What Came First – Trap Music or Dubstep?

We take a look at the origins of two of electronic music’s most popular genres – trap and dubstep – and ask the question, what came first?

Trap Music

Trap music is a subgenre of hip hop that originated in the early 2000s in the Southern United States. It is typified by its aggressive lyrical content and hard-hitting beats. Trap music often has a dark, melancholic or grim tone and features samples from horror movies or menacing synth lines.

What is Trap Music?

Trap music is a subgenre of hip hop that originated in the early 1990s in the Southern United States. It gets its name from the word “trap,” which refers to a place where drug deals take place. Trap music is characterized by its heavy use of percussion, 808 drums, synthesizers, and dark, violent lyrics.

Where did Trap Music come from?

Trap music is a subgenre of hip hop that originated in the early 1990s in the Southern United States. It gets its name from the drug culture surrounding “traps,” which are places where drugs are sold illegally. Trap music uses programmed hi-hats and synthetic bass to create a feeling of heightened tension and danger. The lyrics often deal with topics like poverty, violence, and drug addiction.

Dubstep

Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that emerged in the late 1990s. It is characterized by a sparse, syncopated drum arrangement with heavy bass and sub-bass lines.Parts of the United Kingdom (UK), particularly London, have been credited as the birthplace of dubstep.

What is Dubstep?

Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in South London in the late 1990s. It is generally characterized by sparse, syncopated rhythmic patterns with prominent sub-bass frequencies. The style emerged as an offshoot of UK garage, drawing on a lineage of related styles such as 2-step and dub reggae. In the early 2000s, DJs and producers such as Zed Bias, Skream and Benga began to prominence within the dubstep community through their respective releases on the label Tempa.

Where did Dubstep come from?

The first known use of the word dubstep was in 2002, according to the Oxford English Dictionary. But it wasn’t until around 2004 that the genre started to take off, with a sound that was pioneered by a small group of London-based producers and DJs.

The earliest dubstep tracks were dark, atmospheric, and heavily influenced by 2-step garage and drum & bass. They often featured sparse, minimal beats and sub-bass frequencies that could make your chest vibrate. These early tracks were sometimes called “dark garage” or “darkstep.”

As dubstep became more popular, producers began to experiment with different sounds and styles. This led to the development of subgenres like wonky dubstep, brostep, dub-tech, and neurofunk.

Today, dubstep is one of the most popular genres in electronic music. It’s known for its heavy basslines, syncopated rhythms, and mutated sound effects. But despite its popularity, there is still some debate about where exactly dubstep came from.

Comparison

It’s difficult to compare Trap Music and Dubstep because they are two completely different genres of music. Trap Music is a sub-genre of Hip-Hop that originated in the South, while Dubstep is a sub-genre of Electronic Dance Music that originated in the United Kingdom.

Similarities

Trap music and dubstep have a lot in common. Both genres use heavy bass and synths to create a thumping, electronic sound. And both have their roots in urban music scenes.

But there are some important differences between trap and dubstep. Trap music is typically slower than dubstep, with a BPM of around 80-110. It also typically features rap vocals, while dubstep is mostly instrumental.

While trap and dubstep share some similarities, they are two distinct genres of electronic music.

Differences

Trap music and dubstep both have their origins in electronic dance music, but the two genres have several significant differences. For one, trap music is typically slower than dubstep, with a tempo of around 70 to 80 beats per minute. This slower tempo gives trap music a more laid-back feel than the often hectic pace of dubstep. Additionally, trap music often incorporates rap or hip-hop elements, while dubstep is usually purely instrumental. Finally, trap music typically has a stronger focus on melody than dubstep, which often features heavily distorted bass lines and percussion.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there is no definitive answer to the question of which genre came first, trap music or dubstep. Both genres have roots in other styles of music, and both have evolved over time to become the popular genres they are today. Ultimately, it is up to the listener to decide which style they prefer.