Phonk

Subgenre of hip hop and trap music

Not to be confused with Funk.

Phonk

Stylistic origins|

* Memphis rap
* Southern hip hop
* trap
* chopped and screwed

Cultural origins| Early 2010s, United States, Memphis and Houston
Typical instruments|

* Synthesizer
* sampler
* drum machine (Roland TR-808)
* vocals

Subgenres

* Drift phonk

Other topics

* Cloud rap
* lo-fi
* funk automotivo

Phonk (/fɒŋk/ ⓘ) is a subgenre of hip hop and trap music directly inspired by 1990s Memphis rap. The genre is characterized by its use of vintage Memphis rap vocals, chopped and screwed production techniques, and samples from early 1990s hip hop, often combined with samples from jazz and funk.

The genre emerged in the Southern United States during the 1990s, with pioneers like DJ Screw, Three 6 Mafia, and DJ Spanish Fly laying its groundwork. The term "phonk" was popularized in the early 2010s by rapper and producer SpaceGhostPurrp, who described it as a modern take on funk-inspired hip hop.

In the late 2010s, a subgenre called drift phonk emerged in Russia, distinguished by its heavy use of cowbells, aggressive basslines, and faster tempos. Gaining widespread popularity through social media platforms like TikTok, drift phonk became synonymous with the broader phonk genre, often overshadowing its original sound.

## History

[edit]

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 and Lil Ugly Mane 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" as well his debut album in 2012 called Mysterious Phonk: Chronicles of SpaceGhostPurrp.[7][8][9] In an interview, he explained that "phonk is slang for funk", in reference to the G-funk music genre.[10] YouTube channels such as Ryan Celsius also helped popularize the genre.[11] Phonk producers continued to push this sound in the underground, before the genre gained real momentum during the mid-2010s.[1][12]

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".[13] Between 2016 and 2018, phonk was one of the most listened genres on SoundCloud, with the hashtag #phonk among the most trending each year.[14][15][16]

## Characteristics

[edit]

Directly inspired by 1990s Memphis rap, phonk is characterized by old Memphis rap vocals and samples from early 1990s hip hop.[12] 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]

A peculiarity of phonk is the fact that it is not anchored to a regional "scene":[1][12] it is tied to SoundCloud itself as an online platform, which highlights subgenres derived from hip hop and experimental pop.[2][17] Most phonk producers work independently from home.[18] Notable artists associated with "new-age phonk" include DJ Smokey,[19] DJ Yung Vamp,[20] Soudiere,[21] and Mythic.[2][7]

## Other genres

[edit]

### Drift phonk

[edit]

A sample of a drift phonk beat

Drift phonk is a subgenre of phonk that emerged in the late-2010s in Russia.[22][23] It is characterized by the use of high bass, TR-808 cowbells, and distorted sounds,[13] making the lyrics of the samples often unrecognizable.[23] Drift phonk tracks tend to have a greater tempo than normal phonk tracks.[5] Drift phonk music is often used in videos pertaining to the topics of weight lifting, drifting, association football,[24] anime, fighting sports, and street racing cars.[23][25][5][26] Drift phonk songs are typically short, energetic, and have thus found popularity through internet culture.[18] The genre quickly gained traction through the app TikTok in 2020.[23][25] Most of the prominent drift phonk producers come from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and other countries in Eastern Europe.[23][25]

As drift phonk became popular on TikTok, it surpassed the original genre in popularity; this, in turn, gave the word "phonk" a stronger association with the drift phonk subgenre.[27] Following the rise in popularity of the genre in Russia,[28] Spotify released its official curated phonk playlist in May 2021,[29] which was almost exclusively composed of drift phonk tracks.[27] One of the first songs in this genre is called "Scary Garry", released in 2016 by Kaito Shoma.[22] Mick Kenney, best known for his single Murder in My Mind under stage name Kordhell, is recognized as the first phonk producer to break into Spotify's top 500 most popular artists.[30] Other notable figures include Ivan Belozerov from Russia, known as Interworld, for his Metamorphosis single,[31] and Tahar Bendjedi from Algeria, known as DXRK, for his Rave single.[32]

### Funk automotivo

[edit]

