Trending genres: What is phonk music?

 

Spawned from the 90s Memphis rap scene, with a gritty sound and even grittier beat, phonk music gets eerily under your skin.

But, as a fairly new subgenre of hip hop and electronic music - with many uber-niche subgenres of its own - the OG phonk sound sometimes gets mischaracterised.

To get a true read on the genre, we look at the sonic qualities of phonk and its influences.

 

The “phonk” sound

Certain artists might lean more heavily into elements of phonk influences and subgenres, but here are the characteristic building blocks of the standard phonk sound.

 

1. It’s DARK

The signature phonk sound is dark, mysterious and discordant.

The music theory buffs will appreciate the use of Phrygian mode, with its altered natural minor scale, to give an eerily exotic quality to the genre. The use of chromatic tones also adds to the unsettling vibe.

Sticking with the minor flavour, offering minimal chord changes, as well as a slow trap-style tempo, gives phonk its hallmark repetitive and hypnotic feeling.

 

2. Samples rap, funk, soul and jazz

Vintage recordings are key to the lofi sound of phonk. Samples are primarily drawn from 90s Memphis rap artists, such Three 6 Mafia and DJ Squeeky, but also from 70s soul and funk records, but slowed down and distorted to give a darker sound.

You’ll also hear distorted samples of obscure jazz melodies on certain tracks, giving that unpredictable, unnerving quality to phonk.

 

3. Heavily features the 808 drum machine

Like trap and drill, the kick is often made up of a tonal 808 sound, which becomes the bass line of the track. It uses incredibly low, sub-bass tones, so low they feel distorted, which pitch up and down to create the bassline.

The kick/bass rhythm often follows the vocal flow, which gives it its groove.

 

4. The snare sounds thin

While there will always be variation between tracks, it’s kind of a signature move to use a thin snare sound that snaps at the top of the track.

As it’s a thin sound, it doesn’t fight, frequency-wise, with the kick, which drives the beat. Importantly, a thin snare also adds to that tinny, lofi quality of phonk.

 

5. Vocals and beats are chopped

Chopped vocals and beats mirror the flow of rap. A common pattern in phonk is triplet-flow rapping, which gives that urgency as it skips through words before a pause, giving it a distinct groove.

 

Subgenres

What “true” phonk is, is a subject of much debate. For instance, it has been heavily disputed and now widely settled by the online community that a cowbell sound in a phonk track actually makes it a member of a phonk subgenre: Drift phonk.

So, what are the main subgenres of phonk?

 

Drift phonk

Phonk purists might turn their nose up at this subgenre, as it relies on more polished synth sounds, which is at odds with the gritty, lofi aesthetic of regular phonk. Rich layered synths give a more symphonic, otherworldly feel.

Wave phonk

Wave phonk has a more ambient quality, sometimes feeling a little trance-like. It’s usually slower and has a “cosmic wonder” feel to it. LXST CXNTURY are heavily associated with this subgenre of phonk.

Dirty phonk

Even more scarily discordant, dirty phonk goes heavy on the atmosphere. Artists like Killer Mantis are often firmly associated with the dirty phonk sound.

The wonderfully disturbing horror-like sounds in their track ‘Nine Circles’ come from eerie bells, chimes and other synth sounds.

This is just a sample - there are many other subgenres such as Trill, Jungle and House phonk to get stuck into, as well international sounds, such as Brazilian phonk.

 

Popularity

While phonk has its roots in 90s Memphis rap and hip-hop, the genre experienced a resurgence in the 2010s, driven by popular Gen Z platforms SoundCloud, TikTok and Twitch.

In fact, from 2016-18, Phonk became one of SoundCloud’s most listened to genres. Algorithm-driven discoverability through the platform undoubtedly played a part in phonk’s newfound popularity, with #phonk among the top trending hashtags during this time.

Phonk is still immensely popular today, particularly on social media. Due to their dark, menacing sound and hard, repetitive beat, phonk tracks are instantly recognisable, even a social-content sized snippet of them.

Subgenres are gaining widespread popularity too. Drift phonk, in particular, has since been picked up and used widely across speed-racing games and anime content. The driving beat and dark, rebellious side of phonk makes it an ideal pairing with high octane car sequences and intense anime scenes.

 

Artists

There are many to choose from, but here is a selection of artists widely considered to exemplify the phonk sound:

• Soudiere - Atmospheric, dreamy sound production, which invites feelings of introspection, wonder and sometimes melancholy, makes heavy use of slow Memphis rap samples.

• DJ Screw - The man behind the "chopped” ( and screwed) aesthetic of phonk plays wildly with pitch, warping the vocals samples and shifting the beat.

• Berrymane - On the grittier end of the spectrum, and heavy on the 808, this sound is rough, ready and very, very heavy.

• Holy Mob - The trap influence here is undeniable. It’s super-heavy on bass and beats are choppy, groovy and aggressively in-your-face.

 

Get phonky with Universal Music for Creators

Amp up the atmosphere in your next content project with a phonk track from Universal Music for Creators. Explore their wide selection of phonk, including examples from around the world: the unmistakable sound of Asia phonk and the driving, danceable vibes of Brazilian phonk.