Trap music, a sub-genre underneath the Hip Hop umbrella that originated in Atlanta in the 90s. In the beginning, the term ‘Trap’ was associated with drug dealing – As the term ‘Trap’ is a slang term used to describe an abandoned house at which drugs are peddled – however recent times have seen the word shift from being associated with drug dealing to being associated with Hip Hop music that consists of 808 kick drums, thunderous bass and samples that bring out a cinematic effect.
The southern music phenomenon has become a global treasure and the Mother Land is the region that has picked up on it the most. The era between 2007 and 2016 has seen more and more African hip hop musicians adopt trap music to a level of integration of the sub-genre into African society by creating trap music that pays homage to traditional African sounds.
Legendary South African hip hop group Jozi started the trend of incorporating distinctly African Sounds into the Dirty South sound when they invented a sub-genre called “Muthaland Crunk” while the leaders of the new school, Ambitious Entertainment, played a vital role in promoting African Trap Music as a sub-genre as well as integrating the lifestyle associated with Trap Music into South African society.
As much as the majority of the instrumentation sounds American, the core of African Trap Music still resonates with the African masses in the most relatable manner because African Trap musicians deliver their stories using native African languages and just like with American Trap Music, the subject matter of African Trap Music ranges from songs about the glorification of worldly pleasures and possessions to the more conscious lyrics about their daily struggle.
No matter how you look at it, Trap Music is a representation of the state of the youth and the fact that the African youth has managed to find a synergy point where African music meets Western music is an indication of the many attempts that the global youth are making to find common grounds and in this case, they are using music.