Phonk is often confused with funk automotivo, a subgenre of Brazilian funk, incorrectly known as "Brazilian phonk" outside of Brazil. The genre gained the nickname "Brazilian phonk" following its popularization and success on social media.[33] Popular in Brazil, it combines phonk with local cultural elements.[18]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g Anand, Aashna (April 13, 2020). "The Evolution of Soundcloud's Popular New Genre: Phonk". Lucid Monday. Archived from the original on January 16, 2022. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
2. ^ a b c Albors, Maxime (November 2, 2017). "Lowpocus nous explique pourquoi le phonk est en train de ressusciter". Vice (in French). Retrieved April 14, 2020.
3. ^ Luján, David (January 20, 2022). "Rap y terror: una introducción al horrorcore en 11 canciones". Shock (in Spanish). Retrieved March 21, 2022.
4. ^ "What the Phonk". coeo. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
5. ^ a b c Calamel Duprey, Charlotte (January 24, 2022). "Qu'est-ce que le "drift phonk", ce phénomène internet qui mêle hip-hop, ados russes et street racing" [What is "drift phonk", this internet phenomenon that mixes hip-hop, Russian teens and street racing]. Trax Magazine (in French). Archived from the original on December 3, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
6. ^ Houghton, Edwin (August 31, 2012). "The Okayplayer Interview: SpaceGhostPurrp Reveals The Mysteries of Phonk". Okayplayer. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
7. ^ a b "La vaportrap s'impose en bande son des Internets". SURL (in French). October 26, 2017. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
8. ^ Bassil, Ryan (February 13, 2017). "Please, Kids. Help Us: What Is "Phonk"?". Vice. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
9. ^ "SpaceGhostPurrp: Mysterious Phonk: The Chronicles of SpaceGhostPurrp". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
10. ^ Saxelby, Ruth (March 30, 2012). "Back to the funking phuture". the Guardian. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
11. ^ Broc, David (March 1, 2017). "'Phonk', o som futurista do hip hop, faz sucesso na Internet". EL PAÍS (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved April 14, 2020.
12. ^ a b c Haynes, Gavin (January 27, 2017). "What the phonk? The genre that's gripping Generation Z". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
13. ^ a b Leight, Elias (April 29, 2021). "Russian Producers Obsessed With Three 6 Mafia Can't Stop Going Viral". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 28, 2021.
14. ^ "SoundCloud » A Throwback to 2016". blog.soundcloud.com. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
15. ^ "SoundCloud » The 2017 SoundCloud Playback". blog.soundcloud.com. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
16. ^ "SoundCloud » The 2018 SoundCloud Playback". blog.soundcloud.com. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
17. ^ Broc, David (March 2, 2017). "El 'phonk', el sonido futurista del 'hip hop', triunfa en Internet". El País (in Spanish). ISSN 1134-6582. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
18. ^ a b c "La Evolución del Phonk y sus subgéneros: Una Historia de Internet y Experimentación | Random Sounds Blog". sounds.co (in Spanish). Retrieved May 14, 2025.
19. ^ "Nostalgická jízda jménem phonk. Lo-fi, špína & přetočené beaty z kazet". Radio Wave (in Czech). January 15, 2022. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
20. ^ "DJ Yung Vamp". StuckMagazine. November 2, 2020. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
21. ^ Guillard, Eloïse (June 25, 2021). "5 artistes à découvrir dès maintenant !". BLOW ENTERTAINMENT (in French). Retrieved March 21, 2022.
22. ^ a b Лейзаренко, Даша (December 23, 2021). "Дрифт, тачки, мемы и тикток: фонк — один из жанров года. Российские музыканты сделали его популярным во всём интернете — Интернет на TJ". TJ. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
23. ^ a b c d e Bola, David (April 30, 2021). "Il faut que l'on vous parle du Drift Phonk". Radio Nova (in French). Retrieved August 17, 2021.
24. ^ "Funk carioca music leaks into the soccer culture of Brazil". World Soccer Talk. June 5, 2023. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
25. ^ a b c Leight, Elias (November 18, 2022). "All You Need To Know About Phonk, the Dance Subgenre That's Taking Off". Billboard. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
26. ^ "Synthwave car culture: A new wave of automotive enthusiasts". Hagerty Media. May 1, 2020. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
27. ^ a b Crocker, Jackson (April 27, 2022). "Phonk, and the Carcasses of A Million Sub-Genres". The Summit Pinnacle. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
28. ^ "Музыкальные итоги 2021 в Spotify: что слушали геймеры?" [Spotify Music Results 2021: What Have Gamers Been Listening to?]. vc.ru (in Russian). Spotify. December 10, 2021. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
29. ^ "Сегодня в карточках рассказываем о наследнике мемфис-рэпа — фонке" [Today in the cards we talk about the heir of Memphis rap — Phonk.]. Facebook (in Russian). Spotify. May 12, 2021. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
30. ^ Leight, Elias (November 18, 2022). "All You Need To Know About Phonk, the Dance Subgenre That's Taking Off". Billboard. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
31. ^ "INTERWORLD". Genius. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
32. ^ Adrian.Covert@groupsjr.com (February 14, 2023). "Get To Know Dxrk ダーク, the Phonk Artist Taking Electronic Music by Storm". Spotify. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
33. ^ "Brazilian phonk: conheça estilo de funk que deixou o Brasil em evidência no exterior em 2023 - Verso". Diário do Nordeste (in Brazilian Portuguese). December 27, 2023. Retrieved February 16, 2025.

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