{{Short description|Microgenre of music}} {{distinguish|ragecore}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2025}} {{Infobox music genre | name = Rage | other_names = {{hlist|Rage music<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />|rage rap<ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-11-01 |title=Yeat's Chart Topper and Rage Rap's New Wave |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/01/arts/music/popcast-yeat.html |access-date=2025-04-28 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=2025-03-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250323032819/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/01/arts/music/popcast-yeat.html |url-status=live }}</ref>|rage beats<ref name="hiphop.de">{{cite web |url=https://hiphop.de/magazin/hintergrund/trippie-redd-playboi-carti-rage-wave |title=Wie Trippie Redd und Playboi Carti Eine Neue Rage-Wave Prägen |trans-title=How Trippie Redd and Playboi Carti are shaping a new rage wave |first=Leon |last=Schäfers |publisher={{ill|Hiphop.de|de|Hiphop.de}} |date=June 21, 2021 |access-date=July 31, 2022 |archive-date=October 3, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231003075324/https://hiphop.de/magazin/hintergrund/trippie-redd-playboi-carti-rage-wave |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="wrbbradio"/><ref name="sg:yeat">{{cite web |last=Breihan |first=Tom |date=February 23, 2022 |title=Yeat Is The Future, Maybe |url=https://www.stereogum.com/2177265/yeat-2-alive-review/columns/status-aint-hood/ |publisher=Stereogum |access-date=July 31, 2022 |archive-date=July 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220705200927/https://www.stereogum.com/2177265/yeat-2-alive-review/columns/status-aint-hood/ |url-status=live }}</ref>|hyper-trap<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rowse |first=Daryn |title=Tripp at Knight: Inclusion of pop culture makes good marketing |url=https://lhslance.org/2021/arts-entertainment/tripp-at-knight-inclusion-of-pop-culture-makes-good-marketing/ |access-date=2026-03-08 |website=The Lance}}</ref>}} | image = | caption = | stylistic_origins = {{hlist|Hip-hop|trap|punk rap|cloud rap|EDM|future bass|plugg|hyperpop|emo rap<ref>{{cite web |last1=Jenkins |first1=Craig |title=Playboi Carti Gets Lost in the Music |url=https://www.vulture.com/article/playboi-carti-music-review.html |website=Vulture |access-date=5 April 2026 |language=en |date=18 March 2025 |quote=Rage, to the extent that the microgenre is distinguished from its fountainheads in trap and emo rap, is about ritual and release. }}</ref>}} | cultural_origins = Late 2010s and early 2020s, United States | instruments = {{hlist|Drum machine|autotune|synthesizer|pitch shifter|sampler|hi-hats}} | regional_scenes = {{hlist|Brazil|United Kingdom}} | other_topics = * SoundCloud rap * internet rap * EDM trap * tread * rap rock * rap metal * digicore }}
'''Rage''' (also known as '''rage music''', '''rage beats''' or '''rage rap''') is a subgenre of trap music that originated in the United States in the late 2010s.<ref name="bb:yeat" /><ref name="diffus">{{cite web |url=https://diffusmag.de/p/rage-rap-klingt-so-die-zukunft-des-hip-hop/ |title=Rage Rap: Klingt so die Zukunft des Hip-Hop? |trans-title=Rage Rap: Is this the future of hip-hop? |language=de |first=Micha |last=Wagner |publisher={{ill|Diffus Magazine|de|Diffus (Online-Musikmagazin)}} |date=May 1, 2022 |access-date=July 30, 2022 |archive-date=February 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230223231805/https://diffusmag.de/p/rage-rap-klingt-so-die-zukunft-des-hip-hop/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The early rage sound was characterized by short, looping, stereo-widened, future bass-influenced synthesizer lead hooks and basic, energetic trap rhythms.<ref name="hiphop.de" /><ref name="diffus"/><ref name="fnmnl">{{cite web |author=FNMNL Editorial Board |date=September 15, 2021 |title=【コラム】What is "RAGE Beat"? |trans-title=【Column】 What is "RAGE Beat"? |url=https://fnmnl.tv/2021/09/15/135130 |publisher=FNMNL.tv |language=ja |access-date=July 31, 2022 |archive-date=July 31, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220731133457/https://fnmnl.tv/2021/09/15/135130 |url-status=live }}</ref> Among the early pioneers of rage rap were Playboi Carti, Lil Uzi Vert and Trippie Redd. Producer F1lthy helped develop a template for the style through his collective Working on Dying with members such as Bnyx.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=THE FACE's guide to the American rap underground |url=https://theface.com/music/underground-internet-rap-rage-carti-yeat-ambient-plugg-iokera-terror-jerk-krushclub-lumi-athena |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240815052119/https://theface.com/music/underground-internet-rap-rage-carti-yeat-ambient-plugg-iokera-terror-jerk-krushclub-lumi-athena |archive-date=2024-08-15 |access-date=2026-05-12 |website=The Face |language=en-GB}}</ref>
By the 2020s, the genre had developed through the influence of Carti's 2020 album ''Whole Lotta Red'', with primary production credits from producer F1lthy. Artists such as Destroy Lonely and Ken Carson on Carti's Opium label, along with Yeat and SoFaygo, contributed to the popularization of the genre. Rage rap would evolve into a more extreme and experimental sound with artists such as OsamaSon, Che, 2Slimey, and Edward Skeletrix. This style was defined by the use of bass heavy 808s, screamed autotune vocals and aggressive production.
