What the phuk is phonk?

And why are we writing about it?

Phonk is a sub genre of hip-hop and trap, inspired by the 1990’s Memphis rap. It had died down in the 2000’s, but regained traction in the 2010’s and was crowned the sound of Gen Z by Soundcloud. SpaceGhostPurrp popularized the term phonk through his track titles, really tying it to his sound and style. The genre was further promoted by YouTubers TRILLPHONK, Emotional Tokyo, and Ryan Celsius.

So why are we, a humble little music blog, talking about phonk all of a sudden? Well, first off, back in the 2010’s I was much more of a rock lover and heavily missed out on trap and hip-hop trends, so part of me feels like I need to make up for the lost time. Second, have you heard “PHONKY TOWN” by Playaphonk? Take a quick listen below and tell me you’re not absolutely obsessed with the track.

With a recent TikTok trend using the track, “PHONKY TOWN” is leaving a major mark on the genre and reminding Gen Zers and the whole world why phonk has been titled our generation’s sound. Now if you’re as intrigued by phonk as I am, check out the playlist below with some great phonk and bass music!

References:
Haynes, G. (27 Jan, 2017). What the Phonk? The genre that's gripping Generation Z. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/jan/27/phonk-soundcloud-spaceghostpurrp-lil-uzi-vert

Bassil, R. (13 Feb, 2017). Please, Kids. Help Us: What Is “Phonk”?. Vice. Retrieved from https://www.vice.com/en/article/9ag953/we-asked-load-generation-z-teens-phonk