that’s fun to dance to”, and loves how trap “always leaves you surprised with the unique synchronizations artists can create.”
So, what are you waiting for? Hit up Youtube or Soundcloud to listen to the newest mixes and get involved in the trap game, you won’t regret it!