Cloud rap

Emerging around the late 2000s and early 2010s, cloud rap is a form of Hip Hop characterized by a distinct form of relaxed, ethereal, dream-like, and reverb-heavy production. It grew out of late-2000s underground hip hop, drawing heavily from SALEM's Witch House and Chillwave music by artists like Toro y Moi or Nite Jewel. It typically features denser Electronic production than earlier hip hop styles. Pioneer Clams Casino fused psychedelic, hypnagogic sampling with repetitive, Southern Hip Hop-inspired rhythms. Throughout the years, the meaning of the term has broadened to include numerous other styles and it has gained influences from genres such as Trap, Memphis Rap, Alternative R&B and Vaporwave. Rappers affiliated with Clams Casino like Lil B, Soulja Boy, and A$AP Rocky helped to popularize the style, especially through online platforms. Other early artists like Main Attrakionz, Friendzone, and Metro Zu also heavily influenced cloud rap's direction, introducing other styles of production and aesthetics, like Friendzone's more synth-heavy beats. AKA: Trillwave