History of Trap Music
As the dust from the high-profile East Coast – West Coast hip hop wars of the mid-90s settled, a new musical movement was brewing below the Mason-Dixon line. Atlanta, always a center of Black culture but not as large a player in mainstream rap, was seeing a rise in its own gangsta rap variation: trap. The minimalist beats, triplet flows, and distinct, booming 808 kick drums made trap not only one of the most popular forms of hip hop through the 2000s and 2010s, but also inspired huge pop and EDM hits.
“It permeated the culture so deeply that it became nearly impossible to remove it. And it seems like everywhere you look, you can still sort of see the residue,” music journalist Sheldon Pearce said in an NPR story on trap music’s rise.
Trap music remains distinct because even though it has suffused the mainstream, its origins have deep roots in Black Southern culture. Universal Production Music’s diverse library includes curated trap music playlists to help media creators tell their stories. Our tracks can help give your project the authentic feel you’ve been looking for, but first, read up on the real, dirty story of these beats. Here’s a short timeline of trap music, from the streets of Atlanta to the clubs of Ibiza.
The ‘trap’: A location, a goal, and a way of life
The name trap music comes from trap houses, Atlanta-area slang for spots where dealers and gangs made and sold drugs. ‘The trap’ was a geographical description of rough neighborhoods. Some attribute the word to Atlanta’s many cul-de-sacs, in which there would be only one way in or out of a sketchy area.
Maurice Garland, a music journalist from Atlanta, said he personally began hearing the word around 1996 or ‘97, and feels it has metaphorical meaning not just in being a “trap” for those caught in the lifestyle, but also as a verb.
“I'm trapping because I'm securing something. You know what I'm saying? Like, I'm securing some kind of resources,” Garland told NPR.
The term is said to have first appeared on a track by the Atlanta group Goodie Mob in 1995, and OutKast popularized the terms “trap” and “trapping” in their lyrics, but neither of these groups are considered trap artists by today’s standards. At the time, “trap” music mostly referred to rappers who rapped specifically about Atlanta’s drug scene, but as you’ll see if you check out our catalog of trap music albums, it’s the distinct production sound that began to define what trap music is today.
The genre began to really take shape and establish a clear sound with early aughts releases from the “trap trinity.”
The Trap Trinity
There were many rappers and collectives in the late 90s Atlanta scene that influenced early trap, including Cool Breeze, Ghetto Mafia and Dungeon Family.
T.I., Jeezy, and Gucci Mane – the “Trap Trinity” – took off in the grassroots Atlanta mixtape scene, distributing their homemade music out of the trunks of cars, just like earlier late 80s and early 90s gangsta rap pioneers. T.I. turned to the mixtape circuit after his first album, 2001’s I’m Serious, underperformed and got him dropped from his label. His mixtape success got him signed with Atlantic Records for his smash 2003 follow up Trap Muzik. Similar homegrown movements were happening across the sprawling, segregated, and economically disadvantaged neighborhoods of the South.
T.I. worked on his first four albums with producer DJ Troomp, but Gucci Mane and Jeezy became known for their work with influential producer Shawty Redd. Redd’s signature “booty-shain’ hi-hats” were a core sound of 2000s trap. Learn more about the production of trap music and explore our extensive library.
A triplet rap style, characterized by staccato delivery more so than speed, has been part of hip hop since the 1970s, but became particularly associated with trap music. Trap artists tend to utilize the triplet flow with beat programming specifically on the snare and hi-hats.
Crossover and mainstream hits
The 2010s saw no end to a national appetite for trap music, and Southern rappers continued to make their mark. Producer Lex Luger, co-founder of production team 808 Mafia, worked with many stars of the time, producing Waka Flaka Flame’s landmark 2010 album Flockaveli. 808 Mafia took its name from the booming, low-frequency bass sounds intrinsic to trap. The slang ‘808’ originates from the electronic percussion samples of the Roland TR-808 drum machine of the 1980s.
Migos, Future, and other artists of the 2010s carried on trap tradition, but also branched out far more into the mainstream than their forefathers as the culture changed. Luger’s beats began showing up on albums for huge artists like Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg and Kanye West. EDM artists Rustie and Hudson Mohawke began to play Luger’s songs on the dance floor, starting a true crossover and trap domination at the club.
Trap beats and production styles began to show up on pop albums from the likes of Beyonce, Miley Cyrus, and even Taylor Swift on her 2017 album Reputation. Nothing compares to our production sync library, so learn about our licensing offerings, register to find your next sound today and see how we can help you to reach new creative heights.