The birth of trap music and the rise of southern hip-hop

By Noah Caldwell,

Patrick Jarenwattananon, Kat Lonsdorf, Juana Summers

Published August 10, 2023 at 4:15 PM EDT

T.I.'s 2003 album, <em>Trap Muzik</em>, gave a name to a specific flavor of Atlanta rap that reflected the city's street culture. — T.I.'s 2003 album, *Trap Muzik*, gave a name to a specific flavor of Atlanta rap that reflected the city's street culture.

In 2003, T.I. and other Atlanta rappers created new subgenre of rap: trap music. Twenty years later, its influence is everywhere.

Noah Caldwell

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Patrick Jarenwattananon

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Kat Lonsdorf

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Juana Summers

Juana Summers is a co-host of NPR's All Things Considered, alongside Ailsa Chang, Ari Shapiro and Mary Louise Kelly. She joined All Things Considered in June 2022.

See stories by Juana Summers