Horrorcore

Horrorcore
Scarface, of the group Geto Boys, whose violent, horror-themed lyrics have been singled out as the first recorded example of horrorcore
Other names	Horror hip hop, horror rap, death hip hop, death rap, murder rap
Stylistic origins	Horror film hardcore hip hop gangsta rap
Cultural origins	Early-mid 1980s, United States
Local scenes
Detroit Memphis
Other topics
Horror punk death metal deathrock rap metal psychobilly witch house shock rock juggalo

Horrorcore (also called horror hip hop, horror rap, death hip hop, death rap, or murder rap) is a subgenre of hip hop music based on horror-themed and often darkly transgressive lyrical content and imagery. Its origins derived from certain hardcore hip hop and gangsta rap artists, such as the Geto Boys, who began to incorporate supernatural, the occult, and psychological horror themes into their lyrics. Other early originators and influences on the genre include Gravediggaz, Flatlinerz, Three 6 Mafia, Brotha Lynch Hung, and Kool Keith.

Unlike most hardcore hip hop and gangster rap artists, horrorcore artists often push the violent content and imagery in their lyrics beyond the realm of realistic urban violence, to the point where the violent lyrics become gruesome, ghoulish, unsettling, or inspired by slasher films or splatter films. While exaggerated violence and the supernatural are common in horrorcore, the genre also frequently presents more realistic yet still disturbing portrayals of mental illness and drug abuse. Some horrorcore artists eschew supernatural themes or exaggerated violence in favor of more subtle and dark psychological horror imagery and lyrics.

Horrorcore has incited controversy, with some members of the law enforcement community asserting that the genre incites crime.^[1][2] Fans and artists have been blamed for numerous high-profile instances of violent criminal activity, including the Columbine High School massacre,^[3][4] the Farmville murders, murders of law enforcement officers, and gang activity.