Sample Trap
tagStarted 2015Peak 2017-2021Last big hit still active
Located in 1 route
Trap built around a prominent flipped sample: chopped soul, funk, R&B or vocal loops pitched, slowed and looped over booming 808s and rattling hi-hats. The recognizable sample carries the melody and emotional core, fusing throwback warmth or a familiar hook with modern bass weight. Nostalgic, hook-driven, it ties boom-bap sampling craft to trap rhythm.
History
As trap went mainstream, producers like Metro Boomin and Tay Keith flipped vintage records and rap vocals over 808s. Future's Mask Off (2017), built on a 1976 flute, and Travis Scott's Sicko Mode (2018), chopping Big Hawk, made sample flips chart-toppers. Drake's Nice for What lifted Lauryn Hill, while Cardi B and Lil Nas X rode the wave to No. 1.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mask_Off
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sicko_Mode
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nice_for_What
- https://www.whosampled.com/BlocBoy-JB/Look-Alive/