Snap music

Snap music is a subgenre of hip hop music derived from crunk 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 bass drum, hi-hat, bass, snapping, a main groove and a vocal track. Many snap songs also incorporate whistling. Hit snap songs include "Do It to It" by Cherish, "Lean Wit It, Rock Wit It" by Dem Franchize Boys, "Snap Yo Fingers" by Lil Jon, "Laffy Taffy" by D4L, "It's Goin' Down" by Yung Joc and "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" by Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, and voted one of "The 15 Best Snap Music Songs Of All-Time" is "Look At Her" by One Chance.

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 appeared around 2000 in a crime-infested neighborhood of Bankhead, 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 its creation, snap music took on 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 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. In 2005, they got the 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 the Hot Rap/R&B songs chart and spotted #15 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. Jermaine Dupri was later described as the key figure in bringing snap music into the mainstream.