Mumble rap

Mumble rap (also known as non-lyrical rap) is a loosely defined style and era of hip-hop that emerged and proliferated via the online audio distribution platform SoundCloud during the mid-to-late 2010s. The term originated as a pejorative used to describe a vocal style characterized by unclear or incoherent enunciation, often described as "mumbling", which represented a shift away from traditional hip-hop conventions centered around complex or meaningful lyricism, and instead emphasizing other aspects of delivery like melody, mood, and tone. While "mumble rap" originated as a pejorative, some have reappropriated the label, with various critics and artists defending the style as a new phase in the evolution of hip-hop.