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Emo rap

From EverybodyWiki Bios & Wiki

Emo rap
Other names
Stylistic origins
Cultural originsMid-2010s, United States
Typical instruments
Derivative formsHyperpop[6]
Other topics

Search Emo rap on Amazon.

Emo rap is a fusion genre of hip hop and emo.[7] Originating in the SoundCloud rap scene in the mid-2010s,[8] the genre fuses characteristics of hip hop music, such as beats and rapping, with the lyrical themes, instrumentals, and vocals commonly found in emo music.

Characteristics[edit]

Emo rapper Lil Peep

Publications have described emo rap as taking influence from hip hop,[9][10] emo,[9][10] trap,[7] pop punk,[11] nu metal,[9] indie rock,[7] post-hardcore[12] and cloud rap.[10]

Emo rap departs from the "traditional" tones found in modern mainstream hip hop in favor of more emotional and personal lyrical content,[13][14] described by the Wall Street Journal as "giving their elders the finger."[15] Lyrics tend to focus on topics such as depression,[16] loneliness, anxiety,[17] drug abuse, nihilism,[18] suicide,[9] heartbreak,[19] and self-medication.[20] The genre is characterized by its combination of musical elements commonly found in conscious hip hop with indie rock instrumentals.[21] Sampling often uses 2000s pop punk and emo songs. Much of the sampling has been influenced by artists who inspired the genre, such as Mineral, Underoath and The Postal Service.[22][23] Some emo rappers also make use of original instrumentation.[24] Horse Head of the collective GothBoiClique has described the music as "...sort of nostalgic, but it's new too...no one's really done shit like this. It's like emo rap and melodic trap".[25]

Fans of the music are sometimes referred to as "sad boys", in reference to emo rapper Yung Lean's music group by the same name.[3][26][27]

History[edit]

1990s to early 2010s: Precursors[edit]

Prior to emo rap solidifying itself as a genre, the term was applied by critics to rappers such as Joe Budden,[28] Kanye West,[29] and Drake[30][31] due to their emotional styles of lyric writing. American rapper Slug of Atmosphere claimed in 2017 that he invented the name "emo rap" in an IR Magazine article from 1997.[20] The music of German rapper Casper, which was influenced by both hip hop and bands like Give up the Ghost, Modern Life is War and Grave Digger, was often referred to as "emo rap" early on in his career.[32] Huffington Post writer Kia Makarechi described American group Hollywood Undead as "crass emo-rap" in 2012 article.[33]

Additionally, between the 1990s and early-2010s, there was a number of significant crossovers between the hip hop scene and the emo and pop punk scene. Zebrahead have been playing a style of music that features vocalist Ali Tabatabaee rapping over pop punk instrumentals since the band's formation in 1995.[34] Rapper MC Lars has been making use of samples and references to emo and pop punk songs in his music since his 2004 debut album.[35][36] Pop punk band Good Charlotte, often stated that they took influence from hip hop and in 2007 released the album Greatest Remixes, which consisted of a number of their previously released songs being remixed by both hip hop and pop punk musicians such as Jay E, Patrick Stump, Marshall Goodman and William Beckett. In 2005, Stump and Pete Wentz founded DCD2 Records, which signed both emo and hip hop artists, who would often collaborate and tour alongside one another. DCD2 signees Cobra Starship and Gym Class Heroes also merged elements of both genres. In 2006, rapper Kanye West remixed emo pop band Fall Out Boy's song "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race". Fearless Records released the album Punk Goes Crunk in 2008, which was made up of emo and pop punk musicians covering popular hip hip songs. Emo band Framing Hanley covered rapper Lil Wayne's song "Lollipop" in 2008 and Lil Wayne went on to collaborative with pop punk band Weezer in 2011, on the song "Can't Stop Partying".[11] Also in 2012, prominent pop-punk band Blink-182 featured rapper Yelawolf on the track "Pretty Little Girl" from their Dogs Eating Dogs EP.[37]

In 2013, Swedish rapper and member of the Sad Boys collective, Yung Lean, released Ginseng Strip 2002 and the highly influential mixtape Unknown Death 2002, which many[according to whom?] have regarded as cementing Yung Lean as the "father of emo rap".[38][39][40]

