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"You have to go through hell before you get to heaven."
The short RYM definition of Horrorcore: Lyrical and aesthetic focus on the macabre and morbid, with production generally of a darker nature than is typically found in other Hip Hop.
As a big fan of horror, it was no surprise that a genre like Horrorcore quickly became one of my favorite music genres to consume. As a style of Hardcore Hip Hop, Horrorcore has the tedency to be overly violent and hyperbolic (even comedic at points as some rappers don't take themselves that seriously) in it's depictions of horror and disturbing imagery. Most of the time, rappers play this misanthropic character that have a sudden urge to murder/butcher everything in sight and explain their psychopathic antics in these bizarre autopsies in their grisly verses. Other times, rappers may use satanic or even occultic imagery to mirror the horrors and stresses trying to make it out in the streets. You see this a lot in Memphis Rap that culminated this crazy obsession of sigils and murder raps to showcase the brutality of real life.
This new wave of Horrorcore has become more rooted into realism. Many acts started incorporating dark ambient production in their spooky and hellish soundscape to really emphasize the dark and morbid lyrical themes in their rhymes. Some may even sample a lot of horror films in their music or even play into the horror tropes that we all know and love. Artists are starting to really make their albums sound just like watching some sort of horror film. We we also seeing rappers dialing back on the graphic violence and instead discuss more conscious related topics of deteriorating mental health, psychological horror, war and genocide, and drug abuse.
From Three 6 Mafia to $uicideboy$, this list will showcase a series of projects that fall under or adjacent to the Horrorcore genre with a short description with how each project is classified as such. Sorry about the NSFW covers in advance!
A racist caricature of black people that is used throughout the album as a cursed object to dehumanized an entire race. The doll also has some ritualistic undertones (voodoo dolls and zombies) about how these people are cursed to live this oppressed life. This is, by far, the most realistic example of horror depicted in music. Also, the production takes heavy inspiration with horror films (specifically psychological horror films).
A rapper who plays this sexual and grotesque gynecologist character throughout the album. Extremely creepy concept album with some amazing production. Lyrical themes of raping patients, blatant necrophilia, and just disgusting imagery of the female reproductive anatomy.
One of the cursed Memphis Sigils in the list. It is said that these particular albums are cursed due to having a song that samples a real life murder/homicide in the mix (although not entirely proven). Not to the mention the varies references to the occult, these albums have a much lo-fi aethestics with the darkness. One thing to note is that this album has this very chilling sample of a women screaming throughout one track. Very disturbing shit.
You'll be seeing this guy a lot on this list. Probably the most famous Trap Metal/Chicago Drill artist you'll find in the underground. Just the name alone gives it aware as Sematary is the Chief Keef of Horrorcore with his infectious cadences and satanic imagery throughout his lengthy discography.
A hidden gem for a lot of people. This Horrorcore release is a concept of where Satan and God are betting on the apocalypse. They decided to put this rapper through a gauntlet of scenario to test his faith to see if humanity is worth saving. Lots of biblical references as well as an album based on The Book of Revelations, it's an interesting take on Christian Hip Hop.
Necro is probably the pioneer of what is loosely known as "Death Rap". Lots of boom bap beats and disturbing/misogynistic content, Necro is one cold mf.
A really fucked up and extreme version of Horrorcore. This album is filled with some weird obsession with fecal matter and rupturing a carcasses mutilated vagina. It has elements of goregrind within the vocals. Overall, very disgusting album with exists purely on shock value.
Necro blends Boom Bap production with some Death Metal inspired riffs and vocals. Such an unique combination for a hip hop record mixed with his signature Death Raps.
Your typical Memphis Horrorcore shit. Another one of the Memphis Rap Sigil. Very lo-fi and sinister, but not really my cup of tea.
A remix album of the Geto Boys' Grip It! On That Other Level. Some say this is the birth of Horrorcore coming from the South of Houston, TX, however it can be argued that this album doesn't really carry too much of the horrorcore themes with only like two tracks belonging in that category. Still it's a classic amongst Horrorcore fans.
