Snap music
Encyclopedia
Snap music is a dance-centric subgenre of hip hop music
, that originated in the South in the late-1990s, in Bankhead
, West Atlanta, the United States
. Early snap artists include D4L
, Dem Franchize Boys, and K-Rab
.
Tracks commonly consist of an 808
bassdrum, hi-hat
, bass
, snapping
, a main groove and a vocal track. Hit snap songs include "Lean Wit It, Rock Wit It
" by Dem Franchize Boys, "Money in the Bank
" by Lil Scrappy
, "Laffy Taffy
" by D4L
, "It's Goin' Down
" by Yung Joc
and "Crank That (Soulja Boy)
" by Soulja Boy Tell 'Em
Crunk has been called the "predecessor of snap". Hip hop DX magazine described snap music as a "laid back version of its forbearer, crunk music".
, Atlanta, Georgia
. Bankhead
was a place where the difference between poor and rich was striking, and, as it has been described, "a lighter sound" of snap was born "in the midst of all the aggression". Very soon after creation, snap music took on the another type of music of Atlanta - crunk
. In 2003, Dem Franchize Boys, who had already produced some snap hits for local clubs by the time, got signed to Universal Music Group
. It has been said, that due to weak promotion and the decision of Universal music to put out the debut album of Dem Franchize Boys and Nelly
's - "Sweat and Suit" the same day were reasons why their first album wasn't a success. The same year, 2005, they got an attention of Jermaine Dupri
, who remixed their single "I Think They Like Me" and signed them to So So Def. The remix of "I Think They Like Me" topped Hot Rap/R&B songs chart and spotted №15 on Billboard Hot 100 charts. Jermaine Dupri was later described as the key figure of bringing snap music into mainstream.
Another Atlanta four, D4L
, were performing at Atlanta's Vision Nightclub and Lounge alongside with 8Ball, Keyshia Cole
and Slim Thug
at the time. In 2005, they have produced "Laffy Taffy
" hit, which occupied the number one position in Billboard Hot 100
charts. Their debut album, "Down For Life", was certified gold by RIAA. D4L and Dem Franchize Boys started a rivalry over who started snap. As Fabo
of D4L mentioned, no one respected Dem Franchize Boys in Atlanta and that they were called "label prostitutes" there. However, New York Times stated that lyric-oriented producers like T.I and Young Jeezy
get way more respect in Atlanta, than acts like D4L, where snap music is seen as light club music as opposed to "heavy street" music of ones like Young Jeezy.
As this rivalry continued, the resident DJ of Atlanta's Pool Palace DJ T-Roc has claimed that K-Rab
was making snap long before Dem Franchize Boys and D4L. There are other facts telling that K-Rab could be the original creator of snap - he has produced "Laffy Taffy" and his voice can be heard on the early snap hits, like "Do The Pool Palace" and "Bubble Gum".
On January 12, 2006, New York Times placed a review on "Laffy Taffy". While analysing the song structure, the author of review concluded, that the song is stupid and is not the raw rap we know and love. The review also touched the broader topic of snap music with a conclusion, that it's hardly possible that major record label
catches on this sound, as they, in the opinion of the author, needed something "more serious" than snap. It was also noted that snap does very well with digital download
system, as "cheap" snap and cheap cost of digital tracks (99 cents for "Laffy Taffy") fit well.
There was another hit with popping sound in the place of snare drum that has reached the number-three position on Billboard Hot 100 in 2006, which is Yung Joc
's "It's Goin' Down
". The Billboard
magazine claimed that popping sounds of "It's Going Down", however, weren't fingersnapping.
In 2006, Vibe magazine has also mentioned the subgenre of snap, snap&B in connection to the Cherish album Unappreciated
. Vibe stated a concern whether snap&B can take on crunk&B, which was too popular at the time. Vibe also pointed to one characteristic trait of snap&B, saying that, unlike slow jam
s, which may feature snapping, a track should be "pop" as well to be called "snap&B".
2007 was the year of the highest snap popularity.. Producer T-Pain
has entered Billboard Hot 100
charts with his snap&B hit, "Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin')
". The latter one spotted number-one on Billboard Hot 100
and became number-68 in Rolling Stone
's Best Songs of 2007 list. This track has also won Vibe Award as "The Song of the Year".
