What is Phonk?

Phonk is an electronic style derived from 1990s Memphis underground rap (Three 6 Mafia, Tommy Wright III, DJ Spanish Fly) and the Houston chopped-and-screwed technique pioneered by DJ Screw. Revived in the early 2010s by SpaceGhostPurrp's Raider Klan, it spread through SoundCloud as "OG phonk" before the late-2010s Russian-led drift phonk wave — cowbell-heavy, 130+ BPM, optimised for TikTok car edits — overtook its public meaning.