According to ''Pitchfork'', American rapper Slayr developed an accessible form of the genre on his 2025 mixtape ''Half Blood''. Several underground rappers later released rage albums such as Nettspend's 2026 debut studio album ''Early Life Crisis''.
==Etymology== The term "rage" in reference to the microgenre comes from "Miss the Rage", a genre-pioneering track made in 2021 by Trippie Redd and Playboi Carti whose title references mosh pits during rap concerts that Trippie Redd longed for during COVID-19 lockdowns.<ref name="diffus"/><ref name="hiphop.de"/><ref name="fnmnl"/>
In the context of the title, "rage" means to mosh. The concept of "rages" at rap concerts and the use of the term "rage" in hip-hop music predate the rage genre itself.<ref name="hiphop.de"/> The first person to use the term "rage" in the context of hip-hop is said to be Kid Cudi, with his "Mr. Rager" alter ego, which influenced Travis Scott who later adopted the term "rage" and made it an important part of his own aesthetic.<ref name="hiphop.de"/><ref name="fnmnl"/><ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-06-04 |title=Trippie Redd, Travis Scott, Kid Cudi, and the Commodification of Rage in Rap |url=https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/trippie-redd-travis-scott-kid-cudi-commodification-of-rage-in-rap/ |access-date=2023-02-22 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-02-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230222045317/https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/trippie-redd-travis-scott-kid-cudi-commodification-of-rage-in-rap/ |url-status=live }}</ref> During the 2010s, multiple artists and critics used the word "rage" in the context of hip-hop, mostly either referring to overdriven energetic sound or the moshing that would ensue at rap shows,<ref name="hiphop.de"/> examples being Lil Uzi Vert's ''Luv Is Rage'' (2015) and ''Luv Is Rage 2'' (2017) releases.<ref name="fnmnl"/>
==Characteristics == Rage is mainly characterized by the use of stereo-widened EDM-influenced lead synthesizer patches,<ref name="diffus" /><ref name="xihachina">{{cite news |author=HiTao |date=July 9, 2022 |title=现在听New Wave的都是土龙鸣？最新的浪潮又是什么？ |trans-title=Is listening to [SoundCloud] New Wave a trend now? Who listens to this music? |url=https://www.xihachina.com/74150.html |work=www.xihachina.com |publisher=XiHaChina |language=zh |archive-date=July 31, 2022 |access-date=July 31, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220731172852/https://www.xihachina.com/74150.html |url-status=live }}</ref> reminiscent of the 1980s and 1990s game soundtracks and of trance music,<ref name="mikiki" /> used to play short, often emotional,<ref name="fnmnl" /><ref name="mikiki" /> melodies arranged in short loops which repeat throughout the song,<ref name="diffus" /> and a basic, "dull", trap beat, accompanying these melodies,<ref name="diffus" /> with bouncy, often overdriven,<ref name="hiphop.de" /> heavy and elastic<ref name="xihachina" /> 808s bass notes. In terms of vocal delivery, many rappers draw influence from the vocal stylings of Playboi Carti.<ref name="xihachina" /><ref name="hiphop.de" /> Rapper Trippie Redd cited XXXTentacion as an influence on the genre.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cline |first=Georgette |date=2025-04-28 |title=Battle Over Rage Music - Ye Claims He Invented It, Trippie Redd Shuts Him Down Expeditiously |url=https://www.xxlmag.com/ye-trippie-redd-rage-music/ |access-date=2025-04-29 |website=XXL Mag |language=en |archive-date=2025-04-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250429023836/https://www.xxlmag.com/ye-trippie-redd-rage-music/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
Rage has been described as futuristic,<ref name="soundvenue" /><ref name="diffus2">{{cite web |last=Wagner |first=Micha |date=June 22, 2022 |title=What's Poppin? Drake ruft auf den Dancefloor – und keiner kommt mit? |trans-title=What's Poppin? Drake calls to the dancefloor – and no one comes along? |url=https://diffusmag.de/p/whats-poppin-drake-ruft-auf-den-dancefloor-und-keiner-kommt-mit/ |publisher={{ill|Diffus Magazine|de|Diffus (Online-Musikmagazin)}} |language=de |quote=SoFaygo, Cochise und KayCyy repräsentieren den futuristischen rage sound |trans-quote=SoFaygo, Cochise and KayCyy represent the futuristic Rage sound |access-date=July 31, 2022 |archive-date=August 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809045259/https://diffusmag.de/p/whats-poppin-drake-ruft-auf-den-dancefloor-und-keiner-kommt-mit/ |url-status=live }}</ref> electric,<ref name="ogm:ox">{{cite web |last=Galindo |first=Tomas |date=August 6, 2021 |title=Matt OX drops new banger 'Live It Up' |url=https://ourgenerationmusic.com/new-music-spotlight/matt-ox-drops-new-banger-live-it-up/ |publisher=Our Generation Music |access-date=July 31, 2022 |archive-date=July 31, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220731113128/https://ourgenerationmusic.com/new-music-spotlight/matt-ox-drops-new-banger-live-it-up/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and synth-driven.