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
, that originated in the South in the late-1990s, in Bankhead
Bankhead
-USA:*Bankhead , a neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia**Bankhead , a train station in Atlanta on the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority system*William B. Bankhead National Forest, in the U.S. state of Alabama-People:...
, West Atlanta, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Early snap artists include D4L
D4L
D4L is an American rap group. They were composed of Fabo, Mook-B, Stoney and Shawty Lo. They are best known for their hit song "Laffy Taffy," which reached number-one in the U.S. in 2006.-Biography:...
, Dem Franchize Boys, and K-Rab
K-Rab
K-Rab is an American record producer from Atlanta, Georgia who claims to be the originator of "snap music". A song he produced, "Laffy Taffy"—performed by Atlanta based hip-hop group D4L—was recently honored by ASCAP, as one of the "most performed songs" of 2006. "Laffy Taffy" also reached number...
.
Tracks commonly consist of an 808
Roland TR-808
The Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer was one of the first programmable drum machines . Introduced by the Roland Corporation in early 1980, it was originally manufactured for use as a tool for studio musicians to create demos. Like earlier Roland drum machines, it does not sound very much like a real...
bassdrum, hi-hat
Hi-hat
A hi-hat, or hihat, is a type of cymbal and stand used as a typical part of a drum kit by percussionists in R&B, hip-hop, disco, jazz, rock and roll, house, reggae and other forms of contemporary popular music.- Operation :...
, bass
Bass (instrument)
Bass describes musical instruments that produce tones in the low-pitched range. They belong to different families of instruments and can cover a wide range of musical roles...
, snapping
Snap (fingers)
Snapping one's fingers is the act of creating a cracking/clicking sound with one's fingers. Primarily this is done by building tension between the thumb and another finger and then moving the other finger forcefully downward so it hits the palm of the same hand at a high speed...
, a main groove and a vocal track. Hit snap songs include "Lean Wit It, Rock Wit It
Lean wit It, Rock wit It
"Lean wit It, Rock wit It" is a song by Atlanta rap group Dem Franchize Boyz from their album On Top of Our Game. It features Lil Peanut and Charlay and it is produced by Maurice "Parlae" Gleaton....
" by Dem Franchize Boys, "Money in the Bank
Money in the Bank (Lil Scrappy song)
"Money in the Bank" is a single from Lil Scrappy's debut album Bred 2 Die Born 2 Live, featuring Young Buck. The video has cameo appearances including Lil Jon, Lloyd Banks, Chamillionaire, Project Pat, Spider Loc, T-Pain, David Banner, Nick Cannon, All Star Cashville Prince, Young Hot Rod and Katt...
" by Lil Scrappy
Lil Scrappy
Darryl Kevin Richardson II , better known by his stage name Lil Scrappy, is an American rapper.Richards was discovered by producer and performer Lil Jon while performing at a bar, when a fight broke out during his set in his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia...
, "Laffy Taffy
Laffy Taffy (song)
"Laffy Taffy" is a song by Atlanta-based hip-hop group D4L which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 2006. The song's success on the charts was largely due to its enormous online sales. Produced by Cory Way p/k/a "Born Immaculate, Broderick Thompson Smith and Richard Sims p/k/a...
" by D4L
D4L
D4L is an American rap group. They were composed of Fabo, Mook-B, Stoney and Shawty Lo. They are best known for their hit song "Laffy Taffy," which reached number-one in the U.S. in 2006.-Biography:...
, "It's Goin' Down
It's Goin' Down
"It's goin' down" is slang, primarily Ebonics, which typically means "It's going to happen" or "Something is going to happen"."It's Goin' Down" may also refer to:* For the X-Ecutioners song, see "It's Goin' Down "....
" by Yung Joc
Yung Joc
YaMar Jon Robinson , better known by his stage name Yung Joc, is an American rapper.-Early life:Robinson's father, Vivian Young, ran a hair-care products company and helped him write a jingle for Revlon; Robinson founded his own label to release his music.-New Joc City :After Teaming with producer...
and "Crank That (Soulja Boy)
Crank That (Soulja Boy)
"Crank That " is the debut single by American rapper Soulja Boy from his debut album souljaboytellem.com. It spent seven weeks at number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 2007. The song is recognized by its looping steel pan riff. The song was originally produced on the program FL Studio before...
