Fap Rap
Term used to describe soulless, focus-group driven, highly synthetic and overproduced mainstream rap music, primarily from the 2010's, that lacks the creativity and soul associated with previous periods in hip hop history. Fap rap is an umbrella genre that not only includes mumble rap - it's most recent incarnation - but earlier 10's corporate pop rap like Drake, Nicki Minaj, Iggy Azalea, the Far East Movement., etc. See also butt rap.
The genre has its origins in the early-mid 00's with shameless, cynical pop acts such as the Black Eyed Peas, as well as less saccharine but still very cheesy one-hit-wonder Southern rappers like Soulja Boy and Mims. Once representing a small portion of sales within hip hop, the style has since become THE defining sound and ethos of mainstream rap.
Fap rap has many parallels to butt rock, a style of rock music (characterized by bands like Nickelback, Staind, Theory of a Deadman, Limp Bizkit, etc.) that all but entirely took over mainstream rock during the late 90's and 00's. The lack of variety, creativity, and quality standards within mainstream rock during this period may very well be the cause of the genres recent commercial demise. It is uncertain, yet entirely plausible, that fap rap will have a similar effect on hip hop in the coming years and decades.
The genre has its origins in the early-mid 00's with shameless, cynical pop acts such as the Black Eyed Peas, as well as less saccharine but still very cheesy one-hit-wonder Southern rappers like Soulja Boy and Mims. Once representing a small portion of sales within hip hop, the style has since become THE defining sound and ethos of mainstream rap.
Fap rap has many parallels to butt rock, a style of rock music (characterized by bands like Nickelback, Staind, Theory of a Deadman, Limp Bizkit, etc.) that all but entirely took over mainstream rock during the late 90's and 00's. The lack of variety, creativity, and quality standards within mainstream rock during this period may very well be the cause of the genres recent commercial demise. It is uncertain, yet entirely plausible, that fap rap will have a similar effect on hip hop in the coming years and decades.
Person 1: "Thank god 6ix9ine's in jail. Now mumble rap might finally be over and hip hop can recover"
Person 2: "Recover? No man, even with mumble rap gone, we've got a LONG way to go before mainstream rap is in anything resembling a healthy state again"
Person 1: "Yeah, you're right. I guess mumble rappers are only the latest in a long series of fap rappers dating back to before the start of the decade."
Person 2: "Right. As long as fap rappers Drake and Cardi B. are still more successful than everyone else, fap rap isn't going anywhere. Hip hop needs a revolution, like what rock and roll got in the 90's when grunge wiped out hair metal and 80's butt rock. Hopefully something like that happens in the 20's."
Person 2: "Recover? No man, even with mumble rap gone, we've got a LONG way to go before mainstream rap is in anything resembling a healthy state again"
Person 1: "Yeah, you're right. I guess mumble rappers are only the latest in a long series of fap rappers dating back to before the start of the decade."
Person 2: "Right. As long as fap rappers Drake and Cardi B. are still more successful than everyone else, fap rap isn't going anywhere. Hip hop needs a revolution, like what rock and roll got in the 90's when grunge wiped out hair metal and 80's butt rock. Hopefully something like that happens in the 20's."
Fap Rap by Burt Kocain January 12, 2019