Mid 2010s to present: Popularity and deaths[edit]

Emo rap was pioneered by Bones,[41] whose VHS-recorded music videos and dark production and aesthetic were so influential on the hip hop underground of the time that Dazed described him as the "underground rap king."[42] In 2012, members of Thraxxhouse, a subgroup of Raider Klan, formed GothBoiClique (GBC),[43] with the intention of drawing connections between the emo, trap, dark wave, black metal and indie rock scenes.[44] GBC's style of emo rap influenced swathes of artists in the underground emo and hip hop scenes on SoundCloud,[44] with Lil Lotus,[45] Lil Peep[46] and Lil Tracy,[43] all citing the group as an influence and the latter-most two even eventually becoming members. During this time, a DIY ethos came to define the genre,[47][48] to the extent that when Shinigami released his debut album Luna on Spotify, he was derided as a sellout, due to the streaming service's ability to monetize.[49]

File:Lil skiess.jpg
Emo rapper Lil Skies[50]

In 2017, Lil Uzi Vert's song "XO Tour Llif3" became a sleeper hit. The song, characterized as emo hip hop[51] due to its lyrics referring to suicide and emotional breakdowns peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100.[52][53] In August 2017, XXXTentacion released his debut album 17 with the lead single "Jocelyn Flores" which addresses the suicide of a friend[54] and Lil Uzi Vert released his debut studio album Luv Is Rage 2. The release of both the projects and their high peak on the Billboard 200 became defining moments for emo rap in the mainstream.[55][56] At the same time, Lil Peep was branded by Pitchfork the "future of emo" in January 2017[57] and fronted as a pioneer of the emo revival by The Guardian.[58]

Emo rappers XXXTentacion (left) and Juice Wrld (right) were leading figures in the genre.[59]
File:Sad - XXXTentacion.ogg
A sample of XXXTentacion's song "Sad!", from his 2018 album ?. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart and is the best selling emo rap song of all-time.

In November 2017, Lil Peep died of a Fentanyl overdose.[60][61] Shortly afterwards, Lil Peep's debut studio album Come Over When You're Sober, Pt. 1 and the lead single "Awful Things" charted on the Billboard charts.[62] His death brought increased notability to the genre as a whole and particularly to artists such as Trippie Redd and Lil Aaron.[63][64] In June 2018, XXXTentacion was murdered, and like Peep, his albums 17 and ? charted the following week, along with his hit song "SAD!" charting at 1st on the Billboard Hot 100.[65] In September 2018, a posthumous collaboration between the two artists, "Falling Down" was released and became certified Platinum in the US.[66] The same year, emo rap was the fastest-growing genre on Spotify in 2018.[67] In December 2019, Juice WRLD died after suffering a seizure, induced by an overdose of oxycodone and codeine.[68] He was known to most people for the songs "All Girls Are the Same" and "Lucid Dreams", the latter peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2018 and returned to the chart in 2019 at number eight following his death.[69]

In 2018 and 2019, notable emo rappers 24kGoldn,[70] Poorstacy,[71][72] the Kid Laroi,[73] Powfu[74] and Iann Dior[75] were all signed by labels where they released their debut EPs. On February 8, 2020, Powfu released their single "Death Bed (Coffee for Your Head)" with Beabadoobee, which peaked at number one on the U.S. Hot Rock/Alternative Songs chart.[76] On July 24, 2020, Dior and 24kGoldn released the chart-topping song "Mood",[77][78] which is currently certified quadruple platinum.[79] Forbes described 2020 as "The Year Rap Artists Rule The Rock Charts",[76] while Spin writer Al Shipley described the merger of pop punk and rap as 2020's "commercial juggernaut".[80]

Influence[edit]

The popularity of emo rap led to a number of mainstream musicians incorporating elements of it into their music in the late-2010s and early-2020s. Notable artists to do so include Justin Bieber,[81] Ariana Grande,[82] and Miley Cyrus.[83]

Emo rap, along with styles like cloud rap, trap, dubstep, trance, chiptune and pop music were influential on the development of the hyperpop genre.[84] The genre gained mainstream attention in the late-2010s and early-2020s through artists such as 100 Gecs, Charli XCX, and Dorian Electra.[85]

