Phonk

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 revived the sound in the form of Phonk in the early 2010s.[4][5]

The word "phonk" was popularized by SpaceGhostPurrp,[6] who released tracks such as "Pheel tha Phonk", "Bringin' tha Phonk", and "Keep Bringin' tha Phonk".[7][8] In an interview, he explained that "phonk is slang for funk", in reference to the G-funk music genre.[9] YouTube channels such as Ryan Celsius also helped popularize the genre.[10] Phonk producers continued to push this sound in the underground, before the genre gained real momentum during the mid-2010s.[1]

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".[11] Between 2016 and 2018, phonk was one of the most listened genres on SoundCloud, with the hashtag #phonk among the most trending each year.[12][13][14]

Directly inspired by 1990s Memphis rap, phonk is characterized by old Memphis rap vocals and samples from early-1990s hip hop.[15] 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][15]

A peculiarity of phonk is the fact that it is not anchored to a regional "scene":[1][15] it is tied to SoundCloud itself as an online platform, which highlights subgenres derived from hip hop and experimental pop.[2][16] Other notable artists associated with "new-age phonk" include DJ Smokey,[17] DJ Yung Vamp,[18] Soudiere,[19] and Mythic.[2][7]

Alongside its musical aspect, phonk is characterized by a distinguishable aesthetic incorporating cartoon imagery including fan-art of The Simpsons.[20][21][22] Phonk artists often use "Pen & Pixel"-style graphics for their EPs and albums.[21]

"Drift phonk", a subgenre of phonk, emerged in the late-2010s in Russia.[23][24] It is characterized by the use of high bass, cowbells, and distorted sounds,[11] making the lyrics of the samples often unrecognizable.[24] The tempo of drift phonk tracks is also high.[25] Drift phonk music is often used in videos that contain topics such as weight lifting, drifting, and street racing cars,[24][26] which makes it popular in online car culture.[25][27] The genre quickly gained traction through the app TikTok in 2020.[24][26] Most of the prominent drift phonk producers come from Russia.[24][26] The pioneers of the genre are considered to be such performers as Ghostface Playa, Pharmacist, Prxsxnt Fxture, Dvrst, Kaito Shoma, and KSLV.[28]

As drift phonk became popular on TikTok, it became more mainstream than the original genre; this, in turn, made the word "phonk" become more associated with the drift phonk subgenre.[29] Following the rise in popularity of the genre in Russia,[30] Spotify released their official curated phonk playlist in May 2021,[31] which was almost exclusively composed of drift phonk songs.[29]