Trap is an influential subgenre of hip-hop that took shape in the Southern United States, notably in Atlanta, in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Its name comes from a slang term for a place of street dealing, and the genre's early lyrics reflected the harsh reality of the urban margins.
The musical basis of trap is the powerful, booming bass of the Roland TR-808 drum machine, rapid, “skittering” hi-hat patterns, and dark, atmospheric synthesizer melodies. From a purely hip-hop style, trap turned into one of the defining languages of all contemporary popular music: its rhythm and sound are adopted by pop, R&B, and electronics around the world. Today trap is perhaps the most widespread rhythmic foundation of global youth music of the 21st century.
