Cloud Rap
Cloud Rap, also known as trillwave, is a hip-hop subgenre defined by its slow, ethereal musical structure, often featuring repetitive melodies, atmospheric production, and prominent use of auto-tune. Emerging from a more ambiguous aesthetic akin to vaporwave or glitch art, its origins are often attributed to Lil B, who famously pointed to a cloud castle painting and declared, "I want my music to sound like that." Key artists include Lil B, A$AP Rocky, and Clams Casino. This genre significantly influenced the sound of mainstream trap and experimental hip-hop, fostering a dreamlike, introspective mood within rap music.
More about Cloud Rap
Cloud Rap is a hip-hop subgenre that emerged around 2010, characterised by airy production, vaporous textures, and a melancholic or introspective atmosphere. Born online within SoundCloud and Tumblr communities, the style was popularised by artists like Clams Casino, A$AP Rocky, and SpaceGhostPurrp, who transposed lo-fi aesthetics and hazy electronic moods into rap music. Cloud Rap is above all a music of the moment, of mood, and of stream of consciousness.
Musically, it is defined by slowed-down beats, ethereal string or vocal samples, heavy 808 bass, and production that feels like drifting through sonic fog. Flows are often laid-back, almost whispered, privileging texture and atmosphere over technical display. The associated visual aesthetic — desaturated photos, VHS filters, nocturnal imagery — extends this dreamlike dimension throughout the genre.
The Cloud Rap scene is diverse and global: in France, JOSMAN has established himself as one of the genre's most inventive voices, followed by BEKAR. In the United States, Post Malone propelled these sonics into the mainstream, while 2hollis, bbno$, and Destroy Lonely represent the new guard. Swae Lee and Ecco2k complete the picture of a scene in perpetual creative ferment.
The best Cloud Rap festivals are increasingly incorporating this movement into their hip-hop line-ups, acknowledging its growing influence on contemporary popular music as a whole. Events like We Love Green, Lollapalooza Paris, and Pitchfork Music Festival have opened their doors to it, confirming that Cloud Rap has far outgrown its internet origins to become a global cultural phenomenon with deep ramifications.