T.I. created trap music and he wants everyone to know that shit

The self-described King of the South has reiterated his previous claims that he invented trap music in an exclusive with HipHopDX.

In April, TIP told Angie Martinez that he invented the popular Atlanta-based genre of hip-hop that has taken over the look and sound of contemporary rap. T.I. said at the time that many people don’t give him the credit he deserves,

“A lot of people really don’t know that I created trap music. There was no such thing as trap music prior to [T.I.], it didn’t exist.”

T.I. was referencing his 2003 album Trap Muzik, which T.I. claims to have popularized the term. With hits like “Let’s Get Away”, “24’s”, and “Rubber Band Man”, Trap Muzik vaulted T.I. to the top of the rap game, where he’s sat comfortably for years.

Now, in a new interview with HipHopDX, T.I. minced no words while speaking about his influence on hip-hop and creating trap music. TIP wanted to make sure that everyone knows exactly where he stands,

“I don’t want it to be hearsay like I’m speculating or proclaiming this personally. I want you to tell me when did you first hear the words ‘trap music’ put together before Trap Muzik dropped?”

T.I. got out the history book, citing “actual references” about trap music and his impact on the genre,

“Okay, so that factually can show, and we can go back historically and check actual references that before that album dropped, the term didn’t exist. So, you don’t have to say ‘Well, you say you created it.’ So tell me, who created ‘trap music’ first before me? It’s okay to say it.”

This led to a pretty hilarious exchange between T.I. and his interviewer where T.I. implored the interviewer to say he invented trap music,

DX: You were the first that I heard use the term “trap music.”

T.I.: Nah, that ain’t what I said. Just answer the question.

DX: Okay, you created ‘trap music.’

T.I.: Now don’t that feel so much better? You don’t have to step around it and tip-toe

SAY IT!

Although the current sound and aesthetic that we associate with trap music isn’t all that similar to what we heard on Trap Muzik, this specific subgenre of hip-hop has evolved in the decade and a half since T.I.’s second album, something T.I. spoke to HipHopDX about.

“[Trap music] has grown from the contributions of others who have taken it far beyond where I left it or where I could have taken it. It has expanded so much, so wide, and so broad that at this point you just have to sit back and watch and just be proud. As long as it’s people who come from that walk of life who could look to the charts and feel like there are hit records out there right now that represent them and their lifestyle, and talk about how they live every day, I feel like trap music is very much alive.”

As T.I. points out, trap music is all about authenticity.

I’m definitely not going to disagree with T.I. on this one. While I was 12 when Trap Muzik came out, it was indeed the first time I heard the term ‘trap’ and I haven’t really seen anyone in the know dispute T.I.’s claim that he is the originator of trap music.

So we’ll agree with TIP that he’s the originator of trap. While we’re at it, we’re gonna throw on Trap Muzik.