Phonk is a gritty, sample-heavy subgenre of hip-hop and electronic music that exploded into the mainstream during the early 2020s. While it sounds modern and futuristic, its soul is deeply rooted in the DIY underground rap scenes of the 1990s. The Core Sound
: Lo-fi, "chopped and screwed" vocal snippets taken from 1990s Memphis rap tapes. Phonk is a gritty, sample-heavy subgenre of hip-hop
Phonk is no longer a single sound; it has branched into distinct styles driven by global internet trends: Phonk is a gritty
: A sharp, pitched-up percussive hit that often carries the main melody. and often eerie
: Dark, hypnotic, and often eerie, reminiscent of "horrorcore". Key Subgenres