Jerk (music genre)

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Jerk is a microgenre of hip-hop that emerged in New York City during the early 2020s, drawing inspiration from the original wave of jerk rap, known as jerkin' in the street dance culture, that gained popularity in the early 2010s. The scene later saw wider prominence in the United Kingdom.

Notable jerk acts include Xaviersobased, Phreshboyswag, Fakemink, YT, Len and Fimiguerrero. Earlier works by rappers Nettspend and Yhapojj also pioneered and helped popularize the genre.

History

In 2020, New York rapper Xaviersobased alongside his collective 1c34 reimagined the sound of jerk rap into a completely different style, adapting its framework to fit the evolving aesthetics of hyperpop and underground rap. They are credited with spearheading and popularizing the movement which was then further developed by Californian producer kashpaint. This new style of jerk rap blended elements of cloud rap, digicore, Milwaukee lowend and plugg, with songs being released and proliferated on music streaming services like SoundCloud, and on social media platforms such as TikTok.[1][2][3]

Xavier's 2022 track “Patchmade” produced by Kashpaint is widely regarded as a foundational moment. The movement was later carried forward by artists such as Yhapojj, Nettspend, Phreshboyswag[4][5] and Subiibabii. Notable underground rappers like Duwap Kaine later drew influence from the style, releasing the album DuwapSoBased in 2023.[1][6] Artists Islurwhenitalk and Subiibabii were later credited for pioneering the "vampjerk" style.[1]

While rooted in the US, the jerk scene gained further momentum in the UK, with the movement being credited as a "new UK rap revolution".[7][8] Although originally pioneered in the early 2020s by British rapper Phreshboyswag,[4][1] who had previously been a member of 1c34, the UK's jerk scene only saw further proliferation in late 2024, as spearheaded by artists like YT[9][10] with the singles, "Black and Tan" and "Prada or Celine,"[11][12] both of which experienced brief internet virality. These singles were later followed by releases in the genre by artists such as Fakemink,[13][14][15] Len and Fimiguerrero.[5][16][17]

See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "THE FACE's guide to the American rap underground". The Face. 2024-04-30. Retrieved 2025-06-30.
  2. "The State of Nu-Jerk". Passion of the Weiss. 2025-04-16. Retrieved 2025-06-29.
  3. "Xaviersobased and OsamaSon share #BASEDSLiME EP". The FADER. Retrieved 2025-07-25.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Hofer, Ethan (2025-07-21). "Fakemink to Phreshboyswag: Are These 5 Artists The Future of U.K. Rap?". Trill. Retrieved 2025-07-25.
  5. 5.0 5.1 Dazed (2025-03-07). "5 highlights from Plaqueboymax's UK underground livestream". Dazed. Retrieved 2025-06-30.
  6. Barlas, Jon (2025-03-18). "Nettspend drops "impact" featuring xaviersobased". Our Generation Music. Retrieved 2025-07-25.
  7. Dazed (2025-02-28). "9 underground artists leading the UK's rap revolution". Dazed. Retrieved 2025-06-30.
  8. Pierre, Alphonse (2025-03-21). "Y2K Nostalgia Is Everywhere, and UK Rappers Can't Get Enough of It". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2025-06-30.
  9. Selenou, Serge. "YT: OI!". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2025-06-29.
  10. "9 key moments in the rise of U.K. rap's new underground". The FADER. Retrieved 2025-07-25.
  11. "Rap Blog: YT and Lancey Foux count up foreign currency". The FADER. Retrieved 2025-07-25.
  12. Williams, Kyann-Sian (2025-04-02). "YT – 'Oi!' review: underground rap star makes his biggest bid for mainstream success yet". NME. Retrieved 2025-07-25.
  13. Madden, Emma. "fakemink: "Givenchy"". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2025-06-29.
  14. "fakemink Is The Hottest DIY Artist In The World Right Now". dmy.co. Retrieved 2025-07-25.
  15. Dazed (2025-07-08). "The rise of Fakemink in 5 tracks". Dazed. Retrieved 2025-07-25.
  16. "25 UK Rappers To Watch In 2025". Complex. Retrieved 2025-06-30.
  17. Press-Reynolds, Kieran. "Fimiguerrero / Len / Lancey Foux: CONGLOMERATE". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2025-06-29.