<ref name="complex" /><ref name="ogm:ox" /><ref name="bb:yeat" /><ref name="complex:bia">{{cite web |last=Skelton |first=Eric |date=February 14, 2022 |title=The Real Zack Bia |url=https://www.complex.com/music/zack-bia-interview-field-trip-recordings |publisher=Complex |quote=As Bia describes it, SoundCloud 2.0 is a new wave of artists who are making some of the most urgent, forward-thinking music in rap. Whereas the first SoundCloud rap boom of the mid-2010s took shape in places like South Florida, this new iteration is coming together on the internet through Discord servers and group chats, and a tight-knit community is forming. Rapping over synthy "rage beats," these artists are making raw and frenetic music, pulling influences from OG SoundCloud stars like Playboi Carti, and pushing the sound in wild new directions. |access-date=July 31, 2022 |archive-date=February 14, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220214210209/https://www.complex.com/music/zack-bia-interview-field-trip-recordings |url-status=live }}</ref> Vivian Medithi of ''HipHopDX'' described rage as a sound rooting in plugg music legacy with more electronic influences.<ref name="hhdx:wlr" /> Tom Breihan of ''Stereogum'' described rage beats as glitchy and as "a cheap, functional type of beat — the type of beat that seems to spring almost entirely from the "type beats" that have proliferated on YouTube in the past few years — but its cheapness is disorienting and sometimes even psychedelic".<ref name="sg:yeat" />
=== Influences === Synth hooks play such a role in rage that the whole sound has been described as a "hybrid genre of trap music and EDM".<ref name="hiphop.de" /> Early rage synth leads drew influence from EDM and electronic musicians, such as the Chainsmokers, Skrillex, Diplo, Zedd, Rustie<ref name="fnmnl" /> and others.<ref name="diffus" /> It has also been noticed that often EDM synth hooks in rage come from pre-packaged EDM melody packs, for instance, a guitar-driven<ref name="slant:msr" /> "{{Linktext|high-octane}}"<ref name="bb:mtr"> {{cite magazine |author=Billboard Staff |date=December 7, 2021 |title=The 100 Best Songs of 2021: Staff List: 64. Trippie Redd feat. Playboi Carti, "Miss the Rage" |url=https://www.billboard.com/lists/best-songs-2021/trippie-redd-feat-playboi-carti-miss-the-rage/ |magazine=Billboard}}</ref> EDM loop from "Miss the Rage" came from the royalty-free<ref name="bb:mtr" /> EDM sample pack by Cymatics, called ''Cymatics Odyssey EDM Sample Pack''.<ref name="hiphop.de" /> Underground rapper Yeat has also made it popular to use chiming bell sounds, once popular in earlier trap and drill music,<ref name="pitchfork:chk">{{cite web |last=Pierre |first=Alphonso |date=November 5, 2021 |title=Chief Keef's Influence Is as Strong as Ever |url=https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/chief-keefs-influence-is-as-strong-as-ever/ |publisher=Pitchfork |access-date=July 31, 2022 |archive-date=July 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220705165052/https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/chief-keefs-influence-is-as-strong-as-ever/ |url-status=live }}</ref> in rage beats.<ref name="diffus" />
==History== {{multiple image | perrow = 2 | total_width = 320 | image1 = Playboi Carti, Clout Festival 2024 05 (cropped).jpg | image2 = Trippie Redd Photo by Kris Knesel (cropped).jpg | image3 = Lil Uzi Vert (2018).png | image4 = Yeat.png | footer = Pioneers of rage: Playboi Carti (top left), Trippie Redd (top right), Lil Uzi Vert (bottom left), and Yeat (bottom right) }}
=== 2010s: Origins === Among the immediate precursors of rage are beats made by Mike Will Made It, beats made by Dun Deal and C4 for ''1017 Thug'' by Young Thug, and beats by Metro Boomin and Southside from the mid-2010s. Metro produced Future's 2015 song "I Serve the Base", which has been described as an early rage track.