The genre also brought about a revived interest in pop punk in the mainstream.[86][87] This interest led to the 2020s pop punk revival. In particular, Machine Gun Kelly's album Tickets to My Downfall was described by the Evening Standard as "bridg[ing] the gap" between the contemporary pop punk and emo rap scenes.[88] During this time, a number of emo rappers such as Trippie Redd,[89] Lil Tracy,[90] Cold Hart,[91] Lil Aaron,[92] and 24kGoldn[93] also began releasing pop punk albums and songs.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ Tanaka, Toshiko. "Remembering Lil Peep and the legacy he left behind". Retrieved March 30, 2018.
  2. ↑ Howard, Alice. "Rap Pop Punk Emo Rock n' Trap". Retrieved March 30, 2018.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lester, Paul (March 5, 2015). "Original angstas – why the stars of sad rap aren't afraid to cry". The Guardian. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  4. ↑ "Total Xanarchy - Pitchfork". Pitchfork.com.
  5. ↑ "Lil Peep's Legacy of Bop-Punk Is Here to Stay". Gq.com. November 30, 2018. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  6. ↑ Enis, Eli. "This is Hyperpop: A Genre Tag for Genre-less Music". Vice Media. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Daramola, Israel (September 27, 2017). "The Emo Fan's Guide to Emo Rap". Riot Fest. Archived from the original on November 15, 2017. Retrieved November 15, 2017. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  8. ↑ Dodderidge, Tim (April 11, 2020). "Emo Rap's Ascent to a Legitimate Musical Movement". Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Zoladz, L. (August 30, 2017). XXXTentacion, Lil Peep, and the Future of Emo - The Ringer. Retrieved from https://www.theringer.com/music/2017/8/30/16225968/emo-xxxtentacion-lil-peep-brand-new
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Ed Ledsham (April 10, 2017). "I write raps not tragedies: Finally! The emo-goth-rap hybrid you didn't realise you were waiting for is here". Retrieved November 9, 2017.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Eloise, Marianne. "From Lil Peep To Paramore, Emo And Rap Have Been Related For Years". Kerrang. Retrieved April 1, 2018.
  12. ↑ "Lil Peep: The YouTube rapper who's taking back emo". TheGuardian.com. April 21, 2017.
  13. ↑ Deascent (July 2, 2017). "To Be Young, Emo, & Black". Retrieved October 9, 2017.
  14. ↑ "To Be Young, Angsty, and Black: On Rap's Emo Moment | Pitchfork". Pitchfork.com. April 5, 2017. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  15. ↑ Shah, Neil (January 16, 2018). "Hip-Hop's Generation Gap: 'Emo' vs. 'Dad' Rap". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  16. ↑ "The sad new guard of emo rap". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  17. ↑ "Sex, drugs, violence and face tattoos: mumble rap explained". South China Morning Post. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  18. ↑ Battan, Carrie (January 1, 2018). "Lil Xan and the Year in Sad Rap". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  19. ↑ Genius (September 19, 2017), How Lil Peep, Lil Uzi Vert, and Trippie Redd Are Bringing Back Emo | Genius News, retrieved March 3, 2018
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 HipHopDX (September 16, 2017), Emo Rap Over Everything?, archived from the original on 2021-11-17, retrieved March 3, 2018 Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  21. ↑ Murs (September 16, 2017). "The Breakdown: Emo Rap Over Everything?". Retrieved October 9, 2017.
  22. ↑ "Emo Veterans Mineral Accuse Lil Peep of Ripping Them off". May 5, 2017.
  23. ↑ Angus Harrison (April 21, 2017). "Lil Peep: the YouTube rapper who's taking back emo". The Guardian. Retrieved October 16, 2017.
  24. ↑ Fulton, Nick (July 12, 2019). "gothboiclique rapper cold hart goes pop punk". i-D. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  25. ↑ Lee Shaner. "UNDERGROUND RAP MEETS EMO REVIVALISM". Retrieved October 9, 2017.
  26. ↑ "XXXTentacion, Lil Peep, and the Future of Emo". The Ringer. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  27. ↑ "SadBoys of Soundcloud – an introduction to the world of emo rap". Skiddle.com. Retrieved 2019-07-22.
  28. ↑ "TEARS OF A THUG: 'SAD RAP' IS A REAL THING". July 24, 2013. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  29. ↑ "The 10 Most Emo Moments in Hip-Hop". September 23, 2013.
