When searching for the best trap samples, you should know what defines trap music. Is it the gritty lyrics, depicting the paranoia of criminal behavior? Is it the deafening rolls of 808 sub-basses layered upon heavy kicks? Maybe it’s the half time syncopated rhythms, layered over choirs and gospel.
All of those are correct. Trap music is a subset of hip-hop that emerged during the early 2000s in the Southern US, quickly becoming the backdrop to the violence and drug dealing found in “Trap Houses”. Frantic subdivided hi-hats, sub-bass layered 808 kick drums, and harrowing ambiance came to define this genre;
Fast forward to 2024 and trap music has rocketed its way to becoming the music du jour without sacrificing its original sounds and vibes.
Related article:
10 Best VST Plugins for Trap Beats in 2024
8 Of The Top Trap Samples
- Sonny Digital Drumkit — Atlanta Trap
- Lex Luger Drumkit — Southern Trap
- Scott Storch’s Still Storch Vol. 1 — World-Music Trap
- UZ – Real Trap Samples Vol. 1 — Minimalist Trap
- KRANE Samples — Future Trap
- Supah Mario: Essential Kit — Vintage Trap
- Graves Sample Pack — EDM Crossovers
- Yung Gold: Trap Soul World — R&B Influenced Trap
As a result, many of the unique sounds and techniques for producing trap music are as tried & true as the sounds underpinning distinct subgenres like black metal or ambient noise. With dozens of vendors offering thousands of trap sample packs, one can easily get lost in the realm of soundalike packs and miss the real gems. To help ease that potential meander, here are 8 of my personal favorite (and most used) trap sample packs.
Adding Samples & Plugins To Your DAW
Adding Plugins to your DAW is a unique process. I have not experienced any two DAWs with the same process for integrating VSTs/Plug-Ins and would recommend consulting the user manual if help is needed.
Samples, however, are much more simplistic in their usage. For almost all DAWs, the process for adding samples to your project is as simple as importing the audio clip into an empty track or sampler VST. For those who use Splice Sound or Loopcloud, this process is even more straightforward. Simply navigate to the top of your desktop and click on the sounds dropdown. You’ll instantly have access to all of your samples, anywhere.
Top Trap Samples
For most of the early aughts, electronic music and its many subgenres took center stage in the cultural zeitgeist. Over the past few years, though, this dominance has been usurped by trap. A genre known for its bleak content, “Trap” music, was born in “Trap Houses” in the early 90s in Atlanta. The genesis of this genre was the product of artists such as Lil John, Ghetto Mafia, and Outkast, while figures such as T.I., Gucci Mane, Cardi B, and Migos carry the torch of contemporary trap.
Trap music earned mainstream attention during the start of 2011, with tracks like “Love Sosa”, “Ballin”, and “Don’t Like” dominating radio airplay. With the continued success of the genre and the comparatively simple production process, the appeal of making trap music has only grown since those years. However, there is more depth and complexity to trap than just the rolling 808 kick drums and snares (no really). From gunshots to name drops, samples have accented trap songs pervasively. To help make trap music more accessible, here are 8 of the best trap sample packs for producers.
1. Sonny Digital Drumkit
Best for: Atlanta Trap
Coming in hot off after the breakout success of his latest collaboration, Sonny Digital’s arrival into the artist-created sample pack market has been long overdue. With this arrival is the Sonny Digital Drumkit, which contains a massive total of 175 drum and 808 samples.
Contemporary trap sounds define this pack. The kicks are reminiscent of a Young Thug album; the hi-hats scream Gucci Mane. What is included in this pack is a no-frills trap drum sound suite with enough variation to please the pickiest of sampler fans. The rattling hi-hats are an exceptionally significant part of this sample pack and should serve well in producing modern, mainstream trap.
What’s in this pack?
- 175 Total Samples
- 119 Pounding Drum Hits
- 30 Shimmering Synth Loops
- 24 Lumbering 808 Loops
2. Lex Luger Drumkit
Best for: Southern Trap
If one had to choose what producer’s sound furthered the genre, it would be impossible not to consider Lex Luger. Co-Founder of 808 Mafia and 1017 Brick Squad OG, Lex Luger’s meteoric rise to fame was launched with “Hard in the Paint,” debatably the most iconic trap song of all time. His partnership and subsequent release with Splice Sounds demonstrates just how brutal trap can become.
Napoleonic kick drums, rattlesnake-like hi-hat riffs, and apocalyptic synths define the core of this sample pack; however, pyrex clatter SFX and other oddities are found in this sample pack as well. For those who want to produce songs for artists like Gucci Mane, Jay-Z, and Kanye West, this sample pack offers you the full production kit you need.
What’s in this pack?
- 87 Total Samples
- 50 Curated Drum Hits
- 15 Eerie Synth Loops
- 11 Thudding 808 Bassline Loops
- 13 Pre-mastered Hat Loops
3. Scott Storch’s Still Storch Vol.1
Best for: World-Music Trap
Scott Storch, the legendary keyboardist for The Roots, recently partnered with Splice to release his first-ever artist sample pack, Still Storch Vol. 1. Within the vast 323 sample pack lies flute melodies, bell chord progressions, and piercing steel drums. These sounds, in conjunction with the more traditional trap basslines and loops, display an eclectic approach to modern trap production not found in other artist’s work.
