HARD TRAP LEGENDS UNITE 🏀
HARDTRAP HAS FORMED A UNITED FRONT with a brand new record “SHOOTA”.
A few words from Lit Lords on the importance of the record.
One thing this scene has never had is a united front of recognizable figures responsible for key moments of the rise and spread of the sound working together under a unified vision.
That is something I have worked diligently for a very long time to bring to fruition. Those ambitions and work are coming to life in the form of this very special record.
"SHOOTA" brings 4 pillars of Hard Trap together to showcase the power and love of the sound. There are a handful of people who have been involved and been responsible for helping carry and expand the sound and style of Hard Trap at different time periods but I really wanted to hone in on very specific people to bring this to life.
Riot Ten - Debatably one of if not the first person to use the screech in trap music. He may not have kept up with the sound as his career flourished but his early remixes and releases (back when he wore a mask) (damn Im old) utilizing our pride and joy go down in history as some of the earliest Hard Trap bangers before we even had identity.
SAYMYNAME - We all know.. The Godfather. You could say he was godfathered into this track. haha jokes aside, I really have been pushing him and hoping he would compete with a vengeance within this scene as he is someone I looked up to in my early days and really the catalyst for the Lit Lords movement. He is no doubt the first person to fuse the DNA of Hardstyle and Trap together through his prolific remixes and collaborations. He has been second to none in the initial global spread of awareness of the potential of the sound. I have said it before and I will always stand on this, I have not believed his skills have progressed in this style for a very long time and don't sense the love of and grind for the style that he may have once had.. I guess I just have not understood his vision or perspective with the sound for awhile. (UPDATE* - This has changed with a very important recent conversation we both had together where we now hear and understand each others paths and perspectives.) With that said though I will never count him out, but as the Godfather of the sound, I will hold him accountable. This record has been great for our relationship. Perhaps this will be a first pivotal step for a united evolution to the sound and the scene.
BAILO - Trap OG, former enemy (jokes) and true friend, this guy has been through a lot and his Trap records, collaborations, and placements have represented this sound, and scene paramount. He is going through a phase of rediscovery in his project and becoming a renewed student of the game to bring his craft to the next level and I am excited to see what he does. His beatwork and taste-making prowess have been indispensable in this process and he has more than earned a spot in this moment. Hell, there wouldn’t even be a song if it wasn’t for him.
With all our key players in place it was time to bring the record to life. The idea was for each person to bring their ideology and skills to the song and seamlessly blend it all together into something that pushes the scene forward and adds to the conversation.
Practically we set out by having Bailo start the idea with his great writing skills he had the bones foundation ready to be built upon in no time. We then passed it to Riot Ten to refine and give the bones substance and structure. At this point we had a first drop going from both of them and an initial intro idea. The record was then passed over to me to further refine and tie everything together with cohesive identity. The mixing and mastering were handled by me in that process. As always I save the best for last. We then handed the song over to Saymyname to specifically do a climactic final drop as at this point we had two drops showing off 3 of our 4 influences. Gosh it was tough to get this drop to come together. We found a middle ground and the third drop was born with his signature screeches and festival flair. Lastly it was then passed back to me to further refine and finally add the last bit of identity to the record which was the vocal. It needed to be recognizable, big, loud, and club ready. We went with the SHOOTA motif originally coined by Riot Ten which I then built out and laid down. From there we had a record.
As you can glean, this process was not without its roadblocks and trials but that is the PG version and overall I am really happy with how things progressed, scrapes and all, these are good guys and like I said, this is a record that can only be done with these characters. I have known and been close friends with these guys for a very long time and I am glad to shepherd this moment forward in unity with them.
Anyway, long story short. HARD TRAP is on the rise and this song is a statement from key figures. WE ARE HERE TO STAY.
Enjoy Hard City.
https://bassrush.ffm.to/shoota