by Kenneth Schick
Trap music is a music genre that originated in the early 2000s from Southern hip hop and crunk in the Southern United States. It is typified by its lyrical content and trademark sound, which incorporates 808 sub-bass kick drums, sped-up hi-hats, layered synthesizers, and "cinematic" strings.
In 2012, a new movement of electronic music producers and DJs emerged who began incorporating elements of trap music into their works. This helped expand its popularity among electronic music fans. A number of stylistic offshoots of trap developed, which in the latter half of 2012 gained a rise in viral popularity and made a noticeable impact on dance music.
History
2000s: Beginning and origins
The term "trap" was literally used to refer to the place where drug deals are made. Fans and critics started to refer to rappers whose primary lyrical topic was drug dealing, as "trap rappers."
UGK and Three 6 Mafia were among the first rappers to introduce trap music. The lyrics covered topics about life in "the trap", drug dealing and the struggle for success. Most of these sub-genres combined trap-style drum patterns with EDM synths, Five popular EDM trap producers were set to perform at the 2013 Ultra Music Festival - Carnage, UZ, DJ Craze, Baauer and Flosstradamus.
