How a global crisis, drift racing and Memphis hip-hop gave us phonk – the music of the TikTok generation

What’s that sound you hear – a combination of down-tempo hip-hop, menacing bass, distorted drums and plucky synths? It’s phonk!

But once you dig a little deeper, you’ll find government censorship, online rebellion and the disruption of American-dominated popular culture. While you may not be directly familiar with the ’90s Memphis hip-hop scene, you will have felt its influence in popular music from recent decades. Known for its expert and nuanced use of the Roland 808 drum machine , styles such as trap and other modern EDM and hip-hop movements owe a lot of their stylistic choices to this scene.

This was the perfect storm in which phonk could be repositioned as the soundtrack of the TikTok generation. By the last quarter of 2020, TikTok had amassed more than 700 million global users, overtaking Spotify to become the main outlet through which music promotion could occur. Drift phonk’s ominous rhythms and detuned melodies are a perfect match for the adrenaline-fuelled culture of underground street racing. The relationship between phonk and racing videos helped spread the style across social media. It even extended to the Fast and Furious franchise, with the release of Drift Tape .

Contemporary Music Funk Hip-Hop Hip-Hop Culture Music Music History Social Media Tiktok Viral Videos

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