Cloud rap
Cloud rap | |
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Other names | Trillwave |
Stylistic origins | |
Cultural origins | Late 2000s, Southern United States |
Typical instruments |
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Derivative forms | |
Other topics | |
Cloud rap is a
Origins
Cloud rap initially came out of
Elements of cloud rap, like lo-fi and dreamy atmospheres, can be heard as early as 2001 with Clouddead's self-titled album. Later in 2006 more building blocks, such as hazy and relaxed sounds, can be found in Viper's second album, Ready...and Willing.[7] Some have attributed the term to rapper Lil B. In a 2009 article, music writer Noz wrote that rapper Lil B showed him a CGI image of a castle in the clouds and said "that's the kind of music I want to make," crediting Lil B with the coining of the term.[3] Producer Clams Casino has also been credited with pioneering the cloud rap sound as early as 2010 through collaborations with Lil B.[4]
The term was also used in the Space Age Hustle blog's compilation of songs, 3 Years Ahead: The Cloud Rap Tape.[3] The compilation consists of songs that fall in the cloud rap genre.[3] The genre garnered mainstream attention in 2011 with rapper A$AP Rocky's debut mixtape, Live. Love. A$AP.[8]
Characteristics
Cloud rap is rhythmically similar to
The label "cloud" denotes distinct characteristics of the genre such as its "hazy," ethereal aesthetic (in terms of both aural and visual expression) and its ambiguity as a genre without clearly defined borders.[5] Cloud rap's lyrics sometimes revolve around themes of love and betrayal, as well as more typical themes found in popular music such as sex, drugs, and alienation.[8] Frequently vocalists use nonsensical catchphrases and Twitter baits, such as interjections like "swag," and references to being "based," which highlights a sense of self-aware absurdity as an attempt at parody while embracing its genesis in Internet culture.[citation needed]
Cloud rap pulls from a diversity of
Artists and producers
With many of the genre's pioneers taking major influences from
Swedish artist Yung Lean became an eminent cloud rap artist in 2013 when the video for his single "Ginseng Strip 2002" went viral.[8]
Swedish rapper
Chicago rapper
Memphis rapper Chris Travis’s 2012 mixtape Pizza and Codeine is often seen as one of the most influential albums of the genre and was met to high critical acclaim.
See also
- Lo-fi hip hop
References
- ^ a b "The history of cloud rap | Red Bull Music". Amp.redbull.com. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
- ^ says, Chris Ellenwood (April 10, 2017). "I write raps not tragedies: Finally! The emo-goth-rap hybrid you didn't realise you were waiting for is here".
- ^ a b c d e f "The FACT Dictionary: How dubstep, juke and cloud rap got their names". FACT Magazine. July 10, 2013. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
- ^ a b c "Collect This Rare Clams Casino and Lil B Interview About the New Clams Casino Album '32 Levels'". www.vice.com. June 3, 2016. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
- ^ a b Wikström, Peter; van Ooijen, Erik (2018). Post-authentic digitalism in cloud rap. Popular Music Discourses: Authenticity and Mediatization. Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
- ^ a b "What happened to the hip-hop micro-genre cloud rap?". Red Bull. April 5, 2018. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
- ^ Sunbleach (January 2017). "Chamber 38 releases "You'll Cowards Don't Even Smoke Crack" by Viper – Sunbleach ☀". Retrieved October 7, 2023.
- ^ a b c "Cloud Rap: The Spacey, Cyber-Born Hip-Hop Subgenre". Highsnobiety. June 25, 2015. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e "A$AP Rocky: Cloud Rap and Live at the Melkweg". Culturedarm. May 29, 2013. Archived from the original on May 9, 2019. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
- ^ Musicpublished, Future (March 2, 2022). "The beginner's guide to: cloud rap". MusicRadar. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
- ^ "Cloud Rap - Music genre - RYM/Sonemic". Rate Your Music.
- ^ Green, Dylan (May 6, 2020). "Clams Casino Interview: Lil B, A$AP Rocky, Vince Staples, "Cloud Rap"". DJBooth. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
- ^ "Sickboyrari".
- ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
- ^ Live.Love.A$AP - A$AP Rocky | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic, retrieved October 29, 2020