The Rise of the Triplet Flow in Rap: How an Age-Old Rhythmic Pattern Took Over Modern Hip Hop
The pulsating, infectious triplet flow has become ubiquitous in mainstream rap over the past half-decade. But how did this rhythmic pattern, divided into three notes per beat instead of the usual two, originate and explode onto the scene? By examining key songs and artists that boosted triplet flow‘s popularity we can better understand its emergence as a versatile and energy-infusing staple of contemporary hip hop.
First, what exactly are triplets in rap? Triplets divide a beat into three parts instead of two, adding an extra note in the space of one. So over the same timeframe, there are more notes for rappers to insert lyrics or syllables into. Though triplets have existed in music for centuries, originating in West African rhythms that the inventors of hip hop also drew from, their application created a divisive new spin on delivery and flow.
The foundations for triplet flow entering rap‘s mainstream came from 1990s artists experimenting with manipulating beats to showcase lyricism. Groups like Bone Thugs N Harmony and Three 6 Mafia used triplets to lend swing and character to their Midwest and Southern regional styles, while still fitting lyrics seamlessly into the pockets of slowed down grooves. Bone Thugs N Harmony‘s breakthrough album E. 1999 Eternal showcased this new melodic form over eerie minor key pianos and rapid snares. Three 6 Mafia‘s mystical chant-rap similarly harnessed triplets in early Memphis underground classics like "Tear Da Club Up ‘97." Once these scenes permeated outward, the blueprints for mainstream triplet domination emerged.
This early adoption proved more than just localized trends, as evidenced by Bone Thugs N Harmony collaborating with Biggie on "Notorious Thugs" and nabbing a 1997 Grammy for crossover smash "Tha Crossroads." Even as the post-golden age placed renewed emphasis on lyrical complexity, triplet experimentation thrived regionally. In the South, trailblazing forefathers like Tennessee’s Tommy Wright III and Texas originator E-40 pushed triplets forward with early indie tape grinding. Data on triplet usage pre-streaming proves difficult to analyze concretely, but their stealthy influence on modern triplet flows remains clear.
Yet triplets still remained mostly an underground phenomenon until the 2010s arrival of trap music. The runaway popularity of Migos‘ breakthrough smash "Versace" in 2013 proved the tipping point for triplet sounds penetrating rap‘s pop mainstream. The group‘s precision triplet-flow delivery of the catchy hook enamored Atlanta trap fans first before catching fire across the nation. Drake then joined the fray by freestyling over the beat himself, skyrocketing it further into ubiquity. After "Versace" triumphs, trend-setting artists scrambled to latch onto the new hot sound.
Beyond just catchiness, what is it about triplets technically that allowed for such creative use as rappers and producers mined for new styles? According to music production site TheRecordingRevolution.com, triplets open up space between snare drum hits in a typical hip hop beat. In a standard 4/4 pattern, the kick lands on each downbeat while the backbeat snare lands on beats 2 and 4. But with triplet flows, that snare simply comes half as often, allowing entire bars to ride deeper in the pocket around where the kicks land. This space left by the absent backbeat allows endless lyricism permutations and regional rhythmic flavors to permeate.
Rappers and producers also discovered inventive ways to implement triplets over unconventional tempos as the 2010s unfolded. On The Notorious B.I.G.’s 1997 track “Notorious Thugs,” Biggie and Bone Thugs N Harmony member Bizzy Bone trade bars over a slowed down groove with double time swing – around 140 BPM underneath its deceptive 70 BPM pace. As music scholar Adam Krims observed, Bizzy Bone‘s machine gun delivery displays “such extreme uses of different triple melodies" winding “in and out of alignment with the pulses.” This fluidity served as further blueprint, one expanded when modern artists manipulated tempo for triplets.
Once introduced to mainstream audiences through trap music‘s rise, triplet flow’s marriage to the hard-hitting yet sparse sound proved irresistible. Travis Scott’s anthemic second album, 2016’s Birds In the Trap Sing McKnight Slow crawling, weed-tinged bangers like “Goosebumps” allowed his auto-tuned triplet flow to bounce around tightened lyrical bursts. Even pop princess Katy Perry adopted triplet phrasing for smash “Dark Horse,” proving triplets widespread appeal. After these crossovers, the floodgates opened fully.
Recent data backs up triplet flow’s complete mainstream dominance throughout the mid 2010s into today. A 2018 study published in Music Perception journal and analyzing rhyme schemes found over 25% of rap couplets employed ‘triple rhymes’ by 2017, more than doubling over just two years. When crunching numbers on rap hits, data scientist Matt Daniels discovered 1 in 5 lines featured a triplet flow by 2018. For context, that ubiquity mirrors the golden era heights of internal rhyming couplets in the late 80s. By overwhelming measures, the triplet flow has evolved into the pre-eminent rhythmic staple across all hip hop.
With an origination in earlier regionally popular styles by innovators like Bone Thugs N Harmony, Three 6 Mafia, and E-40, the foundation for triplet experimentation existed decades back. But it took trap music‘s mainstream popularization and Migos‘ sticky hooks for the rhythmic pattern to skyrocket commercially. In demonstrating more dexterity over simplified trap beats while also lending infectious hooks, the triplet flow has superseded old stylistic norms to drive rap for over five years running.
Its energizing and chaotic rupture of traditional 2/4 time rapping promises to continue catalyzing boundary pushing evolutions. As rap expands across borders, so too will the triplet flow widen its resonance. The rhythmic pattern holds an accessibility perfectly primed to entrance ears for both complexity connoisseurs and listeners simply seeking that distinctive bounce. Much like the call and response and breakbeats embedded within hip hop‘s lifeblood, triplet flow now feels essential to fabric of the genre moving forward.