Which rapper invented trap music?
Although it has existed for decades, Atlanta trap music has only become the de facto sound of hip-hop in the last 15 years. Although it has existed in various forms since the 1990s, there has always been a mystery about who created the sound.
There is no doubt where it started, but many people have tried to take credit for its popularity over the years. T.I., Gucci Mane, and Jeezy have made claims over the years. However, none of them can agree with each other about who was involved and who wasn’t.
Trap is heavily influenced by the dark, bass-heavy productions made in Memphis during the 1980s and 1990s. After gaining traction, the sound started travelling South into Georgia, Florida, and Mississippi. Still, the gritty sound that was refined in Atlanta with the eerie synth loops and 808 kicks can be traced back to one rapper and producer combo in particular: Drama and Shawty Redd.
Atlanta’s Shawty Redd joined forces with Drama in the late 1990s to produce his debut album, Causin’ Drama. However, Drama was very specific about the style of production he wanted and placed a lot of emphasis on the drums and 808s in particular.
During a discussion with Complex magazine, Shawty Redd recalled the movement’s beginnings and reflected on his work with Drama, revealing, “When [Drama] came, he already had the music in his head, as far as drum patterns. He would beat on his chest and rap. So I tried to put those elements into the music the best way I could, as far as the drum patterns.”
However, even when he followed Drama’s advice, something was missing from the beat, and to add movement, he decided to add something different — hi-hats. Explaining why he tried the hi-hats, Redd detailed, “The beat still wasn’t moving to me like I wanted! That’s where the hi-hats came from. I never knew that it was going to be a trending thing. I just wanted something that would make me bounce. It was just, you got a slower beat, so why don’t you put some booty-shake hi-hats in there?”
With the hi-hats blended with the powerful 808s and eerie synths, it began to become familiar to Atlanta natives, and after working with Drama, the 808 drums became his signature sound, and over the years, they became more potent. One rapper Redd worked with is Lil J, who would later become known worldwide as Young Jeezy.
Jeezy was also a key part in the development of trap, and many other Atlanta MCs, including T.I. would champion the sonic, but the earliest versions of the sound can be heard on Causin Drama. Beatmakers such as DJ Toomp and Lil Jon continued to elevate and tinker with trap.
According to DJ Toomp, who accompanied T.I. early in his career, the term ‘trap music’ came from the success of the song ‘Dope Boyz In The Trap’. This track prompted T.I. to name his sophomore album Trap Muzik, and the Atlanta-born sonic has been called trap music ever since.