  30. ↑ Randall Roberts (February 15, 2015). "Review Mortality, fame hang heavy on Drake's 'If You're Reading This'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  31. ↑ Zach Baron (June 2, 2010). "Drake's Thank Me Later Leaks". Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  32. ↑ Joey. "Casper - Interview mit dem 'Emo-Rapper' - BurnYourEars Webzine".
  33. ↑ Kia Makarechi (March 6, 2012). "Aron 'Deuce' Erlichman Beaten Up: Police Say Hollywood Undead Singer Attacked By Former Bandmates". Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  34. ↑ River, Julie. "Zebrahead Waste of Mind (1998)". Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  35. ↑ "MC Lars Sends Up Emo on New Single, Which Stars Fake Band Hearts That Hate". MTV. Retrieved January 18, 2018.
  36. ↑ Divezur, Roman. "Interview: The Mount Nerdcore Tour". Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  37. ↑ "BLINK-182 – DOGS EATING DOGS EP". AltPress. December 13, 2012. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  38. ↑ Marchan, Sarah. "Emo Rap's Family Tree". Studybreaks. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  39. ↑ "Evolution of Emo Rap". Recordingarts. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  40. ↑ Aroesti, Rachel. "'I'm genuine – and a bit strange': emo rapper Yung Lean bares his soul". theguardian. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  41. ↑ Jethani, Rahm. "The History of "Emo Rap"". Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  42. ↑ Dazed (September 7, 2017). "BONES on record labels, being beaten up & living meme kids". Dazed. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  43. ↑ 43.0 43.1 Greeley, Shakeil (November 27, 2018). "Lil Tracy Will Not Be Erased". Pitchfork. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  44. ↑ 44.0 44.1 REEVES, MOSI (August 6, 2018). "WICCA PHASE SPRINGS ETERNAL: OCCULT GENRE-SMASHER BRED IN PUNK, BACKED BY CODE ORANGE". Revolver. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  45. ↑ "LIL LOTUS GOES 'IN THE DMS' W/ MASKED GORILLA". Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  46. ↑ PEISNER, DAVID (March 8, 2019). "He could have been his generation's Kurt Cobain, but he died of an overdose just after his 21st birthday. Inside his life, music and chaotic final days". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  47. ↑ Smith, Karl. "How Emo Rap Has Redefined Rock Music". Kerrang!. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  48. ↑ Martinez, Didi. "From underground to mainstream: Emo rap explodes into streaming music scene". NBC. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  49. ↑ Finn McKenty. "Shinigami" (Podcast). Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  50. ↑ "LIL SKIES FINDS HIS TRUTH ON UNBOTHERED: 'I ALWAYS FEEL THE PRESSURE'". MTV. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  51. ↑ "We Asked Emo Bands to Review Lil Uzi Vert's "XO Tour Llif3"". Noisey. May 3, 2017. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  52. ↑ "Lil Uzi Vert Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  53. ↑ Coscarelli, Joe (August 13, 2017). "Have You Heard This Lil Uzi Vert Lyric?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  54. ↑ "XXXTentacion's New Song "Jocelyn Flores" Addresses His Friend's Suicide". Genius.com. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  55. ↑ "Lil Uzi Vert Defines Emo Hip-Hop with "Luv is Rage 2" | The Bottom Line". The Bottom Line. September 6, 2017. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  56. ↑ "Xxxtentacion's Most Emotional "17" Lyrics". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  57. ↑ "Tears of a Dirtbag: Rapper Lil Peep Is the Future of Emo | Pitchfork". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  58. ↑ Harrison, Angus (April 21, 2017). "Lil Peep: the YouTube rapper who's taking back emo". The Guardian. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  59. ↑ Hobbs, Thomas (2019-12-13). "Juice WRLD, Lil Peep and XXXTentacion are symbols of a scene that trades off tragedy". i-D. Retrieved 2021-06-18.