<ref name="pitchfork:2alive">{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/yeat-2-alive/ |title=Albums:2 Alive by Yeat |first=Alphonso |last=Pierre |publisher=Pitchfork |date=February 22, 2022 |access-date=July 30, 2022 |archive-date=July 13, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220713215902/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/yeat-2-alive/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Abo Kado, writing for Mikiki, suggested that rage beats primarily evolved from the production styles of Pi'erre Bourne, Maaly Raw, and F1lthy, all of whom integrated trap music and synthesizer melodies in their beats, derived strong influence from video game music, and also worked closely with rappers Playboi Carti and Lil Uzi Vert. The production style of Pi'erre Bourne and the music of Lil Uzi Vert were, in turn, influenced by the music of Wiz Khalifa and producer Sledgren, who sometimes incorporated video game samples in their music and were, in turn, influenced by early attempts to fuse European synthesizer-based music with hip-hop and contemporary R&B during the 2000s by Polow Da Don and others.<ref name="mikiki">{{cite web |last1=Kado |first1=Abo |author2=Mikiki Editorial Board |date= |title=レイジ（Rage）のサウンドはどこから来た? 新たなヒップホップ・ムーヴメントのルーツを辿る |trans-title=Where did Rage sound come from? Tracing the roots of the new hip-hop movement |url=https://mikiki.tokyo.jp/articles/-/29786 |publisher=Mikiki |language=ja |access-date=2022-07-31 |archive-date=2023-03-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230328053342/https://mikiki.tokyo.jp/articles/-/29786 |url-status=live }}</ref>
=== 2020s: Development and popularity === {{Listen | type = music | filename = Fly All Night Teddy G Sample.ogg | title = "Fly All Night" | description = An audio sample of an early 2020s rage beat. | pos = right }}
Playboi Carti has often been suggested as either an originator or primary popularizer of rage,<ref name="complex" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite magazine |last=Leight |first=Elias |date=2023-02-03 |title=These Rising Rappers Are Pushing Rage Music Into the Mainstream |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/rage-music-hip-hop-subgenre-yeat-sofaygo-rap-1235211126/ |access-date=2023-02-22 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US |archive-date=2025-03-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250319142837/https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/rage-music-hip-hop-subgenre-yeat-sofaygo-rap-1235211126/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Nevares |first=Gabriel Bras |date=2022-08-26 |title=The Rise Of Rage Music |url=https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/431841-the-rise-of-rage-music-news |access-date=2023-02-22 |website=HotNewHipHop |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-02-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230222045331/https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/431841-the-rise-of-rage-music-news |url-status=live }}</ref> laying the foundation of the genre on his 2018 album ''Die Lit'',<ref name=":0" /><ref name="diffus" /> mostly produced by Pi'erre Bourne.<ref name="tidal:dielit">{{cite web |url=https://listen.tidal.com/album/88577208/credits |title=Credits / Die Lit / Playboi Carti |publisher=Tidal |access-date=November 17, 2020 |archive-date=December 23, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211223205546/https://listen.tidal.com/album/88577208/credits |url-status=live }}</ref> It's also often suggested that the foundation of rage had been laid with Playboi Carti's ''Whole Lotta Red'', released in 2020<ref name="pitchfork:up2me">{{cite web |last=Pierre |first=Alphonso |date=September 17, 2021 |title=Albums: Up 2 Me by Yeat |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/yeat-up-2-me/ |publisher=Pitchfork |access-date=July 30, 2022 |archive-date=September 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210929074446/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/yeat-up-2-me/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="thefader">{{cite web |url=https://www.thefader.com/2022/02/18/listen-to-yeats-new-album-2-aliv |title=Listen to Yeat's new album 2 Alivë |first=Jordan |last=Darville |publisher=The Fader |date=February 18, 2022 |access-date=July 30, 2022 |archive-date=August 14, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220814134603/https://www.thefader.com/2022/02/18/listen-to-yeats-new-album-2-aliv |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="hhdx:wlr">{{cite web |url=https://hiphopdx.com/reviews/id.3818/title.playboi-carti-whole-lotta-red-album-review |title=Playboi Carti 'Whole Lotta Red' is the sound of 2021 whether you like it or not |first=Vivian |last=Medithi |publisher=HipHopDX |date=Dec 24, 2021 |access-date=July 31, 2022 |archive-date=December 25, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211225053645/https://hiphopdx.com/reviews/id.3818/title.playboi-carti-whole-lotta-red-album-review |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="slant:msr">{{cite web |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/the-50-best-songs-of-2021/ |title=The 50 Best Songs of 2021 |author=Slant Staff |work=Slant Magazine |date=December 8, 2021 |access-date=July 31, 2022 |archive-date=December 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241208013142/https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/the-50-best-songs-of-2021/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="sg:yeat" /> and mostly produced by F1lthy.