Plugg

History and character

Origins

Plugg is a subgenre of trap born in Atlanta in the first half of the 2010s and consolidated around 2013 by the producer collective Beatpluggz, with MexikoDro and StoopidXool; the name comes from the “Plug!” tag the collective used on SoundCloud. The declared influences are Zaytoven's gospel and soul production, Southern rap (OutKast, Project Pat, Juicy J, Gucci Mane), and Chicago “bop.”

Spread

It grows in the SoundCloud underground and reaches mainstream attention around 2014–2017 through artists such as Playboi Carti, Rich the Kid, Lil Yachty, Kodak Black, Famous Dex, and Yung Bans. A second wave (BoofPaxkMooky, Tony Shhnow, 10kdunkin, FLEE, then Lil Tecca and SoFaygo) and producer figures such as CashCache (tied to the jazzier, lounge-y “sleepy plugg”), Cash Cobain, and Dylvinci broaden its language; it has scenes in France (Serane) and Russia (Face, Big Baby Tape).

Subgenres

• Pluggnb (roughly 2017–2020): plugg + the harmonies and synths of contemporary R&B (Summrs, Autumn!, ARIZONATEARS, XanGang).
• Dark plugg / DMV plugg / evil plugg: dark and aggressive.
• Hyperplugg (from roughly 2022): with hyperpop influences.
• Ambient plugg, terror plugg (distorted 808s and unsettling melodies), microgenres such as “sleepy” and “diary.”

Aesthetics

Deep, bouncing 808s as the foundation, sparse, “swaying” drums with crashes, rimshots, and very few hi-hats, dreamy and sparkling melodies (xylophones, bells, soft pads), filtered, muffled claps; a relaxed, atmospheric mood, “for listening alone.”

Scales and keys

Natural minor (Aeolian)

• Formula: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 (2-1-2-2-1-2-2).
• Example in C: C D Eb F G Ab Bb.
• Chords: Cm7 (i) – Dm7b5 (ii°) – Ebmaj7 (III) – Fm7 (iv) – Gm7 (v) – Abmaj7 (VI) – Bb7 (VII).
• Use: classic plugg almost always uses a minor key with 2–3 slow, soft chords.

Dorian

• Formula: 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7. In D: D E F G A B C.
• Characteristic note: major 6 (B) → major IV (G).
• Use: “sleepy” and jazzy plugg, less sad colors.

Major with sevenths and ninths (pluggnb)

• Formula: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. In Eb: Eb F G Ab Bb C D.
• Chords: Ebmaj9 – Fm9 – Gm7 – Abmaj9 – Bb13 – Cm9 – Dm7b5.
• Use: pluggnb takes m7 and add9 block chords on electric piano from '90s R&B and gospel, with voicings that put the 9th next to the root (soft clusters).

Major and minor pentatonic (“sparkly” melodies)

• Major pentatonic in C: C D E G A.
• Minor pentatonic in A: A C D E G.
• Use: xylophones, bells, and plucks: notes without half steps that “shine” over the 808.

Phrygian and harmonic minor (dark/terror plugg)

• Phrygian in E: E F G A B C D; harmonic minor in E: E F# G A B C D#.
• Use: dark plugg, unsettling bells and detuned synths.

How to choose

Typical mistake: chords that are too fast or too dense; plugg wants 2–3 slow, soft chords for the whole loop.

Harmony

A few slow chords

Two or three soft, slow chords (often one chord every 2 bars) in minor, on pads, bells, or electric piano; no cadences.

Pluggnb

Block chords on electric piano with m7 and add9, experimental inversions with the 9th next to the root; R&B vocal harmonies; pitched gospel vocal samples.

Techniques

• Chord flip: cut the audio of each chord, reverse it, and add small fades: this creates the soft swells typical of the genre.
• Layering: bright bell + warm pad on the same chord (sparkling attack, soft tail).
• Delay on the melody channel for depth.

Voicings

Mid-high register (C4–C6), HP on the melodies to leave the low end to the 808.

Typical progressions

Rhythm and groove

Grid and swing

130–160 BPM in half time with light swing (10–20%): the drums “sway” instead of rushing.

Space

Very few hi-hats (no bursts: those belong to mainstream trap), crashes and rimshots, accent snares on half beats, “beat skips” (one hit or half a bar removed to surprise).

Flow

Relaxed, melodic, or whispered; in pluggnb, R&B singing with Auto-Tune; in dark plugg, more aggressive rap.

Drums

Role

The drums are built around the 808: the 808 makes the groove, the drums punctuate.

Kick

Often absent as a separate sound: the 808 acts as kick and bass.

Snare / clap

• Heavily filtered, muffled claps (LP 3–6 kHz) on 3.
• “Accent snares” on half beats (e.g., the last sixteenth note of the second bar) and a couple of extra snares that create a counter-rhythm.

Rimshot

On 2 and 4 of the double time (steps 5 and 13): the “tic-toc” that characterizes plugg.