  60. ↑ Kornhaber, Spencer. "Remembering Lil Peep". The Atlantic. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  61. ↑ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (November 16, 2017). "Rapper Lil Peep dies aged 21 of suspected overdose". The Guardian. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  62. ↑ "Lil Peep Charts on Billboard Hot 100 for First Time With 'Awful Things'". Billboard. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  63. ↑ "The 'Emolution' Of Mainstream Hip-Hop - Oxygen.ie". Oxygen.ie. November 22, 2017. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  64. ↑
  65. ↑
  66. ↑ "LIL PEEP & XXXTENTACION earned RIAA 1x Platinum Award for FALLING DOWN". Recording Industry Association of America.
  67. ↑ "Spotify lists emo rap as 2018's fastest-growing genre". Alternative Press. December 4, 2018.
  68. ↑ "Juice WRLD Dead at 21 After Seizure in Chicago, Final Moments Captured". TMZ. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  69. ↑ "Maroon 5 & Cardi B's 'Girls Like You' Holds Atop Hot 100, Juice WRLD's 'Lucid Dreams' Lifts to No. 2". Billboard. Retrieved 2019-12-19.
  70. ↑ BREIHAN, TOM (September 2, 2020). "24kGoldn Brings MySpace Emo To TikTok Rap". Stereogum. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  71. ↑ "NOISEWORTHY: HERE'S WHY POORSTACY IS A ROCKSTAR FOR THE SOUNDCLOUD GENERATION". Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  72. ↑ "BEST NEW SONGS RIGHT NOW: 11/13/20". Revolver. November 13, 2020. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  73. ↑ YUSSUF, AHMED. "16-YEAR-OLD REDFERN RAPPER DEBUTS IN BILLBOARD TOP TEN: 'THIS IS MORE THAN I COULD OF EVER ASKED FOR'". Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  74. ↑ Caramanica, John (August 5, 2020). "The Universal Loneliness of Powfu". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  75. ↑ Glicksman, Josh. "Iann Dior Is Strategically Blurring Pop, Rock and Hip-Hop". Billboard. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  76. ↑ 76.0 76.1 McIntyre, Hugh. "2020 Is The Year Rap Artists Rule The Rock Charts". Forbes. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  77. ↑ McKinney, Jessica (January 11, 2021). "How 24KGoldn and Iann Dior's "Mood" Became One of the Biggest Songs in the World". Complex. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  78. ↑ "24kGoldn". Billboard. Retrieved 2021-05-05.
  79. ↑ "GOLD & PLATINUM". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  80. ↑ Shipley, Al (November 30, 2020). "Pop-Punk and Hip-Hop: 2020's Dynamic Duo". Spin. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  81. ↑ Lipshutz, Jason. "Every Song Ranked on Justin Bieber's 'Justice': Critic's Picks". Billboard. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  82. ↑ He, Richard S. "Every Ariana Grande Song, Ranked: Critic's Picks". Billboard. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  83. ↑ D’Souza, Shaad. "Miley Cyrus Plastic Hearts". Pitchfork. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  84. ↑ Enis, Eli (27 October 2020). "This is Hyperpop: A Genre Tag for Genre-less Music". Vice.
  85. ↑ Dandridge-Lemco, Ben (10 November 2020). "How Hyperpop, a Small Spotify Playlist, Grew Into a Big Deal". The New York Times.
  86. ↑ Eloise, Marianne. "From Lil Peep To Paramore, Emo And Rap Have Been Related For Years". Kerrang!. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  87. ↑ Mench, Chris. "Misery Business: How Gen-Z Rappers Are Reinventing The Emo & Pop Punk Influences Of Their Childhood". Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  88. ↑ FEIGIN, SARA (October 2020). "How Machine Gun Kelly's latest album catapulted him to pop-punk fame". Evening Standard. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  89. ↑ Fagen, Lucas (February 27, 2021). "Trippie Redd, Louder and Crunchier". Hyperallergic. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  90. ↑ GENDRON, WILL. "Lil Tracy drops "Beautiful Nightmare" ahead of Anarchy". Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  91. ↑ Fulton, Nick (July 12, 2019). "gothboiclique rapper cold hart goes pop punk". i-D. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  92. ↑ Goldfine, Jael (September 5, 2018). "Kim Petras and Lil Aaron Go Full Mall-Goth". Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  93. ↑ Enis, Eli. "The 'Punk Goes Pop' Series Laid the Groundwork For Today's Dialogue Between Pop, Punk and Hip-Hop". Billboard. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
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