<ref name="mikiki" /> Despite its initially mixed reception, the album would come to largely define the genre, with much of what came after either heavily influenced by or trying to directly replicate the album's style.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hollomand |first=Quintin |date=July 17, 2022 |title=From Fashion to Live Shows, "Whole Lotta Red's" Early Influence on Rap |url=https://thestereovision.com/content/2022/6/19/red |access-date=February 21, 2023 |website=Stereovision |archive-date=December 7, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241207023505/https://thestereovision.com/content/2022/6/19/red |url-status=live }}</ref>
==== 2021–2023 ==== The genre's popularity and breakthrough is also attributed to the 2021 single "Miss the Rage" by Trippie Redd and Playboi Carti.<ref name="diffus" /><ref name="mikiki" /> Without an established term for its specific musical style, "Miss the Rage" was initially described as trap metal and, by Trippie Redd himself, hyperpop.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b45lD1oZjSk&feature=youtu.be |title=Trippie Redd Smokes Us Out - IMPAULSIVE EP. 286 |date=2021-08-10 |last=IMPAULSIVE |access-date=2024-10-30 |via=YouTube |archive-date=2024-12-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241202155409/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b45lD1oZjSk&feature=youtu.be |url-status=live }}</ref> Along with ''Whole Lotta Red'', "Miss the Rage" was influential in defining the rage genre, with multiple producers and rappers adopting the style after the single was released.<ref name="hiphop.de" /> Rapper Mario Judah went on to release his reproduced version of "Miss the Rage", since the main loop for the instrumental of "Miss the Rage" was based on a royalty-free melody loop.<ref name="hiphop.de" /> Trippie Redd later went on to solidify the genre's popularity from "Miss the Rage", releasing the primarily rage album ''Trip at Knight'' and expressing his fascination with rage rap.<ref name="pitchfork:up2me" /><ref name="fnmnl" /><ref name="flaunt">{{cite web |url=https://flaunt.com/content/trippie-redd |title=Trippie Redd Talks New Project Inspired by Lil Uzi Vert, Memories w/ Juice Wrld & XXXTentacion |first=Shirley |last=Ju |publisher=Flaunt |date=February 18, 2021 |access-date=July 31, 2022 |archive-date=April 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411000947/https://flaunt.com/content/trippie-redd |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="mikiki" /> Popular rapper Drake, whose tactic is often to showcase lesser-known genres and styles in his albums,<ref name="rs:wn" /> released the rage-influenced track "What's Next" in 2021 on his EP ''Scary Hours 2''.<ref name="diffus" /> The instrumental from "What's Next", produced by Maneesh and Supah Mario, has been repeatedly likened to tracks from ''Whole Lotta Red''.<ref name="rs:wn">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/drake-scary-hours-retirement-rumors-1139712/ |title=Is Drake Trying to Tell Us Something? |first=Jeff |last=Ihaza |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=March 10, 2021 |access-date=July 31, 2022 |archive-date=July 31, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220731135951/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/drake-scary-hours-retirement-rumors-1139712/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="diamondback">{{cite web |url=https://dbknews.com/2021/03/07/review-drake-scary-hours-2/ |title=Review: Drake's new EP 'Scary Hours 2' hints at an incoming classic |first=Daryl |last=Shulman |publisher=The Diamondback |date=March 7, 2021 |access-date=July 31, 2022 |archive-date=May 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220517184732/https://dbknews.com/2021/03/07/review-drake-scary-hours-2/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="theboar">{{cite web |url=https://theboar.org/2021/03/scary-hours-2-review/ |title=Drake's 'Scary Hours 2': scarily disappointing |first=Joe |last=Sammon |publisher=The Boar |date=March 18, 2021 |access-date=July 31, 2022 |archive-date=December 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221208002454/https://theboar.org/2021/03/scary-hours-2-review/ |url-status=live }}</ref> "What's Next" reached the top position on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart.