The pack itself offers a wide range of tempos and keys to work with, ranging from 0-140 beats a minute. For those who enjoy tropical house, international hip-hop, or instrumental-heavy production, this sample pack is for you.
What’s In This Pack?
- 323 Total Samples
- 181 Analogue Drum Hits
- 44 Instrumental Melodies
- 36 Rolling Bass Loops
- 44 Organic Hat Loops
4. UZ – Real Trap Samples Vol.1
Best for: Minimalist Trap
With less name recognition than other artists on the list, UZ instead relies on his production to further his success. His iconic line, “Damn son, where’d you find this?” birthed a 30+ trap track series on SoundCloud- the latest of which have racked up millions of views.
Partnering with Splice, UZ provides a lo-fi, bass-centric approach to trap sample packs. Fiery synth lines, overwhelming bass thuds, and spitfire echos of hi-hats are the core of this sample pack; stormy field recordings and echoing SFX vocals are included in this release as well. If you want to make music similar to artists such as Flosstradamus, Loud Pack, or Diplo, UZ’s Real Trap Samples Vol.1 is the choice for you
What’s In This Pack?
- 531 Total Samples
- 256 Honed Drum Hits
- 128 Polished Sfx Loops
- 81 Foley Recordings
- 81 Organic Field-recordings
5. KRANE Samples
Best for: Future Trap
KRANE Samples, released by the eponymous artist in collaboration with Splice Sounds, maybe one of the oddest trap sample packs of recent memory. Existing somewhere in between electronic bass music and rap, this sample pack allows for KRANE’s signature sound to finally be explored in-depth.
Some standout features of his samples include bit-crushed synth leads, reverb-laden hi-hat bursts, and the rolling massive kick loops. For those who like the sounds of The Chainsmokers, Flume, or Odezsa, this sample pack is for you.
What’s In This Pack?
- 104 Total Samples
- 47 Punchy Percussion Samples
- 18 Skittering Synth Leads
- 14 Explosive Kicks
- 12 Wobbling Sines
6. Supah Mario: Essential Kit
Best for: Vintage Trap
Supah Mario, producer for Drake, Young Thug, and Travis Scott, partnered with Splice sounds to release his debut Essentials Kit. Supah Mario: Essential Kit delivers some of the most iconic sounds and samples used by the producer throughout his work, blending cartoon & video game-inspired samples with grainy trap drums.
A particular nerdy delight comes to mind when using this sample pack, with 8-bit piano loops and glitchy SFX delivering nostalgic backing to the massive drum strikes. For those who enjoy both Mario Cart and 808 snares, Supah Mario: Essential Kit is what your production needs.
What’s In This Pack?
- 187 Total Samples
- 58 Bitcrushed Synths
- 95 Echoing Drum Hits
- 22 Gaming-inspired SFX Samples
7. Graves Sample Pack
Best for: EDM Crossovers
Grammy-Award winner Graves has at last released an artist sample pack; this one is in collaboration with Splice Sounds. The glitzy and bright synths and echoing drum hits have defined his style and are on full display here. In fact, his Grammy-Award winning EP Hilo has been thoroughly deconstructed and processed into separate instrumental loops; this addition to the pack offers the chance for new producers to experiment with some of the most refined sounds in trap production.
Another fantastic feature of this sample pack is the inclusion of his personal selection of 808 basslines- a collection that does not disappoint. For those who like the sounds of artists like Slander, NGHTMRE, or troyboi, this sample pack was created for you.
What’s In This Pack?
- 177 Total Samples
- 80 Crisp Drum Grooves
- 10 Deep 808 Rolls
- 29 Shimmering Atmospheres
- 10 Brief Vocal Shots
- 33 SFX One-shots
8. Yung Gold: Trap Soul World
Best for: R&B Influenced Trap
The only non-artist pack to make this list, Yung Gold: Trap Soul World by Capsun ProAudio, is a genuinely stellar sample pack. Directly based on contemporary trap sounds, Yung Gold’s samples could easily be found in SoundCloud bangers, and multi-platinum hits alike. In the giant 314-sample sample pack, dysthymic subs, punching kicks, and ambient vocal chants take center stage.
Full trap tracks are deconstructed and delineated into separate loops, which I have found to be great for experimenting with the composition structure of a track. The drum samples are also originally recorded on live instrumentation, meaning they carry some dynamics that digital instruments cannot reproduce. For those who are fans of Noah 40, London on tha Track, and Murda Beatz will find themselves right at home with this sample pack.
What’s In This Pack?
- 314 Total Trap Samples
- 45 Melodic Textures
- 25 Lofi Sub Loops
- 89 Brutal Drum Kicks
- 81 Atmospheric Synth Arpeggios
In Conclusion
Making decent sounding trap music in 2024 is not difficult. Given the simplicity of many of trap’s core sounds, such as 808 kick-snare loops, one can realistically learn to produce this style of hip hop much more efficiently than other genres like jazz or rock. However, for new producers, a lack of inspiration & the overwhelming variety of sounds available both block real creative development. To help cut through that wide variety and producer’s block, give any of these eight trap sample packs a chance. See what ignites your passion for production.
Eric has been working with music production and instrument experimentation since his younger youth. He has a fond appreciation for a wide variety of music and is an enthusiastic practitioner. Catch him at a local concert in Ann Arbor, MI.