Trap has raged through the past year and it seems like there’s no stopping it. Here’s The Sherp’s take on what this ‘genre’ is all about.

What exactly is trap music?

Trap music is essentially inspired from the likes of hip-hop and rap originating from the USA back at the start of the millennium. Trap music first emergence was seen coming primarily from the south of the states, a genre filled with musical content that you can feel in the sound of the brass, triangle, triple hi hats & snappy snares and low end 808 bass samples. In simpler words – it’s a sort of an evolved form of hip hop instrumentals being used very frequently by EDM artists today in their dub and techno works.

Evolution

When you first listen to this genre the first thing that shoots into one’s mind is – “Dude, wasn’t that hip – hop?” Well, there’s a perfectly rational explanation for that – Yes it is. The genre has been specifically created to make it easier to differentiate hip-hop artists from their dance music counterparts.  It started off drawing direct inspiration from mainstream hip hop, sounding almost identical, but music is characterized by evolution and and the trap music of today is nothing but the FUTURE sound. One cannot help but notice that it has a direct connection with Dubstep in terms of the vibe it creates, the people who enjoy it etc. The similarities are endless.

Trap Music Today

With equal attention to heavy bass, dub influences and hip hop aesthetics, this latest wave of trap music has rapidly gained wide acceptance among EDM fans. The likes of DIplo, UZ & AraabMuzik, just to name a few, have pioneered this wave of injecting hip hop into modern day dance music. Electronic trap producer Baauer’s track “Harlem Shake” catapulted to the #1 spot of the Billboard top 100, becoming the first ever track of its genre to have achieved this feat.  It’s very similar to current EDM tracks having an enthralling build up, leading up to the inevitable supersonic drop which instantly puts your body in seizure mode. The repetitive hip hop instrumentals keep the listener alive and up-tempo waiting for the widely termed ‘break’ which is absolutely essential.

The Big Guns

Here’s a list of some of the big names in trap today. These are the guys riding the trap wave to glory.

Flosstradamus

Carnage

Oliver Twizt

Dillon Francis

Baauer

Trap music is being labeled as the “new dubstep”, due to the somewhat identical nature of the two genres. Its growing popularity has been further emphasized by the fact that trap artists such as Dillon Francis, UZ, Baauer  & Carnage have graced stages such as the recently concluded Ultra Music Festival. From a stereotypical point of view, trap may sound like just another repetitive form of music derived from hip – hop and rap, but then again, what kind of music doesn’t have that repetitive aspect to it? It has that much – needed punch that wires people together. As the breakout genre of 2012, trap is sure to gain more success in 2013.

The wave is definitely here to stay.