Playboi Carti's record label Opium has been an influential force in the genre, with artists such as Ken Carson, Destroy Lonely, and Homixide Gang signed to the label.<ref name=":0" /> The label has had several notable rage releases, such as Ken Carson's 2021 album ''Project X'' and Destroy Lonely's 2022 mixtape ''No Stylist'', which have had commercial success and have received a positive reception from fans, as they continue to push the genre to the mainstream.<ref name="pitchfork:up2me" /> SoFaygo, another early adopter of the rage sound,<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Pierre |first=Alphonse |title=Yeat: Up 2 Më |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/yeat-up-2-me/ |access-date=2026-03-23 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Pierre |first=Alphonse |date=2026-03-13 |title=The 2Slimey Roundtable |url=https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/the-2slimey-roundtable/ |access-date=2026-03-23 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="complex" /> released his 2020 single "Off the Map", which has been described as either closely resembling rage rap or being a proper rage song.<ref name="hiphop.de" /><ref name="fnmnl" /><ref name="mikiki" /> After releasing "Off the Map", SoFaygo went to collaborate with Trippie Redd on "MP5", a track from ''Trip at Knight'', and with Lil Yachty on "Solid".<ref name="mikiki" />
That same year, due to TikTok,<ref name="soundvenue">{{cite web |url=https://soundvenue.com/musik/2022/02/to-nye-hiphop-gennembrud-viser-hvor-genren-maaske-er-paa-vej-hen-i-2022-474167 |language=da |title=To nye hiphop-gennembrud viser, hvor genren (maske) er pa vej hen i 2022 |trans-title=Two new hip-hop breakthrough artists show where genre is (maybe) headed to in 2022 |first=Kristian |last=Karl |publisher={{ill|Soundvenue|da}} |date=February 27, 2022 |access-date=July 31, 2022 |archive-date=July 31, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220731094141/https://soundvenue.com/musik/2022/02/to-nye-hiphop-gennembrud-viser-hvor-genren-maaske-er-paa-vej-hen-i-2022-474167 |url-status=live }}</ref> Yeat started releasing a more chaotic and dark version of rage rap,<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":2" /> noted for abundant use of bell samples, after multiple of his songs ("Sorry Bout That" and "Mad Bout That" among them) became popular on the platform.<ref name="diffus" /><ref name="pitchfork:up2me" /><ref name="complex">{{cite web |url=https://www.complex.com/music/yeat-everything-you-need-to-know/visionary-artist |title=Who is Yeat? Everything You Need to Know About Yeat |first=Jessica |last=McKinney |publisher=Complex |date=February 27, 2022 |access-date=July 31, 2022 |archive-date=July 31, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220731095442/https://www.complex.com/music/yeat-everything-you-need-to-know/visionary-artist |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="bb:yeat">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/new-music-jack-harlow-kid-cudi-silk-sonic-1235033474/ |first=Jason |last=Lipshutz |title=First Stream: New Music From Jack Harlow, Kid Cudi, Silk Sonic and More |magazine=Billboard |quote=Portland's Yeat trades in "rage-rap," a style conducive to head-banging along with the bleary synths and sneering along with every exclamation and ad-lib |date=February 18, 2022 |access-date=July 31, 2022 |archive-date=March 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220315224455/https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/new-music-jack-harlow-kid-cudi-silk-sonic-1235033474/ |url-status=live }}</ref> After becoming popular on TikTok, Yeat's music was noticed by the likes of Lil Yachty and Drake.<ref name="pitchfork:up2me" /><ref name="complex" /> After that, Yeat went on to release two rage albums in 2021 and 2022, titled ''Up 2 Me'' and ''2 Alive'', showcasing his signature darker rage sound.<ref name="diffus" />
