Cloud Rap

Emerging from internet subcultures in the late 2000s and early 2010s, cloud rap is defined by its ethereal, dream-like sonic palette. The style was shaped by the production of figures like *Clams Casino*, who merged hazy, reverb-laden textures and obscure, often melancholic samples with hip hop's rhythmic architecture. Lyrically, artists such as *Lil B* and *A$AP Rocky* departed from traditional braggadocio, favoring introspective, surreal, and often emotionally vulnerable themes. This stylistic shift, disseminated primarily through blogs and early social media, created a lo-fi, atmospheric offshoot of hip hop that prioritized mood and texture over lyrical complexity or high-gloss production.