Sep 5, 2020

Trap music took the world by storm and completely revolutionised hip hop (and more broadly, pop music in general). The sounds of trap (those rattling hi-hits lol) will still be present in rap for a long time to come, but its influence and innovation seems to be tapering off in 2020 as streaming and new regional scenes all coalesce and mold into one another and the lines between genres become ever more blurred.

I wonder if we look back at 'classic' trap music from the 10's in the same way we look at 'classic' boom bap or G Funk from the 90s, what would the most essential artists/songs/albums be? For me, ATL was the Mecca - what NY was to boom bap in the 90s. It started as far back as the 90s (e.g. Three 6 Mafia) and then evolved through Trip, Jeezy, 2 Chainz etc but I think Gucci/Flocka/Lex Luger were the one's that really birthed what we think of today as trap. With 2 Chainz on the sidelines.

From there its clearly Thugger, Future and Migos at the top of the trap artists list, with 21 Savage closing the loop. Gunna, Baby, Keed and potentially Gotit are the ones holding the fort down right now. There were others like OG Maco in the earlier days and affiliates and smaller acts like Peewee Longway, Rich Homie, Scooter, Nudy, etc. Wouldn't include Carti, Yachty, Pierre because they're almost an entirely different subgenre altogether. And obviously not Travis and Uzi since they have their own unique takes on the sound, plus not from ATL. Same goes for Dolph. As far as producers - Metro, Zaytoven, London, Honorable C.Note, Mike WIll... and a bunch of others I'm forgetting.

But the REAL question... what are the essential classic 2010s trap albums? For me:

Gucci Mane - State vs. Radric Davis (2009, but too essential to exclude)
Waka Flocka Flame - Flockavelli
Future - Almost everything from Pluto - The WIZRD lol. But the highlight is unquestionably DS2
Young Thug - again, almost everything from B6 - SMF. But for me its Barter 6.
Rich g--- - Tha Tour
Migos - Culture (but a few earlier mixtapes definitely up for debate)
21 Savage & Metro Boomin - Savage Mode (this ones a maybe... but 21 and Metro have been so vital you'd have to give it up for at least one of their projects)

Thoughts?

What other artists/producers/albums am I missing? What are some of your favorite classic trap era hits?

 

Sep 5, 2020

I would say PeeWee long way the blue m&m
May not be “essential” in the grand scheme of it all but everyone who knows knows this was perfect

 

Sep 5, 2020

Yeah this is great (by FAR the best Tip album imo) and definitely a precursor to what would come in the next decade. Fully agreed with you on the oversaturation - even at its commercial peak in 2017-ish there was a staleness and repetitiveness that started seeping through. I'm glad theres new sounds gradually coming through

 

Sep 5, 2020

Are you talking about the original 2014 blue M&M? I havent listened to that in ages holy s---, I need to revisit. Its a good shout but like I said in OP, he was always more on the sidelines compared the core guys

 

Sep 5, 2020

You're right actually ti--y has an insane amount of trap classics. I don't know why i didn't want to lump him in, but he's definitley in there. I guess he's just so prolific with features and singles with other artists from all over the place you forget he forms a part of that core group. He also dropped this PIVOTAL song with Metro that changed my life for the better, so theres that

 

Sep 5, 2020

Yeah, I got you. Still, I remember a time when everyone was blasting that mixtape. I thought peewee was going to be huge. He had the Gucci push, the yams push, a vice video. I figured it at least need an HM as being one of the best trap mixtapes pre trap explosion

 

Sep 5, 2020

Some of the old Esco tapes had a couple of gems, this one came first to mind with all the Future songs on here

 

Sep 6, 2020

The coolest DJ in the world. Used to have this and No Sleep on repeat. Maison Margiela

 

Sep 6, 2020

I feel these 3 rappers and their projects pretty much defined modern trap and are the reason it is in the mainstream right now:

Future - Monster/Beast Mode/56 Nights/DS2
Young Thug - Barter 6/All slime seasons till 3/I’m up(debatable)
21 savage - savage mode (tho he had couple better mixtapes, this was the most popular)

lmao remember back in 2015-16 everyone trashed on them cause it wasn’t “”””””””reeel hip hawp”””””””” ?

Some of my fav albums from 10s:
Lil Uzi Vert - LUV Is Rage
Travis Scott - DBR and Rodeo
Metro, offset, 21 savage - Without Warning

 

Sep 6, 2020

Juicy J - Stay Trippy

And the Rae Sremmurd trilogy?

 

Sep 6, 2020

Yeah this too can’t believe I forgot lol. Sremmlife 1 and 2 classics

 

Sep 6, 2020

DEFINITELY throw Rae Sremmurd in the mix. dont know how I forgot them lol. All three SremmLifes falls squarely into that category, third one debateable I guess

Stay Trippy has the sound and no question it has a heavy influence but not Atlanta. to be fair its impossible to try fit ATL trap into such a neat circle because its so diverse and draws from all over the place. Mystic Stylez might be the closest thing to an ATL trap bible/what-Illmatic-was-to-boom-bap type of album even though its not even from the same place

 

Sep 6, 2020

Absolutely. this plus Savage Mode, potentially Not All Heroes Wear Capes are interchangeably up in the top 4-5 for me.

 

Sep 6, 2020

I'm inclined to suggest Kevin Gates' mixtapes early-to-mid-10's as possible classic trap era but I'm sort of unsure what people's perspective are on those?

Primarily Stranger than Fiction and Luca Brasi Story

 

Sep 6, 2020

and back from the dead 2, all that



signed to the streets - lil durk

 

Sep 6, 2020

Revival will be looked upon as a trap classic by the masses in 3 more years imo. Highly undervalued