Afro-Trap Pop
tagStarted 2015Peak 2016-2021Last big hit still active
Trap's 808s and hi-hat rolls married to African melody and rhythm: booming sub-bass and triplet hats under West African guitar samples, talking-drum accents and sung-rapped hooks in French, pidgin or local tongues. Hard-hitting yet melodic, it carries dance choreography and street energy over glossy, percussive trap beds.
History
Parisian rapper MHD coined 'Afro Trap' in 2015, layering African samples over trap drums; his viral 'Afro Trap' video series and 2016 debut album spread the style across French rap via Naza and Gradur. In Nigeria, Zlatan and Naira Marley fueled a parallel street-pop strain, fusing trap with Afrobeats and dance crazes.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- Wikipedia: MHD (rapper)
- OkayAfrica: Afro Trap Phenomenon
- i-D: French Prince of Afro-Trap
- GRAMMY.com: Afrobeats Subgenres