Phonk

Phonk () is a subgenre of hip hop that emerged in the early 2010s in the United States. The term was coined and popularized by American rapper and record producer SpaceGhostPurrp. The genre is

Etymology and characteristics#

The term “phonk” was originally coined and popularized by American rapper SpaceGhostPurrp, who released tracks such as “Pheel tha Phonk”, “Bringin’ tha Phonk”, and “Keep Bringin’ tha Phonk” and his 2012 debut album Mysterious Phonk: Chronicles of SpaceGhostPurrp. In an interview, he explained that “phonk is slang for funk”, in reference to the G-funk music genre. Phonk is directly inspired by 1990s Memphis rap and samples from that era of hip hop. These are often combined with jazz and funk samples. Notable artists associated with “new-age phonk” include DJ Smokey, DJ Yung Vamp, Soudiere, and Mythic.

Early 2010s: Origins#

Phonk took inspiration from trap roots in the Southern United States in the mid-1990s. Artists or musical groups like DJ Screw, X-Raided, DJ Spanish Fly, Tommy Wright III, DJ Squeeky, and the collective Three 6 Mafia all helped pioneer the foundations for the genre to emerge many years later, with the Houston chopped and screwed seen as the precursor to the genre. and Denzel Curry, along with rapper Lil Ugly Mane and record producer DJ Smokey revived the Memphis rap sound, which evolved into the “phonk” style. Music curator Ryan Celsius also helped popularize the genre through his YouTube mixes. Phonk producers continued to push this sound in the underground, before the genre gained real momentum during the mid-2010s.

Late 2010s–2020s: Development#

By the end of 2017, phonk had shifted away from the “gritty, dark, Memphis-oriented sound”, incorporating more modern vocals, with elements of jazz and classic hip hop. Between 2016 and 2018, phonk was one of the most listened genres on SoundCloud, with the hashtag #phonk among the most trending each year. In the late 2010s, a subgenre called drift phonk emerged in Russia, social media platforms like TikTok popularized the style, which became conflated with the original phonk genre. Although phonk has evolved passed its original roots, writing for Pitchfork, music journalist Kieran Press-Reynolds cites artists such as Freddie Dredd and Suicideboys as continuing to release and produce songs in the genre’s original style. across YouTube Shorts, TikTok, and Instagram Reels.

Drift phonk#

Drift phonk is a subgenre of phonk that emerged in the late-2010s in Russia. It is characterized by the use of high bass, TR-808 cowbells, and distorted sounds, anime, fighting sports, and street racing cars. Drift phonk songs are typically short, energetic, and have thus found popularity through internet culture. Most of the prominent drift phonk producers come from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and other countries in Eastern Europe. Following the rise in popularity of the genre in Russia, Spotify released its official curated phonk playlist in May 2021, which was almost exclusively composed of drift phonk tracks. Other notable figures include Ivan Belozerov from Russia, known as Interworld, for his Metamorphosis single, and Tahar Bendjedi from Algeria, known as DXRK, for his Rave single.

Rare phonk#

Rare phonk is a subgenre of phonk pioneered by artists such as DJ Yung Vamp, Soudiere and DJ Smokey in the 2010s. It primarily features drum programming and rhythms derived from styles of 2010s trap music, which it frequently blends with the aforementioned percussion sounds and vocal samples of Memphis rap.

Funk automotivo#

Funk automotivo is a subgenre of Brazilian funk, mislabeled as “Brazilian phonk” outside of Brazil. Phonk is often conflated with funk automotivo. The genre gained the nickname “Brazilian phonk” following its popularization and success on social media.

Japanese funk#

Japanese funk is a style of phonk that emerged in the early 2020s outside of Japan, merging J-pop, anime music, and city pop with baile funk, with an aesthetic of using anime characters as cover art. It relies heavily on AI vocals and has grown in popularity on TikTok with songs such as BellyJay’s “Montagem Hikari” (based in the Philippines) amassing 14 million views on YouTube and 26 million plays on Spotify in April 2026.

Genre family: 2010s in music, 2020s in music, 21st-century music genres, Hip-hop genres, Internet music genres, Trap music