Although rage has been referred to as "formulaic" and been deemed a "probable dead-end subgenre" by some critics,<ref name="pitchfork:up2me" /><ref name="diffus" /> many lesser-known rappers emerged, using rage in their music, sometimes in experimental fashion, among them artists like Yung Fazo,<ref name=hnhh>{{Cite web |last=Horvath |first=Zachary |date=2025-02-09 |title=Yung Fazo Brings Moody And Spacey Vibes On His Inaugural Album ZO |url=https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/883864-yung-fazo-zo-stream |access-date=2025-08-01 |website=HotNewHipHop |language=en |archive-date=February 12, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250212040625/https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/883864-yung-fazo-zo-stream |url-status=live }}</ref> SSGKobe,<ref name="ogm:kobe">{{cite web |last=Barlas |first=Jon |date=December 30, 2021 |title=Our Generation Awards: OGM's Top 10 rising stars of 2022 |url=https://ourgenerationmusic.com/editorials/our-generation-awards-ogms-next-gen-top-10/ |publisher=Our Generation Music |access-date=July 31, 2022 |archive-date=July 31, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220731122716/https://ourgenerationmusic.com/editorials/our-generation-awards-ogms-next-gen-top-10/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Ken Carson, TyFontaine, Snot,<ref name="hhdx:mtapes22">{{cite web |last1=Malone |first1=Anthony |last2=Floyd |first2=Lauren |last3=Medithi |first3=Vivian |last4=Brake |first4=David |display-authors=etal |date=June 14, 2022 |title=The best new hip-hop mixtapes and EPs of 2022 ... (so far) |url=https://hiphopdx.com/news/id.60592/title.best-mixtapes-of-the-year |publisher=HipHopDX |access-date=July 31, 2022 |archive-date=July 31, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220731163607/https://hiphopdx.com/news/id.60592/title.best-mixtapes-of-the-year |url-status=live }}</ref> Cochise,<ref name="diffus2" /> KayCyy,<ref name="diffus2" /> Ka$hdami,<ref name="complex" /> and others.<ref name="diffus" /> KayCyy performed his rage-influenced "Okay" single to a mere chiptune-influenced synth loop, disregarding trap beat altogether.<ref name="diffus" /> Matt Ox, an experimental rapper, has also been described as a "rager" for releasing rage tracks such as "Live It Up".<ref name="ogm:ox" /> Rapper KanKan's 2021 album ''RR'' has been described as heavily influenced by the rage sound,<ref name="ogm:kobe" /> Yung Kayo, Young Thug's protégé, was noted for mixing rage with hyperpop and pluggnb, along with other influences, on his 2022 ''DFTK'' album.<ref name="okp:kayo">{{cite web |last=Hellebrach |first=Miki |date=June 30, 2022 |title=10 Underrated Albums In 2022 You May Have Missed So Far |url=https://www.okayplayer.com/music/underrated-albums-2022.html |publisher=Okayplayer |access-date=July 31, 2022 |archive-date=August 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220810082654/https://www.okayplayer.com/music/underrated-albums-2022.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="djb:kayo">{{cite web |author=Audiomack Staff |author-link=Audiomack |date=Mar 16, 2022 |title=Yung Kayo Makes Worlds Collide |url=https://djbooth.net/features/2022-03-16-yung-kayo-interview-audiomack |publisher=DJBooth |access-date=2022-07-31 |archive-date=2022-06-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220612202143/https://djbooth.net/features/2022-03-16-yung-kayo-interview-audiomack |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="hhdx:mtapes22" />
==== 2024–present: Evolution ==== {{Listen | type = music | filename = Rest in bass encore + che + bleood type beat - wumpini.ogg | title = "rest in bass encore + che + bleood type beat" | description = An audio sample of a mid-2020s rage beat. | pos = right }}
By the mid-2020s, rage rap would evolve into a more extreme and experimental sound with artists such as Rexv2,<ref name=bestrapsongsof2025thefadervm>{{cite web |last=Medithi |first=Vivian |title=The Best Rap Songs of November 2025 |url=https://www.thefader.com/2025/11/25/the-best-rap-songs-of-november-2025 |website=The FADER |publisher=The FADER, Inc. |date=November 25, 2025 |access-date=May 5, 2026}}</ref> OsamaSon,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lafontant |first=Olivier |title=OsamaSon: psykotic |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/osamason-psykotic/ |access-date=2026-03-23 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}}</ref> Che,<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Crumble |first=Rae-Aila |title=Che: REST IN BASS |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/che-rest-in-bass/ |access-date=2026-03-23 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}}</ref> 2Slimey,<ref name=":2" /> and Edward Skeletrix.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pierre |first=Alphonse |title=Edward Skeletrix: Museum Music |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/edward-skeletrix-museum-music/ |access-date=2026-03-23 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}}</ref> This style was defined by the use of bass heavy 808s and aggressive production, with notable examples emerging in 2025 such as OsamaSon's ''psykotic'', Che's ''Rest In Bass ''and 2Slimey's ''High Anxiety''.