" by Soulja Boy Tell 'Em
Soulja Boy Tell 'Em
DeAndre Cortez Way , better known by his stage name Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, or simply Soulja Boy, is an American rapper, record producer, actor, entrepreneur, and internet personality....
Crunk has been called the "predecessor of snap". Hip hop DX magazine described snap music as a "laid back version of its forbearer, crunk music".
History
It is suggested that snap music has appeared around 2000 in a crime-infested neighbourhood of BankheadBankhead
-USA:*Bankhead , a neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia**Bankhead , a train station in Atlanta on the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority system*William B. Bankhead National Forest, in the U.S. state of Alabama-People:...
, Atlanta, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. Bankhead
Bankhead
-USA:*Bankhead , a neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia**Bankhead , a train station in Atlanta on the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority system*William B. Bankhead National Forest, in the U.S. state of Alabama-People:...
was a place where the difference between poor and rich was striking, and, as it has been described, "a lighter sound" of snap was born "in the midst of all the aggression". Very soon after creation, snap music took on the another type of music of Atlanta - crunk
Crunk
Crunk is a music style that originated in Memphis, Tennessee in the mid-to-late 1990s and gained mainstream success around 2003–2004. Performers of crunk music are sometimes referred to as crunksters. An archetypal crunk track most frequently uses a drum machine rhythm, heavy bassline, and...
. In 2003, Dem Franchize Boys, who had already produced some snap hits for local clubs by the time, got signed to Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
. It has been said, that due to weak promotion and the decision of Universal music to put out the debut album of Dem Franchize Boys and Nelly
Nelly
Cornell Iral Haynes, Jr. , better known by his stage name Nelly, is an Grammy Award winning American rapper and actor. He has performed with the rap group St. Lunatics since 1993 and signed to Universal Records in 1999. Under Universal, Nelly began his solo career in 2000 with his debut album...
's - "Sweat and Suit" the same day were reasons why their first album wasn't a success. The same year, 2005, they got an attention of Jermaine Dupri
Jermaine Dupri
Jermaine Dupri Mauldin , known as Jermaine Dupri or JD, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper.- Early life and career :...
, who remixed their single "I Think They Like Me" and signed them to So So Def. The remix of "I Think They Like Me" topped Hot Rap/R&B songs chart and spotted №15 on Billboard Hot 100 charts. Jermaine Dupri was later described as the key figure of bringing snap music into mainstream.
Another Atlanta four, D4L
D4L
D4L is an American rap group. They were composed of Fabo, Mook-B, Stoney and Shawty Lo. They are best known for their hit song "Laffy Taffy," which reached number-one in the U.S. in 2006.-Biography:...
, were performing at Atlanta's Vision Nightclub and Lounge alongside with 8Ball, Keyshia Cole
Keyshia Cole
Keyshia Myeshia Cole Gibson born October 15, 1981) is an American singer–songwriter and actress. She gained nationwide acclaim when her 2005 debut album, The Way It Is went platinum. Her sophomore album Just Like You went into production shortly after that and was released in September 2007...
and Slim Thug
Slim Thug
Stayve Jerome Thomas , better known as Slim Thug, Boss Hogg or Thug Boss, is an American rapper. He gained mainstream attention for his contribution to the popular single from rapper Mike Jones, "Still Tippin'"....
at the time. In 2005, they have produced "Laffy Taffy
Laffy Taffy (song)
"Laffy Taffy" is a song by Atlanta-based hip-hop group D4L which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 2006. The song's success on the charts was largely due to its enormous online sales. Produced by Cory Way p/k/a "Born Immaculate, Broderick Thompson Smith and Richard Sims p/k/a...
