Rhode Island
Artist – araabMUZIK
Years Active – 2005-Present
Notable Album – Dream World (2016)
Sample Rhyme:
*drum machine*
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Alright, another slight bit of cheating. AraabMUZIK isn’t a rapper. Rather, he’s a producer. He’s worked with countless rappers, including Cam’ron, 50 Cent, ASAP Rocky and Azealia Banks.
His mixture of quick beats, drum machine high hats and background strings puts him firmly at the center of trap music — essentially a cross-pollination between rap and EDM.
The original meaning of the term was used to describe the moody content of the verses as the tracks they were rapped over. AraabMUZIK’s Abraham Orellana — actually of Dominican and Guatemalan ancestry, despite his chosen DJ name — produces raps in the style and also his unique instrumental take on the subgenre of trap.
His only official album Dream World sees AraabMUZIK laying down tracks for a variety of guest artists to sing or rap over, but his earlier mixtapes skewed strongly toward the EDM scene. For Professional Use Only stands out as an excellent example of what trap can be when it’s just music alone.
Tragically, Orellana was shot in the head on a botched robbery attempt in New York in February of this year, right before Dream World was released. According to the most recently available reports, his recovery is going well.
Next: South Carolina