<ref name=":2" /> Other notable underground artists released rage rap projects such as Nettspend's ''Early Life Crisis'' (2026).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lindert |first=Hattie |title=Nettspend: early life crisis |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/nettspend-early-life-crisis/ |access-date=2026-04-01 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}}</ref> Rapper Nine Vicious, at first known for his association with YSL Records, was also described as a rage rapper.<ref name="lafontant">{{Cite web |last=Lafontant |first=Olivier |title=Nine Vicious: Studio Addict |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/nine-vicious-studio-addict/ |access-date=2025-07-07 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}}</ref> The rage scene largely coalesced with the underground hip-hop scene, with other digital rap scenes like jerk, plugg and digicore all being largely intertwined.<ref>{{Cite web |title=tdf is making 808s big enough to blow your speakers up |url=https://www.thefader.com/2024/04/05/tdf-producer-interview |access-date=2026-04-11 |website=The FADER |language=en}}</ref>
In April 2026, ''Pitchfork'' reviewed American rapper Slayr's debut mixtape ''Half Blood (Bloodluxe)'', rating it a 6.7.<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |last=Sundaresan|first=Mano|title=Slayr: Half Blood (BloodLuxe)|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/slayr-half-blood-bloodluxe/|access-date=2026-04-07|website=Pitchfork|language=en-US}}</ref> Writer Mano Sundaresan argued that the album reflected a commercial accessible take on rage rap, stating that Slayr made "maximalist, crowd-pleasing rage rap that prioritizes craft over feeling".<ref name=":02" /> He added that, "if rage rap ever makes its way onto a Target store playlist, it might sound a little like Slayr."<ref name=":02" />
=== Regional scenes === In the United Kingdom, Lancey Foux, a British rapper,<ref name="nme:lancey">{{cite web |url=https://wrbbradio.org/2021/11/30/lancey-foux-proves-hes-more-than-just-a-carti-imitator-on-live-evil/ |title=Lancey Foux proves he's more than just a Carti imitator on LIVE.EVIL |first=Temi |last=Akinyoade |publisher=WRBB Radio |date=November 30, 2021 |access-date=July 31, 2022 |archive-date=August 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220819081420/https://wrbbradio.org/2021/11/30/lancey-foux-proves-hes-more-than-just-a-carti-imitator-on-live-evil/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="wrbbradio">{{cite web |url=https://www.nme.com/features/music-interviews/lancey-foux-live-evil-kanye-west-3101743 |title=Lancey Foux: "I wish the UK acknowledged rap the same way they do punk" |first=Kyann |last=Williams |publisher=NME |date=November 23, 2021 |access-date=July 31, 2022 |archive-date=July 31, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220731112401/https://www.nme.com/features/music-interviews/lancey-foux-live-evil-kanye-west-3101743 |url-status=live }}</ref> released the album ''Live.Evil'' in 2021, which contained rage elements mixed with UK hip-hop.<ref name="ogm:lancey">{{cite web |url=https://ourgenerationmusic.com/new-music-spotlight/lancey-foux-gears-up-for-new-era-with-upcoming-album-live-evil/ |first=Jon |last=Barlas |title=Lancey Foux finds balance on new album 'LIVE.EVIL' |publisher=Our Generation Music |date=November 18, 2021 |access-date=July 31, 2022 |archive-date=July 31, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220731110115/https://ourgenerationmusic.com/new-music-spotlight/lancey-foux-gears-up-for-new-era-with-upcoming-album-live-evil/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="wrbbradio" /> Foux' earlier mixtape, ''First Degree'', was also described as containing rage elements.<ref name="newwavemag"> {{cite web |url=https://www.newwavemagazine.com/single-post/lancey-foux-surprises-fans-with-new-mixtape-first-degree |title=Lancey Foux Surprises Fans With New Eleven Song Project 'FIRST DEGREE' |first=Fatima |last=Sheekhuna |work=New Wave Magazine |date=March 13, 2021}} </ref>
== See also ==
==References== {{reflist}}
{{hiphop}}{{Hyperpop and digicore}}{{Electronica}}
Category:Hip-hop genres Category:Trap music Category:Cloud rap Category:Electronic dance music genres Category:2010s in music Category:2020s in music Category:21st-century music genres Category:American styles of music Category:Internet music genres