" hit, which occupied the number one position in Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
charts. Their debut album, "Down For Life", was certified gold by RIAA. D4L and Dem Franchize Boys started a rivalry over who started snap. As Fabo
Fabo
Lefabian Williams better known by his stage name Fabo is an American rapper, producer and the frontman of the snap music group D4L...
of D4L mentioned, no one respected Dem Franchize Boys in Atlanta and that they were called "label prostitutes" there. However, New York Times stated that lyric-oriented producers like T.I and Young Jeezy
Young Jeezy
Jay Wayne Jenkins , better known by his stage name Young Jeezy, is an American rapper. He is the member of the hip hop group United Streets Dopeboyz of America and a former member of BMF...
get way more respect in Atlanta, than acts like D4L, where snap music is seen as light club music as opposed to "heavy street" music of ones like Young Jeezy.
As this rivalry continued, the resident DJ of Atlanta's Pool Palace DJ T-Roc has claimed that K-Rab
K-Rab
K-Rab is an American record producer from Atlanta, Georgia who claims to be the originator of "snap music". A song he produced, "Laffy Taffy"—performed by Atlanta based hip-hop group D4L—was recently honored by ASCAP, as one of the "most performed songs" of 2006. "Laffy Taffy" also reached number...
was making snap long before Dem Franchize Boys and D4L. There are other facts telling that K-Rab could be the original creator of snap - he has produced "Laffy Taffy" and his voice can be heard on the early snap hits, like "Do The Pool Palace" and "Bubble Gum".
On January 12, 2006, New York Times placed a review on "Laffy Taffy". While analysing the song structure, the author of review concluded, that the song is stupid and is not the raw rap we know and love. The review also touched the broader topic of snap music with a conclusion, that it's hardly possible that major record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
catches on this sound, as they, in the opinion of the author, needed something "more serious" than snap. It was also noted that snap does very well with digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
system, as "cheap" snap and cheap cost of digital tracks (99 cents for "Laffy Taffy") fit well.
There was another hit with popping sound in the place of snare drum that has reached the number-three position on Billboard Hot 100 in 2006, which is Yung Joc
Yung Joc
YaMar Jon Robinson , better known by his stage name Yung Joc, is an American rapper.-Early life:Robinson's father, Vivian Young, ran a hair-care products company and helped him write a jingle for Revlon; Robinson founded his own label to release his music.-New Joc City :After Teaming with producer...
's "It's Goin' Down
It's Goin' Down (Yung Joc song)
"It's Goin' Down" is a song performed by American rapper Yung Joc, and produced by Nitti. It was released as the first single from his debut album New Joc City....
". The Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
magazine claimed that popping sounds of "It's Going Down", however, weren't fingersnapping.
In 2006, Vibe magazine has also mentioned the subgenre of snap, snap&B in connection to the Cherish album Unappreciated
Unappreciated
Unappreciated is the debut album by the American R&B-soul girl group Cherish. The album was co-produced by Jermaine Dupri, along with the group. The sisters confirmed that they co-wrote every song on the album, along with Dupri. Released on August 15, 2006, the album was met with a positive...
. Vibe stated a concern whether snap&B can take on crunk&B, which was too popular at the time. Vibe also pointed to one characteristic trait of snap&B, saying that, unlike slow jam
Slow jam
A slow jam an umbrella term for music with R&B and Soul influences. Slow jams are commonly R&B ballads or down tempo songs. The term is most commonly reserved for soft-sounding songs with heavily emotional or romantic lyrical content. This definition has led to intense debate over whether...
s, which may feature snapping, a track should be "pop" as well to be called "snap&B".
2007 was the year of the highest snap popularity.. Producer T-Pain
T-Pain
Faheem Rasheed Najm , better known by his stage name T-Pain, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actor, currently signed to Young Money Entertainment. His debut album, Rappa Ternt Sanga, was released in 2005. In 2007, T-Pain released his second studio album Epiphany,...
has entered Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
charts with his snap&B hit, "Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin')
Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin')
"Buy U a Drank " is a song by American producer/singer-songwriter T-Pain. It was released on February 20, 2007. The song is the first official single from T-Pain's album Epiphany. The song also features rapper Yung Joc.-Background:...
". The latter one spotted number-one on Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and became number-68 in Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
's Best Songs of 2007 list. This track has also won Vibe Award as "The Song of the Year".