Hi-hat

Very few, in quarter notes or sparse eighth notes; no long rolls.

Crash

Crash at the start of every 2- or 4-bar cycle, often with a long tail; reverse crashes in the transitions.

Interaction

The empty spaces in the drums let the melodies and 808 ring; the vocal comes in through the gaps.

Sections

Intro with melody and crash, hook with everything, verse with beat skips, outro with the melody alone.

Typical mistakes

Bursts of trap hi-hats (take you out of the genre); claps that are too bright; drums that are too full.

Bass

“Bumping” 808

Deep, soft, and bouncing, often tuned and melodic: short repeated notes alternating with long notes; occasional glides.

Setup

808 sample with the full region, one voice (mono), one-shot, high release to let it ring out; for grit, light distortion (foldback, saturation) on a separate channel.

Notes

Root, fifth, b3, octave; in dark plugg, lower and more distorted notes.

Range

35–60 Hz fundamental; contained harmonics (“softer” than drill).

Harmonic instruments

• Xylophone, marimba, bells, glockenspiel, music box: sparkly melodies.
• Soft pads (often layered with the bells).
• Electric piano (pluggnb), strings.
• Synths with a sine wave for “vocal” leads; detuned synths in dark plugg.
• Mid-high register, wide stereo, reverb and delay.

Melody and vocals

• Vocals: from soft, melodic singing to whispered or aggressive rap.
• Pluggnb: R&B singing with layered harmonies (sometimes built using a sine wave as a guide), Auto-Tune, pitched gospel samples, vocal “ear candy.”
• Hooks: simple, repeated, melodic.
• Effects: generous reverb and delay, light or pronounced Auto-Tune.

Instruments

808, filtered claps, rimshots, crashes, few hi-hats, xylophone, bells, pads, electric piano, sine synths, gospel vocal samples, vocal with Auto-Tune.

Drum patterns

Synths and sounds

• DX7 V — FM bell, marimba, and electric piano: Bright FM bells and marimbas with short decay; the FM E.Piano for pluggnb. Modulator ratio 1:3.5 for the bell, 1:1 for the EP.
• Jup-8 V — Layered soft pad: Warm pad with 200 ms attack and 1.5 s release to layer under the bell.
• Stage-73 V — Pluggnb electric piano: m7/add9 block chords with light tremolo and a bit of saturation.
• Mini V — Sine lead and 808: Sine/triangle for soft 'vocal' leads with glide; also as a playable 808.
• Prophet-5 V — Detuned synths (dark plugg): Detune 15–25 cents between oscillators and a slow LFO on pitch: an unsettling, wavering sound.

Song structure

Short, very repetitive tracks (1:45–2:45); variation is handled by beat skips and crashes.

Mixing and mastering

Sonic goal

Soft and dreamy: deep, round 808, bright but not shrill melodies, muffled drums, vocal wrapped in reverb. References: Beatpluggz/MexikoDro productions (2013–2016), Summrs and Autumn! pluggnb (2019–2021). Balance: 808 −2, vocal 0, melody −5, clap −7, rim −9.

808

HP 25 Hz; fundamental 35–55 Hz; LP 3–5 kHz; light parallel saturation (20–30% mix); slow compression or none; mono.

Clap

HP 250 Hz; LP 3–6 kHz (muffled); short reverb; moderate volume.

Rimshot and crash

Rim: HP 400 Hz, pan ±10–20. Crash: HP 500 Hz, LP 12 kHz, pan ±30, long tail.

Hi-hat

HP 800 Hz; low level.

Melodies (bell, xylophone, pad)

• EQ: HP 200–300 Hz (the 808 must own the low end); cut at 3–5 kHz if they sting.
• Space: dotted 1/8 or 1/4 ping-pong delay on a send (30% feedback), hall 2–3 s; more signal in the sends for depth.
• Stereo: wide.

Vocal

EQ: HP 100 Hz, −2 dB at 300 Hz, +2 dB at 4 kHz, air at 12 kHz; 5–6 dB compression; de-esser; hall 2 s at −14 dB, 1/4 delay at −18 dB; Auto-Tune.

Harmonies (pluggnb)

Wide stacks ±80, HP 150 Hz, long reverb.

Buses, sidechain, master

Music bus with light glue; sidechain 808 → melodies below 200 Hz (dynamic EQ). Master −9/−7 LUFS integrated, true peak −1 dBTP.

Common mistakes

Claps that are too bright; melodies without an HP; 808 too distorted for the style (except dark/terror).

Reference tracks for the mix

• MexikoDro / StoopidXool productions (Beatpluggz, 2013–2016)
• Summrs and Autumn! pluggnb (2019–2021)

Reference listening

• Beatpluggz (MexikoDro, StoopidXool) — produzioni SoundCloud (2013–2016)
• Playboi Carti — Playboi Carti (mixtape, 2017)
• Summrs — catalogo pluggnb (2019–2021)
• Autumn! — catalogo pluggnb (2019–2021)
• SoFaygo — Knock Knock (2020)