Phonk

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Not to be confused with Funk.

Phonk
File:Wiki-Phonk-Sample OGG.ogg
Short example of a phonk track
Stylistic origins
Cultural originsEarly 2010s, United States
Typical instruments
Subgenres
Other topics

Phonk (/fɒŋk/ Audio file "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-phonk.wav" not found) is a subgenre of hip hop and trap music directly inspired by 1990s Memphis rap. The style is characterized by vocals from old Memphis rap tapes and samples from early 1990s hip hop, especially cowbell samples resembling that of the Roland TR-808 drum machine. The genre draws from the dark, distortive techniques of the chopped and screwed sound. Initially developed in the 1990s in the Southern United States, mainly in Houston and Memphis, the genre's early pioneers include DJ Screw, X-Raided, DJ Spanish Fly, DJ Squeeky, and the collective Three 6 Mafia. The term "phonk" was created and popularized by rapper SpaceGhostPurrp in the early 2010s. Drift phonk is a subgenre of phonk that emerged in Russia in the late-2010s; its distinguishing features are the use of cowbells as a melodic element and loud, persistent electronic bass. The popularity of drift phonk was facilitated by its widespread use in shortform content on social media platforms, causing it to surpass regular phonk in popularity. As such, the genre phonk is more associated with drift phonk.

History

Phonk took inspiration from trap roots in the Southern United States in the mid-1990s.[1] Artists or musical groups like DJ Screw, X-Raided, DJ Spanish Fly,[2] DJ Squeeky,[3] and the collective Three 6 Mafia all helped pioneer the foundations for the genre to emerge many years later, with the Houston chopped and screwed seen as the precursor to the genre.[1] Artists such as SpaceGhostPurrp and Lil Ugly Mane revived the sound in the form of phonk in the early 2010s.[4][5] By the end of 2017, phonk had shifted away from the "gritty, dark, Memphis-oriented sound", incorporating more modern vocals, with elements of jazz and classic hip hop.[1] This stream of phonk has been described as "rare phonk" by Celsius, characterized by "more of a cleaner, almost mainstream trap sound".[6] Between 2016 and 2018, phonk was one of the most listened genres on SoundCloud, with the hashtag #phonk among the most trending each year.[7][8][9]

Characteristics

Directly inspired by 1990s Memphis rap, phonk is characterized by old Memphis rap vocals and samples from early 1990s hip hop.[10] These are often combined with jazz and funk samples.[1] The chopped and screwed technique is mainly used, in order to create a darker sound.[1][10] A peculiarity of phonk is the fact that it is not anchored to a regional "scene":[1][10] it is tied to SoundCloud itself as an online platform, which highlights subgenres derived from hip hop and experimental pop.[2][11] Other notable artists associated with "new-age phonk" include DJ Smokey,[12] DJ Yung Vamp,[13] Soudiere,[14] and Mythic.[2][15]

Subgenres

Drift phonk

File:Phonk sample.ogg
A sample of a drift phonk beat

Drift phonk, a subgenre of phonk, emerged in the late-2010s in Russia.[16][17] It is characterized by the use of high bass, cowbells, and distorted sounds,[6] making the lyrics of the samples often unrecognizable.[17] Drift phonk tracks tend to have a greater tempo than normal phonk tracks.[5] Drift phonk music is often used in videos pertaining to the topics of weight lifting, drifting, association football,[18] anime, fighting sports, and street racing cars.[17][19][5][20] The genre quickly gained traction through the app TikTok in 2020.[17][19] Most of the prominent drift phonk producers come from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and other countries in Eastern Europe.[17][19] As drift phonk became popular on TikTok, it surpassed the original genre in popularity; this, in turn, gave the word "phonk" a stronger association with the drift phonk subgenre.[21] Following the rise in popularity of the genre in Russia,[22] Spotify released its official curated phonk playlist in May 2021,[23] which was almost exclusively composed of drift phonk tracks.[21] One of the first songs in this genre is called "Scary Garry", released in 2016 by Kaito Shoma.[16]

