Sigilkore
Subgenre of trap music
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sigilkore is an Internet microgenre of hip-hop that emerged in the late 2010s, originally pioneered by American rapper and producer Luci4. The style is characterized by layered DJ mixing and digital effects such as bitcrushing and pitch shifting with lyrics relating to magic, deities, demons and occult rituals.
| Sigilkore | |
|---|---|
Sample of All Eyez On Me by Luci4, showcasing common techniques within sigilkore-like sped & chopped mixing, bitcrushing, and trap drums | |
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | SoundCloud, Late 2010s, United States (Florida, California) |
| Derivative forms | |
| Fusion genres | |
| Other topics | |
Drawing from cloud rap, hexD and chopped and screwed, it was developed in 2019 as a mixing style coined by American rappers Luci4 and Islurwhenitalk, who founded the music collective Jewelxxet. Luci4 drew influence from and was a member of SpaceGhostPurrp's collective BMB Deathrow. The style later led to the krushclub genre.
Etymology and characteristics
The term "sigilkore" is derived from sigil,[5] which is described as being associated with magic, deities and occult rituals.[5] In sigilkore, lyrical themes mostly revolve around dark themes, including blood and vampires.[6] The genre takes a blend of trap drums with a more ambient approach, faster tempos, and experimental mixing and mastering techniques. It was described as an experimental genre with no boundaries.[7][8] The visual aesthetics of sigilkore draw influence from magic, deities, demons,[9] and occult rituals.[5] Luci4, a pioneer of the style, featured cover art lifted from the defunct GIF editing website Blingee.[1] British newspaper The Guardian described sigilkore as a micro-trend.[10]
History
2019–2023: Origins
Sigilkore originated as a mixing style pioneered by rappers Luci4 and Islurwhenitalk who formed the collective Jewelxxet.[1] South Florida rapper SpaceGhostPurrp,[6][11] along with producers within his collective BMB Deathrow,[6] laid the groundwork for what would later become sigilkore.[11][12][1] A producer from BMB Deathrow by the name of 4jay (later renamed to Luci4)[6][12] would expand upon this style by frequently including references to occultism[12][9][11] within his cover art and lyrics.[1] He is also credited with coining the term around 2019.[6][12]
The genre exploded in popularity in summer 2021,[11] when Luci4's songs "Bodypartz", "All Eyez on Me", and "Kurxxed Emeraldz" blew up on TikTok.[11][13] The genre was also popularized by American singer Siouxxie's "Masquerade," which would go viral in mid-2021, and by artists Lumi Athena,[12] Odetari,[12] and 9lives in 2023.[14][11][15][16][17]
Jewelxxet
Jewelxxet (stylized in uppercase) was an internet rap collective formed by rappers Luci4 and Islurwhenitalk.[1] The collective was responsible for the emergence and popularization of sigilkore.[1] Several notable artists later joined the group such as 2shanez, Sellasouls, MajinBlxxdy, Bacleo, Xaviersobased and St47ic.[1]
Related genres
Krushclub
| Krushclub | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins |
|
| Cultural origins | 2020s, United States |
| Derivative forms | |
| Other topics | |
Krushclub is a subgenre of sigilkore, originating in the early 2020s, mixing jersey club elements with electronic sound qualities, known for its energetic sound and catchy beats.[3][4] The style was pioneered by Luci4 with his song "Kurxxed Emeraldz".[18] The term "krushclub" was coined by artist Lumi Athena to describe the fusion of jersey club music and bitcrushing effects.[12] According to music journalist Kieran Press-Reynolds, writing for The Face, "there's krush-jerk and krush-cumbia, krush-funk and krush-phonk."[4]
