HIP HOP STYLE

Trap drum patterns.

Half-time snares, rolling hi-hat triplets and long 808 kicks that carry the bass line, out of Atlanta in the 2000s.

118 grooves
1982–2024
4 landmarks

The Trap timeline

18 of 18 grooves

1982
Planet Rock Open Planet Rock in a new tab
Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force
Root: Arthur Baker built the record around TR-808 beats; that machine's long kick and crisp hats became trap's core kit
1997
Landmark
Tear da Club Up '97 Open Tear da Club Up '97 in a new tab
Three 6 Mafia
Memphis blueprint: DJ Paul and Juicy J's dark, lo-fi 808 production and chanted hooks, a sound Atlanta trap later drew on
2003
Landmark
24's Open 24's in a new tab
T.I.
DJ Toomp's lead single from Trap Muzik, the album T.I. says named the genre; hard 808 hits under a melodic loop
2005
Icy Open Icy in a new tab
Gucci Mane ft. Young Jeezy
Zaytoven's beat for Gucci's debut single; his sparse keys-over-808 style, later cited by Young Chop as a drill precursor
2005
Trap or Die Open Trap or Die in a new tab
Young Jeezy ft. Bun B
Shawty Redd production from Thug Motivation 101; his minimal, horror-tinged synths and 808s helped set the core trap sound
2010
Landmark
Hard in da Paint Open Hard in da Paint in a new tab
Waka Flocka Flame
Lex Luger's breakout: brassy synths, rolling hi-hats and snare rolls over booming 808s, the template for 2010s trap
2012
Bandz a Make Her Dance Open Bandz a Make Her Dance in a new tab
Juicy J ft. Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz
Mike WiLL Made-It's spare, bouncing 808 beat; the strip-club hit that relaunched the Three 6 Mafia co-founder
2012
Higher Ground Open Higher Ground in a new tab
TNGHT
Hudson Mohawke and Lunice's lead single: rapid-fire trap hats, claps and brass stabs that fed festival EDM trap
2012
Harlem Shake Open Harlem Shake in a new tab
Baauer
Mad Decent free download whose 2013 meme run hit US No. 1, putting EDM trap's 808 drop and hat rolls in front of millions
2013
Landmark
Versace Open Versace in a new tab
Migos
Zaytoven-produced debut single credited with taking the triplet 'Versace flow' mainstream over a spare 808-and-hat grid
2016
No Heart Open No Heart in a new tab
21 Savage & Metro Boomin
Savage Mode single: Metro's brooding, eerie minimalism of heavy 808s and sparse percussion
2017
Mask Off Open Mask Off in a new tab
Future
Metro Boomin loops the flute from Tommy Butler's 1976 'Prison Song' over sparse 808s; Future's first top-five hit
2017
XO Tour Llif3 Open XO Tour Llif3 in a new tab
Lil Uzi Vert
TM88 and JW Lucas sped up an older beat in FL Studio; psychedelic minor-key trap that became an emo-rap signature
2017
Magnolia Open Magnolia in a new tab
Playboi Carti
Pi'erre Bourne's New Orleans-bounce beat with rattling low end; his bright, game-like style later seeded rage
2018
Look Alive Open Look Alive in a new tab
BlocBoy JB ft. Drake
Tay Keith's Memphis beat of skittering hats and booming 808s; a US top-five hit that was widely remixed
2020
Stop Breathing Open Stop Breathing in a new tab
Playboi Carti
Whole Lotta Red cut by F1lthy, Lukrative and Ssort; the album's blown-out 808s and chaotic synths became rage's base
2021
Miss the Rage Open Miss the Rage in a new tab
Trippie Redd ft. Playboi Carti
Loesoe-produced hit whose title named rage: looping, widened synth leads over basic, high-energy trap drums
2024
Like That Open Like That in a new tab
Future, Metro Boomin & Kendrick Lamar
Metro folds 'Everlasting Bass' and 'Eazy-Duz-It' samples into trap drums, pulling 80s LA electro-rap into a US No. 1

Press play to loop each record's busiest two bars straight from its video.

Quick answers

What do Trap drums sound like?

Half-time weight with restless hats and room for an 808.

Which genre family is Trap in?

On BeatTab Trap sits in the Hip hop family, next to Hip hop, Boom bap, Drill and Grime.

Which records shaped Trap drums?

The timeline on this page runs from Planet Rock by Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force (1982) to Like That by Future, Metro Boomin & Kendrick Lamar (2024), 18 records in all.