SoundCloud rap
| SoundClould rap | |
|---|---|
 The logo for SoundCloud | |
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | Mid 2010s, United States |
| Typical instruments | Vocals |
| Other topics | |
SoundCloud rap refers to a scene or sub-genre of rap artists that gained popularity on the SoundCloud platform. It is closely associated with the emo rap genre.
History
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Artists such as Smokepurpp, Yung Lean, XXXTentacion, Ski Mask the Slump God, Juice WRLD, and Lil Pump originated from SoundCloud and rose to the Billboard top charts.[1] The sound created was different from the mainstream, with a grittier and darker sound that results from a lack of production. SoundCloud rap is a lo-fi, melody driven, distorted sound with lyrics that usually focus on repetition and less on content. The SoundCloud artists themselves are known to have exaggerated appearances that include bright colored hair and face tattoos.[2] These SoundCloud rappers are in the late teens to early twenties age range with a strong youth following.[2] Smokepurpp, a SoundCloud artist, explained in a Rolling Stone article how the first songs he created and put on the platform were not recorded using a real microphone.[1] The DIY nature of SoundCloud made it so millions of artists were able to put out their work without any studio equipment usually needed to make music.[3] The freedom to upload on the platform allows for many SoundCloud rappers to post tracks impulsively or post many tracks at a time.[2] The imperfect sound created by these SoundCloud rappers has contributed to their growing popularity and the creation of a rap sub-genre.
In 2017, music critic Jon Caramanica of The New York Times opined that SoundCloud rap "in the last year has become the most vital and disruptive new movement in hip-hop".[4] Todd Moscowitz, the founder of Alamo Records, called the scene a "lo-fi movement" noting the heavily distorted bass and intentional lack of polish in the sound. When Ski Mask the Slump God discussed the genre's lo-fi sound and recording techniques, he noted, "It was like the worst recording set up, [but] you could set it up anywhere and that was the wave we were on.... The raw energy of that – the distortion – is our speciality and we used that to our advantage."[5] Spin noted that the SoundCloud company has not been able to leverage the popularity of SoundCloud rap to improve its financial problems.[6] In January 2019, citing the deaths of American rappers Lil Peep in 2017 and XXXTentacion in 2018, Lil Xan's entry into rehab, and 6ix9ine's legal troubles, Stephen Witt of Rolling Stone magazine argued that the SoundCloud rap wave of the past few years was now in decline.[7]
See also
- Vice City (XXXTentacion song), a song defined as a classic in SoundCloud rap
- XXXTentacion
- Juice Wrld
References
- ^ a b Turner, David (2017-06-01). "Look At Me!: The Noisy, Blown-Out SoundCloud Revolution Redefining Rap". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2019-07-24.
- ^ a b c "Understanding SoundCloud Rap". LNWY. Retrieved 2019-08-04.
- ^ "The Messy Story of How SoundCloud Rap Took Over Everything". GQ. Retrieved 2019-08-04.
- ^ Caramanica, Jon (June 22, 2017). "The Rowdy World of Rap's New Underground". The New York Times.
- ^ Turner, David (June 1, 2017). "Look At Me!: The Noisy, Blown-Out SoundCloud Revolution Redefining Rap". Rolling Stone.
- ^ Sargent, Jordan (July 14, 2017). "Why Soundcloud Rap Couldn't Save Soundcloud". Spin.
- ^ Witt, Stephen (January 16, 2019). "Tekashi 69: The Rise and Fall of a Hip-Hop Supervillain". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 2, 2019.