Phonk

Phonk took inspiration from trap roots in the Southern United States in the mid 1990s.[1] Artists or musical groups like DJ Screw, X-Raided, Phonk Beta, DJ Squeeky, and the collective Three 6 Mafia all helped pioneer the foundations for the genre to emerge many years later, with the Houston chopped and screwed seen as the precursor to the genre.[1] While phonk died down at the end of the 2000s, it saw a resurgence in the early 2010s.[2] A darker, ominous take on the 1990s trap music emerged from key producers such as SpaceGhostPurrp and DJ Smokey.[3]

The word "phonk" was popularized by SpaceGhostPurrp,[4] who released tracks such as Pheel Tha Phonk, Bringin' Tha Phonk, and Keep Bringin' Tha Phonk.[5][6] YouTube channels, such as Ryan Celsius, Trillphonk,[7] Emotional Tokyo, and rare also helped popularize the genre.[8] Phonk producers continued to push this sound in the underground, before the genre gained real momentum during the mid-2010s.[1]

By the end of 2017, phonk had evolved to become more contemporary,[9] moving away from the "gritty, dark, Memphis-oriented sound" and including more modern vocals, bringing to light more jazz and classic hip hop.[1] This stream of phonk has been described as "rare phonk" by Ryan Celsius, characterized by "more of a cleaner, almost mainstream trap sound".[10] Between 2016 and 2018, phonk was one of the most listened genres on SoundCloud, with the hashtag #phonk among the most trending each year.[11][12][13]

Directly inspired by 1990s Memphis rap, phonk is characterized by old Memphis rap vocals and samples from early-1990s hip hop.[14] These are often combined with jazz and funk samples.[1] The chopped and screwed technique is mainly used, in order to create a darker sound.[1][14]

A peculiarity of phonk is the fact that it is not anchored to a regional "scene":[14][1] this is tied with the nature of SoundCloud itself as an online platform, which highlights subgenres derived from hip hop and experimental pop.[15] Indeed, phonk artist Lowpocus stated in an interview in 2017: "What is fascinating about [phonk] is that these artists come from all over the world: you can find producers of phonk in Canada, in the United States, in France, and even in Russia!"[16] Other notable artists associated with "new-age phonk" include DJ Smokey, DJ Yung Vamp,[17] Soudiere, NxxxxxS and Mythic.[5][16]

Alongside its musical aspect, phonk is characterized by a distinguishable aesthetic, which incorporates cartoon imagery such Simpsons fan-art.[18][19] Phonk artists often use "Pen & Pixel"-style graphics for their EPs and albums.[18]

"Drift phonk", a subgenre of phonk, emerged in the late-2010s in Russia.[20] It is characterized by the use of high bass, cowbells and distorted sounds,[10][21] making the lyrics of the samples often unrecognizable.[20] Drift phonk videos often use clips of drifting and street racing cars,[20] which makes it popular in online car culture.[22] The genre quickly gained traction through the TikTok app.[20] Prominent producers include Kaito Shoma, Pharmacist, and Lxst Cxntury, who are all Russian.[20]