Brazilian phonk

Main article: Brazilian phonk

Brazilian phonk, a subgenre of hip-hop, blends traditional Brazilian rhythms with the dark, atmospheric beats of Memphis rap [citation needed], creating a unique and captivating soundscape that has gained a dedicated following both locally and internationally.[24] This unique fusion has gained significant popularity, particularly on platforms like TikTok, where it has become a viral sensation.[25] The genre's rise can be attributed to its energetic and aggressive sound, which combines electronic and repetitive beats with vocals in Brazilian Portuguese. For instance, MC Bin Laden released the EP "Brazilian Phonk" in collaboration with the Dragon Boys, which quickly climbed the music charts.[26] Despite its name, Brazilian phonk originated in Scandinavia and was pioneered by foreign producers, such as Slowboy, Norwegian who mixed drift phonk with mandelão funk,[26] Ariis, from Belgium, and Kordhell, from England.[27] It is often described as the gringo version of Brazilian funk.[28]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Anand, Aashna (April 13, 2020). "The Evolution of Soundcloud's Popular New Genre: Phonk". Lucid Monday. Archived from the original on January 16, 2022. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Albors, Maxime (November 2, 2017). "Lowpocus nous explique pourquoi le phonk est en train de ressusciter". Vice (in français). Retrieved April 14, 2020.
  3. ↑ Luján, David (January 20, 2022). "Rap y terror: una introducción al horrorcore en 11 canciones". Shock (in español). Retrieved March 21, 2022.
  4. ↑ "What the Phonk". coeo. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Calamel Duprey, Charlotte (January 24, 2022). "Qu'est-ce que le "drift phonk", ce phénomène internet qui mêle hip-hop, ados russes et street racing" [What is "drift phonk", this internet phenomenon that mixes hip-hop, Russian teens and street racing]. Trax Magazine (in français). Archived from the original on December 3, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Leight, Elias (April 29, 2021). "Russian Producers Obsessed With Three 6 Mafia Can't Stop Going Viral". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 28, 2021.
  7. ↑ "SoundCloud » A Throwback to 2016". blog.soundcloud.com. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  8. ↑ "SoundCloud » The 2017 SoundCloud Playback". blog.soundcloud.com. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  9. ↑ "SoundCloud » The 2018 SoundCloud Playback". blog.soundcloud.com. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Haynes, Gavin (January 27, 2017). "What the phonk? The genre that's gripping Generation Z". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
  11. ↑ Broc, David (March 2, 2017). "El 'phonk', el sonido futurista del 'hip hop', triunfa en Internet". El País (in español). ISSN 1134-6582. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
  12. ↑ "Nostalgická jízda jménem phonk. Lo-fi, špína & přetočené beaty z kazet". Radio Wave (in čeština). January 15, 2022. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
  13. ↑ "DJ Yung Vamp". StuckMagazine. November 2, 2020. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
  14. ↑ Guillard, Eloïse (June 25, 2021). "5 artistes à découvrir dès maintenant !". BLOW ENTERTAINMENT (in français). Retrieved March 21, 2022.
  15. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named surl
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Лейзаренко, Даша (December 23, 2021). "Дрифт, тачки, мемы и тикток: фонк — один из жанров года. Российские музыканты сделали его популярным во всём интернете — Интернет на TJ". TJ. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 Bola, David (April 30, 2021). "Il faut que l'on vous parle du Drift Phonk". Radio Nova (in français). Retrieved August 17, 2021.
  18. ↑ "Funk carioca music leaks into the soccer culture of Brazil". World Soccer Talk. June 5, 2023. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 Leight, Elias (November 18, 2022). "All You Need To Know About Phonk, the Dance Subgenre That's Taking Off". Billboard. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Synthwave car culture: A new wave of automotive enthusiasts". Hagerty Media. May 1, 2020. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Crocker, Jackson (April 27, 2022). "Phonk, and the Carcasses of A Million Sub-Genres". The Summit Pinnacle. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  22. ↑ "Музыкальные итоги 2021 в Spotify: что слушали геймеры?" [Spotify Music Results 2021: What Have Gamers Been Listening to?]. vc.ru (in русский). Spotify. December 10, 2021. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  23. ↑ "Сегодня в карточках рассказываем о наследнике мемфис-рэпа — фонке" [Today in the cards we talk about the heir of Memphis rap — Phonk.]. Facebook (in русский). Spotify. May 12, 2021. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  24. ↑ Syckle, Katie Van (December 9, 2023). "Inside the Parties of Art Basel Miami Beach". The New York Times (Digital Edition): NA–NA.
  25. ↑ Correia, Ludmilla (October 3, 2023). "Brazilian phonk: conheça a variação gringa do funk que é viral no Tik Tok - Billboard Brasil". billboard.com.br (in português do Brasil). Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 "De Mc Bin Laden a Bibi Babydoll, quem são os artistas do Phonk, gênero musical brasileiro mais ouvido no exterior em 2023". O Globo (in português do Brasil). January 16, 2024. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  27. ↑ Redação (December 12, 2023). "Retrospectiva Spotify 2023: Os artistas, as músicas e os gêneros brasileiros mais escutados no exterior". Rolling Stone Brasil (in português do Brasil). Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  28. ↑ "Quem são os artistas brasileiros mais ouvidos pelos estrangeiros em 2023 no Spotify?". www.bol.uol.com.br (in português do Brasil). Retrieved November 25, 2024.
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