Origins
Cloud rap originated in Atlanta, Houston, and Memphis during the late 2000s. [6] The term "cloud rap" is popularly used in reference to lo-fi, hazy rap. [3]
Elements of cloud rap, like lo-fi and dreamy atmospheres, appear as early as 2001 with Clouddead's self-titled album. Later in 2006 more building blocks, such as hazy and relaxed sounds, are on Viper's second album, Ready and... Willing. [7] In a 2009 article, music writer Noz wrote that rapper Lil B showed him a CGI image of a castle in the clouds and said "that's the kind of music I want to make", crediting Lil B with the coining of the term. [3] Producer Clams Casino has also been credited with pioneering the cloud rap sound as early as 2010 through collaborations with Lil B. [4]
The term was also used in the Space Age Hustle blog's compilation of songs, 3 Years Ahead: The Cloud Rap Tape. [3] The compilation consists of songs that fall in the cloud rap genre. [3] The genre garnered mainstream attention in 2011 with rapper ASAP Rocky's debut mixtape, Live. Love. ASAP . [8]
Characteristics
Cloud rap is melodically similar to lo-fi and chillwave but distinguishes itself with distorted, psychedelic samples and the inclusion of trap style drums. [6] The genre takes inspiration from the "diversity of influences and the easy accessibility" that cloud computing entails. [9] Such influences include hip hop, drum and bass, grime, and trip hop, R&B, dance, indie, rock, and pop music genres. [9]
The label "cloud" denotes distinct characteristics of the genre such as its "hazy," ethereal aesthetic (in terms of both aural and visual expression) and its ambiguity as a genre without clearly defined borders. [5] Cloud rap's lyrics sometimes revolve around themes of love and betrayal, as well as more typical themes found in popular music such as sex, drugs, and alienation. [8]
Cloud rap pulls from a diversity of rap sounds and locales: from both the East and West Coasts and the South. [9] In particular, cloud rap often utilizes looped samples from female singers, and often from those whose voices have an ethereal quality. [9] Often, cloud rap is released independently of record labels, and cloud rap artists rely on internet services (such as SoundCloud, YouTube, and Twitter) to distribute and promote their music. [10]
Artists and producers
With many of the genre's pioneers taking major influences from witch house and chillwave, many artists have producers in common like Clams Casino, 90's Bambino, and SpaceGhostPurrp. [11] [12] In 2011, Clams Casino assisted ASAP Rocky in producing Live. Love. ASAP, one of the most listened to mixtapes in cloud rap with 1,164,114 listeners. [9] The mixtape consists of common cloud rap elements and themes such as drug use, sex, and self-reflection. [13] [14] Other artists such as Black Kray as a part of the collective Goth Money records, have been created as well as artists like Playboi Carti. [15]
Swedish artist Yung Lean became an eminent cloud rap artist in 2013 when the video for his single "Ginseng Strip 2002" went viral. [8]
French rap duo PNL are pioneers of this genre on the francophone hip-hop scene; their first single"Le Monde Chico" (2015) going triple platinum, "Dans la légende" (2016) diamond, and double diamond for "Deux Frères" (2019). [16]
Another notable cloud rap artist is Marlon DuBois, who is best known for his track "Pfizer". [17]
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