A concept record in which our character is talking to a therapist about his psycopathic tendecies. Lots of controversial lyrics with some dark obsessions. This carries over with Tyler's next album that acts as a sequel to "Bastard".
Filled with dark ambient and a spooky atmosphere with some horror samples in the mix, this sequel to the classic Blackland Radio is pretty much boundary pushing.
Caesarean section... This album explores some harrowing themes of mental health, suicidal thoughts, and drug abuse.
A Russian entry with some crazy fusions of Witch House, Trap Metal, and and politics, it's basically an assortment of "Russian horror fairy-tales". Lots of occultic symbolism going on in the lyrics once you translate them as well other bizarre and horrific imagery.
PLAYAZ CIRCLE:PRE MEDITATION(THE FIRST PROPHECY)PREVIEW MIXTAPE (REAL MURDER POSSE UNDERGROUND VERSION)2011
Lil Ugly Mane is one the main producers for SpaceGhostPurp and one of the most influential figures in the modern underground Memphis scene. His earlier works do have some horrorcore elements in their samples and even lyricism.
Probably the best Memphis Rap Sigil on this list. Great murder bars filled with Satanic imagery and diabolical production to back it up.
The comedic side of Slim Shady who's this sadistic character that Eminem will sometimes play as. This character is known to be indifferent and find the most brutal acts of violence as humorous. Em in the next album really pushes this controversial figure with a full-on Horrorcore release the following year.
The forbidden and demonic Rainbow Bridge trilogy. Probably the most memorable of Horrorcore and Experimental Trap releases. All three projects also infuse Black Metal into the mix.
One of the most inaccessible Horrorcore joint on this list. The vocals are completely swallowed by Black Noise. Production is so distorted it feels like you're being burned alive.
Phonk based horrorcore from Freddie; kinda has a similar vibe listening to $B but less edgier material. You still get lyrical acrobatics about murder on here.
GHOSTEMANE blends metal with Memphis Rap giving it an almost an occultic aesthetics. Pretty dark and twisted with some insane flows front to back.
Horrorcore inspired record with some sinister electro-industrial production to back it up.
funeral is weird because you can argue that most of their catalog isn't Horrorcore, however some of the dark imagery present on their albums is pretty interesting fusion between Emo Rap and Digicore.
One of the first Memphis Horrorcore releases I've heard. I think the production is very lo-fi and mixed poorly to my liking, but the content is very sinister.
If we're talking about peak Horrorcore, this is the best album to go through containing many lyrical feats of violence and murder raps. This shit still holds up to this very day.
A lesser version of what 6 Feet Deep had to offer. Lost all the charm and menancing nature from their debut.
A bunch of slaughter tracks and 21 fucking your daughter. This is actually when 21 Savage was a lot more coldhearted compared to now where he became more consciously mainstream.
A couple of Freddie Dredd picks on here that mixes Phonk and Horrorcore together. A modern interpretation of Memphis Horrorcore. Much prefer $B in this vain.
Just a really dark and fucked up sounding album. Loud but an ambient piece of Sigilkore. Probably the most experimental pick on this list.
Some corny dad jokes mixed with Eminem signature Horrorcore sound mixed with Trap. Demo quality songwriting unfortunately with a couple of tracks that are somewhat decent.
Murky and satanic with screams of horror with each track. Great shit. Even comes with a more ambient sequel.
Before Earl Sweatswirt dominated the Abstract drumless scene today, he pretty was a follower of Tyler, The Creator earlier edgier sound. Pretty much Odd Future inspired. Violent and lyrically sadistic.
N.W.A. smoking some weed with Satan. More violent imagery compared to Straight Out of Compton but lacks any political driving force that made that album so fucking iconic and controversial when it was release.
Sigilkore and Horrorcore sometimes go together creating a bizarre but enticing entrance into the underworld.
The first ever Sigilkore project serve in a bloody platter. Very much horror inspired based on the imagery and lyrics alone.
The beginning of Backxwash's trilogy. Mix of Industrial Trap Metal and Horrorcore. Sucks it ain't on streaming.
