Emo Rap
tagStarted 2015Peak 2017-2019Last big hit 2022
Located in 2 routes
Confessional rap fused with emo and pop-punk's raw nerve: depression, heartbreak, addiction and self-harm rapped and sung over distorted guitar samples, lo-fi trap drums, and wailing Auto-Tune. Vocals crack and slur; production is murky, melancholic, and deliberately unpolished. Equal parts hip-hop and bedroom-emo, made for crying along as much as nodding along.
History
Crystallized on SoundCloud around 2015-2016 as Lil Peep flipped Mineral and Brand New samples into rap, with Lil Uzi Vert and XXXTentacion pushing it overground. The 2017-2019 peak was tragically bound to the overdose deaths of Peep and Juice WRLD, which both elevated the scene and marked its emotional and commercial high point.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emo_rap
- https://pitchfork.com/features/article/the-story-of-lil-peep/
- https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/emo-rap-explained/