Coming Out Swinging is Killa Boombox’s debut mix tape, further exposing the ever expanding genre of trap music and bridging the gap between its Hip Hop and EDM elements. As trap music grows with enormous popularity, Killa Boombox decided to to put together a project showcasing the groups diverse range of talents as DJ’s, Rappers, and Filmmakers.
It all started with the song BLVCK CRVCK from DMNDZ inspired Nick Flash and Murkem to rap over the EDM based trap beat which they turned into the music video Get Ratchet. From there, the trio spent months in the studio compiling records, rapping over beats and developing the Killa Boombox brand into something more compelling.
Before trap was ever considered a genre, it was a term used to describe a drug house or dope hole in the dirty south. Originating from Atlanta, artists like Goodie Mob, Outkast, and The Dungeon Family were among the first to pioneer the term in the early 90’s.
Around the same time frame, rappers like UGK, Master P, and Eightball & MJG took the term and unwittingly formed a sub-genre of Hip Hop. They made songs rapping about drug dealers and their lives in the trap therefore the phrase was coined. As time went on, the emergence of other southern rappers like T.I., Young Jeezy and Gucci Mane elevated the genre by bringing “Trap Life” to a more mainstream audience.
Aside from the actual lyrical content of trap music, the beats themselves have very distinct characteristics that distinguish them. Producer Shawty Redd is often credited for creating the signature “trap sound” which usually contains deep 808 sub-bass kicks, crisp rhythmic snares, double and triple time high hats, heavy bass lines, and melodic synthesizers to create an overall ominous feeling.
As we move along into the 2010’s, the popularity of EDM continues to skyrocket to astronomical heights, and producers/dj’s have to continually evolve to bring fans something innovative and fresh. For years, EDM’s signature sound has always been reliant on pounding “four to the floor” rhythms with a series of build-ups and huge drops. EDM trap deviates from this pattern and incorporates Hip Hop drum patterns that fall on the off beats, yet are still able to provide intense build-ups and even heavier drops.
Innovators such as Diplo, DJ Snake, and Baauer have popularized the genre to such extents that you can pretty much hear it everywhere you go. You no longer have to be at a rave festival such as Ultra or Electric Daisy Carnival to hear it, you can simply turn on your T.V. and hear it in commercial advertisements. Blockbuster movies are cashing in on the genre too as a majority of the Furious 7 Soundtrack has a trap sound.
With Coming Out Swinging, Killa Boombox digs deep to exhibit the artists and trap songs that truly define the genre. Noticing that not many Emcees out there actually rap over these beats, Nick Flash and Murkem decided to take tracks by Ookay, Gutter Brothers, Baauer, and DMNDZ and lace their flows over them as the finishing touches to the mixtape.
To make it all come together, Chad Andreo shot the image for the album art at Club KO Boxing in Pembroke Pines. Rose Espanet applied the gory make-up effects, and Teflon Sean did all the photoshop editing for the final product. Check out some behind the scenes images by Mellissa Tuthill, and make sure you download the mixtape on Soundcloud today!