Crunkcore (also known as scrunk, cxc or crunkxcore) is a term used to refer to a particular genre of music fusing elements of screamo and techno with crunk hip-hop. Popular, particularly in the United States, crunkcore bands are famous for their colorful appearance and fashionable clothes.
Characteristics
Crunkcore has been described as "phat drum beats with heavy guitars" and is characterised by its use of hip-hop vocals, screaming, synthesised vocals and distorted samples, together with electric guitars, heavy bass and keyboard melodies.
The music is often associated with rapcore, techno, nintendocore, electro, breakcore and crunk.
History
Crunkcore is an abstract post hardcore punk, screamo and hip-hop derivative, believed to have originated in California and New Mexico in 2004 with the release of the Crunkcore Sampler by Vankmen and H-Rock in August of that year. These early pioneers of the crunkcore sound (often termed breakcore now to distinguish from the more modern style of crunkcore played by the likes of BrokeNCYDE) mixed various tracks and samples from different genres into a mash-up, with or without vocals being laid over it. Other early crunkcore artists include GodDamnSam and MC ParaMaKo who have found some success in the underground music scene, as has producer Starkey in 2006 with the release of his Local Headlines
In 2008 this style of music broke through to a more mainstream audience with the likes of New Mexico's BrokeNCYDE appearing on MTV and achieving worldwide sales of their BC13 album,as have Colorado's with their album Want.
Crunkcore Artists
Noted Crunkcore artists include Brokencyde, Dot Dot Curve :), 3oh!3, Hollywood Undead, Family Force 5, GodDamnSam, Breathe Carolina, Millionaires, I Set My Friends On Fire, Scene Kidz, N!tro, Synthetic Season, Monster After Party, Dropping A Popped Locket, Hedless, Blood On The Dance Floor, Youde Machine, Teen Hearts, MC ParaMaKo, Scarless, I'm Abomination, Star Machine and MANY MORE BAND
Alternative use of term "Crunkcore"
Crunkcore may also be used in a descriptive sense to describe the act of getting crunk to particular styles of music, in the same way that the term "crunk" may be used to describe both a style of music and an action.