A Patriotic Ode to the Founding Fathers of Trap Music

Ask your casual fan of trap music about the foundation of the sound and you're likely to get a short-list of names: Flosstradamus, RL Grime, UZ, and Baauer. Bless their hearts. Being that it's President's Day and Mount Rushmore gets way too little shine as a national landmark, we put together a history lesson on trap's true pioneers to better educate those unfortunate souls who think trap music was born out of the Harlem Shake craze.

In keeping of the political theme, let's consider the following: while it would be acceptable to consider Reagan era as a benchmark administration for modern politics, no one would ever point to it as the 'start' of anything except maybe the crack epidemic in black neighborhoods. So while it's true that Flosstradamus' wave-making remix of "Original Don" soundtracked an entire year's worth of festivals, it's merely a benchmark for trap music's relevance in electronic music, but poor when considering who/what started trap music as a whole.

Trap music was born out of violent, drug-riddled hoods of the South, with the name 'trap' coming from the term for the dope-spots. Serving as a vessel for dealers-turned-rappers (trappers) to make money legally, make it appear they're making money legally, or just boast about the money they were making in general, trap music has been a staple of southern hip hop since the early 90s. However, if you listen to the trap music being made around that time you'll find few similarities between that trap and the trap you lose your shit to in the Sahara Tent at Coachella.

For the sake of this article, we're only interested in artists who's influence can still be felt in the booming 808 drops of electronic's present day trap. Artists who were either crucial to it's start, key in advancing it, or who's contributions were so significant that the sound wouldn't be the same without them. These are the true pioneers who provided a foundation for the ensuing electronic versions to be built upon. So the next time your subs feel like they're unscrewing your vertebrae wit hall that bass, these are the men you can thank.

That brass. The impending feeling of doom. The trademark build-up. Other names on the list have been doing it longer, but he gets the lead nod and the George Washington position because any conversation about modern trap's influence starts with this name. Few producers have spawned as many imitators and his name itself has come to be used by aspiring rappers – 'Just gimme one of them Lex Luger-style joints…' is a common production request. On the electronic side, one shouldn't even think about calling themselves an aspiring trap producer without a Lex Luger sound-kit sitting in your DAW. This man didn't create the sound but his presence cannot be understated as rap's biggest cross-over trap producer. Ask hipster fans about trap's founder and this is the name they'll most likely offer up while proudly patting themselves on the back.

Notable tracks:
Waka Flocka - "Hard in the Paint"
Jay Z, Kanye West - "H.A.M"
Rick Ross - "B.M.F"

The least recognizable name on this list, Redd was cranking out hits while your favorite EDM producer was still pre-middle school. Before Rick Ross and Chief Kief, modern trap's booming era was ushered in by Atlanta legends Gucci Mane and Young Jeezy, both of whom's early success is much owed to Redd. Handling most of the production on both artist's debut albums - Jeezy's classic Thug Motivation 101 and Gucci Mane's Trap House, his contributions came at a pivotal time in trap music as the sound was starting to be heard on a national level. From the eerily haunting synths to the chaotic snare rolls, a lot of Redd's contributions are still felt. Unknown to few people outside of Atlanta natives or your staunchest rap fans, he's the Hacker to Lex Luger's Gesaffelstein, minus the direct mentorship. The next time your hipster trap friend touts Lex Luger as the father of trap one up him with this name.

Notable tracks:
Young Jeezy - "Gangsta Music," and "Get Ya Mind Right"
Gucci Mane - "Trap House"

Monumental in making the trap sound ubiquitous in the South, the list of credits to his name is long and the number of artists he's worked with is far reaching. Right there with Lex in terms of influence but with less of the mainstream accolade outside of rap circles, his music is known for being more melodic without compromising the heavy. Having also played a crucial role in making Gucci Mane a household name, he's still one of hip hop's premier beat smiths, becoming more well-known in recent years crafting hits for rap demigods Migos. With a work ethic that's become a thing of legend, any list of trap's forefathers is incomplete without this name included.

Notable tracks:
Gucci Mane - "Icy," "Might Be"
Migos - "Versace"

The Teddy Roosevelt of the monument, Mike Will should never be confused as a founder of trap music, but his contributions are significant enough to warrant inclusion on the rock. While the other 3 producers have styles more in line with the standard trap elements, Mike Will Made It has been vital in advancing the modern sound, infusing newer sonics to a genre that has come to flirt with monotony. Blessed with the ever important Gucci-Mane-stamp-of-approval early on in his career, Will's gone on to work with just about any notable artist you can think of, even providing some scandalous fodder for his work with Miley.

Notable tracks:
G.O.O.D. Music - "Mercy"
Future, Pusha T, Pharrell - "Move That Dope"
2 Chainz, Drake - "No Lie"

While there were certainly other producers worthy of consideration who didn't make the cut (DJ Toomp, Drumma Boy, AraabMuzik), these 4 names stand out when recognizing those responsible for shaping the current sound of trap music. And as trap music continues to evolve and progress as an electronic deity, it is important to remind ourselves that it's a genre based off of another genre and give props to those who allowed that gap to be bridged.

A separation can certainly be made between rap-trap music and electronic-trap, but without the latter the former doesn't exist, and if you're going to hijack the genre's name while bridging that gap, you better pay proper respects to those who laid down the groundwork. Shades of appropriation linger in electronic trap, rumblings that are loudened anytime heaps of praise falls on Baauer or RL Grime for being the end-all-be-all of the trap game. So, in an effort to keep the history books from getting re-written, do a bit of bass education in further familiarizing yourself with these names.