No Melody

No melody is a form of Trap that emerged in the late 2010s in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. As its name implies, no melody is defined by having little to no melodic content or choruses with repetitive, midtempo drum patterns and simple 808 basslines. Producers may implement subtle droning synths or pads, or very simple piano melodies for variety. No melody has its origins in the “Dallas Boogie” or “Dallas Jigg” dance movement which swept the North Texas hip hop scene in the late 2000s. Many artists would employ a Snap-influenced sound such as Dorrough, Yung Nation, and The Party Boyz, with many hits reaching outside of the region like “Ice Cream Paint Job” and “Stanky Legg.” This sparse, bassy music would influence a new generation of North Texas producers such as BeatByJeff, who worked closely with Arlington rapper SSG Splurge. The genre's name was coined by their collaborative EP No Melody. No melody rappers commonly utilize fast “punched in” flows (as popularized by rappers such as HoodRich Pablo Juan), and songs are rarely more than three minutes long. No melody would gain much of its popularity through social media applications such as TikTok, YouTube, and Triller, and would soundtrack many dance videos. Texas rappers such as Quin NFN, and 10k.Caash, who popularized the “Woah” dance, would find success with songs being used in dance videos, as well as rappers outside of the state such as K Camp, whose song "Lottery" would arguably become the biggest hit to utilize the production style. BeatByJeff’s minimal production style would be adopted by other producers such as ChaseTheMoney and Kenny Beats, as well as Trap Metal producers, such as those affiliated with Spider Gang. It would also become popular in the initial Dallas drill scene with the success of Lil Loaded’s “6locc 6a6y” in the late 2010s. Around the same time, Houston rapper TisaKorean would embrace the genre’s facetious and playful elements and eventually revive its snap origins with the popularity of his mixtape Let Me Update My Status.