What is phonk music?
Phonk music is a subgenre of hip hop that’s rooted in the sounds of 90s Memphis rap and trap. A typical phonk track will include distorted 808 basslines, chopped vocal samples, and eerie melodies. It’s heavily influenced by the raw energy of early Southern rap, but producers have evolved the sound into something more atmospheric, lo-fi, and modern.
The name “phonk” itself is a stylized take on “funk,” pointing back to the genre’s use of classic funk and soul samples, especially in early iterations. While older phonk leaned into those funk samples, today’s phonk often leans into a more minimal DIY sound.
Modern phonk, especially the variant known as drift phonk, also tends to feature pitched 808 cowbells, overdriven bass, and a tempo typically sitting around 90 to 120 BPM. It’s this combination of old-school sampling with modern trap and lo-fi elements that gives phonk its aesthetic.
You can hear all of this below in the viral hit “Close Eyes” by DVRST:
