You start to reach maturity, or so I think, when you come to see cultural fads for what they are: fads. There are certain things that escape my understanding and one of them is trap, that kind of rap that has run out of batteries that I listen to in the cars of every 20-something. But that something is a fad does not detract from its merit . The fact that something has been accepted by the general public, in an era in which it is so difficult for a cultural movement to stand out, has much merit.
I live in emo fashion and previous generations mourned the death of Kurt Cobain, something that today’s teenagers can’t even understand. Therefore, I am about to start this journey to see what trap is, guess what is special about it and see if it captivates me too. I highly doubt that will happen.
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What is trap?
Trap came into my life in the worst possible way, through a group from Madrid called LFAM Madrid in which the young actor Eduardo Garcia, better known as Josemi from La que se avecina, sings. You will know them by the nickname “Los Burlaos”, in reference to one of his songs. However, I don’t want to get carried away by this poor cover letter, because the trap genre is much more than that and it’s already been around for a few years.
A bit of history
The trap originated in the United States during the 90salthough it became popular more than a decade later, when DJs began to incorporate that particular sound into their mixes. Etymologically, the term trap refers to places where drugs are sold or to the act of selling them. With the city of Atlanta as the cradle of trap, the movement became internationalized until it reached Latin American countries.
There the question of: “What is the trap
” began to be diluted. Each country incorporated its native sound into the genre and the electronic part was diminishing to the detriment of slow-paced rap. The trap also arises from a natural evolution of hip hop. I mean, what groups like Public Enemy did is not the same as what Jay Z does, and what Jay Z does is not the same as what trap artists do. There is always the need to take a genre to new horizons, and the sound has changed in hip hop as well.
In short, it is a mixture of rap with electronic music, with a forceful sound, full of bass, and explicit lyrics not suitable for all ears. In Spain it is the fashionable genre, although the big music radio stations have not dared, for the time being, to play it live.
5 popular trap bands in Spain
Yung Beef, member of the Spanish group Pxxr Gvng, tells us that trap is “cocaine and fucking”. A mixture of violent lyrics that use music as an excuse to convey an attitude. That was already in style in punk.
1. Pxxr Gvng
Undoubtedly, Pxxr Gvung (although pronounced Poor Gang) is the quintessential trap band in Spain. These guys have inspired a whole generation and their views on YouTube number in the thousands. Here another of the great mysteries of the genre arises: it is born from the counterculture and the underground movement but reaches the general public. In fact, Pxxr Gvng have already performed at several indie festivals such as Raymondstock in 2015.
2. Cecilio G
It turns out that he is the direct rival of the aforementioned band, and according to them they hate each other to death. This artist from Barcelona has managed to take the genre to another level and explores more experimental sounds.
3. Pimp Flaco
Another trap artist who has achieved fame thanks to his work on YouTube, one of the main platforms for artists today. He has earned admirers and detractors in equal measure, although since 2015 he has risen meteoric.
4. C Tangana
Many consider him an infiltrator, although the truth is that he was one of the first artists to import the genre to Spain and raise it to another level. The signing of him by Warner has been controversial to say the least, and it is that his fame as an underground artist is going to waste.
5. Slim Kawasaki
Many have defined her as the new queen of Spanish trap. Also known as Somadamantina, she is a Madrilenian living in Barcelona who drinks from other musical sources and incorporates them into her sound.
Negative music
Unlike rap, this genre does not incorporate vindictive lyrics, but ignores the hectic political scene and chooses to express more basic and visceral feelings. To a certain extent, it seeks adolescent complicity with issues such as sexuality or misunderstanding, and perhaps that is why it has made such a deep impression among young people. Many have confused it with reggaeton, another genre that continues to grow in Spanish-speaking countries, but there are substantial differences.
It is also surprising that in this world there is a place for women. They are not treated as simple objects but are exalted to almost religious levels. Although the lyrics are loaded with sex and taboo themes, we will never find a hint of patriarchy in the trap. Reggaeton cannot say the same.
Despite spending a few days listening to Spanish trap, unfortunately for my ears, I can’t find enough spark to continue bombarding my ears with this genre. Maybe I’m too old to understand it.
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