what is mumble rap

Mumble rap is a loosely defined microgenre of hip hop that largely spread on the online audio distribution platform SoundCloud in the 2010s. The term "mumble rap" implies a mumbling or unclear vocal delivery by artists, and has been used to describe rappers who do not share the genres traditional emphasis on meaningful lyricism. Mumble rappers generally rap about drugs, sex, money, jewelry, designer clothing, and partying, and tend to use the "aye" flow, where they add words such as "yeah", "aye" and "uh" to the start or end of their lines. The term "mumble rap" is nearly exclusively used as a derogatory term in reference to a perceived incoherence of the artist's lyrics. However, some argue that the term is misleading, as rappers such as Future rely more upon pop melodies and vocal effects, such as Auto-Tune, than mumbling. Mumble rap originated in the South and eventually spread to other places like Chicago and the New York/New Jersey area. Some of the most popular mumble rappers include Future, Lil Pump, Lil Yachty, Lil Uzi Vert, and Cardi B.