Over 30 years after the internet as we know it was released to the public, the endless stream of digital sharing has led us to the glorious mess we call internet music culture.

Somewhere between cat memes and existential dread, genres like "pluggnb" came out of the fold, confusing parents and enthralling teenagers everywhere. Like most internet-born genres, pluggnb and its predecessor plugg have evolved in a hundred different directions, making them as elusive as that TikTok video you forgot to save.

While plugg traces its roots back to the early 2010s, pluggnb feels like it only recently surged, thanks to viral remixes of nostalgic tracks you never knew needed remixing, like Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream” or Zedd and Hayley Williams’ “Stay The Night,” drenched in dreamy synth pads and trap drums.

At its core, pluggnb repurposes '90s R&B and gospel aesthetics, blending nostalgia with trap-infused futurism, proving once again that modern music’s innovation is just recycling with style.

So, what exactly is pluggnb?

Grab your headphones, throw on this playlist , and let’s untangle this beautifully chaotic subgenre together.

A History of Pluggnb

Before we get into pluggnb, you've gotta understand plugg first.

Born from the streets (or more accurately, bedrooms) of Atlanta around 2013, plugg owes much of its initial charm to Zaytoven’s melodic keys, airy textures, and crispy MPC2000 drums. Producers MexikoDro and StoopidXool branded this style under the iconic "PLUGG!" beat tag, laying the groundwork with minimalist trap beats infused with lush synth pads and playful melodies.

The first wave broke into mainstream consciousness around 2014 when the BeatPluggz collective, featuring MexikoDro, StoopidXool, and others, collaborated with rising stars like Playboi Carti, Kodak Black, and Lil Yachty.

Tracks like Carti’s “Broke Boi” and Yachty’s “Minnesota” took off, briefly catapulting plugg into hip-hop prominence. But as quickly as it soared, plugg’s mainstream popularity faded, with artists and producers branching into new sounds and genres.

But the internet never forgets. The underground SoundCloud scene kept plugg alive, evolving it quietly until around 2017-2020 when pluggnb surfaced. This new music genre melded plugg’s trap beats with silky, dreamy R&B synth textures. Producers like XanGang played important roles, producing lush beats that had a profound effect on listeners hungry for something softer yet still rooted in trap sensibilities.

And if you're wondering whether pluggnb ever really "made it," consider this: Drake himself tapped MexikoDro for his 2020 track "From Florida with Love."

What Does Pluggnb Sound Like?

Drums

Ask Zaytoven about his drums, and he’ll credit most everything to the legendary MPC2000 hardware sampler. Pluggnb drums borrow from this heritage, featuring simple yet impactful trap patterns, including rolling hi-hats, snappy snares, and, of course, earth-shaking 808s, many of which are constructed from old-school kits.

It’s the kind of beat structure that sounds effortlessly cool but takes real skill to master.

Keys & Synths

If trap traditionally relies on straightforward chords, pluggnb flips that script entirely.

You can expect complex jazz-inspired pluggnb chord progressions, cleverly voiced and dripping with reverb. Artists lean heavily into those dreamy, nostalgia-inducing electric pianos reminiscent of '90s R&B, like Rhodes or DX7-style digital keys, which deliver that old-school, emotional sound.

Many of you reading this can probably remember that sound quite clearly if you close your eyes and reminisce on sitting in the backseat of your parents' car while cruising down the freeway. Maybe just me? I don't know!

Melody

Pluggnb melodies are whimsical, airy, and occasionally quirky.

Often pulling from ROMpler-style instruments, like ambient bells, pads, and xylophones, the melodies can mimic the often melodic vocals or counter them. You might even hear something that sounds like it came straight out of a Nintendo game. Nothing quite like 8-bit bleeps and bloops to add just the right sprinkle of nostalgia and charm.

Top Pluggnb Artists

XanGang

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jh4OMDzE-2k

Romello Robinson, better known as XanGang, is a Brooklyn-based producer who pretty much wrote the playbook for pluggnb. Garnerning inspiration from Lil Flash’s track “Police,” he created his stage name in 2015 and quickly became a staple of the influential $urreal Gang collective.

His innovative approach helped shape the careers of artists like Yung Bans, Summrs, Famous Dex, Weiland, UnoTheActivist, and even Lil Tecca. Alongside Corey Lingo, XanGang pioneered pluggnb, which used a lot of soulful R&B chords with airy, melodic plugg beats. His lengthy list of collaborations features everyone from Autumn! and BOOFBOIICY to Warhol.ss.

Lil Shine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGZ5F_uvuSY

Jasper William Johnson, aka Lil Shine, is one of the freshest voices of pluggnb straight out of Minneapolis.

He kicked off his music journey in 2017 at just 12 years old with “DROP THE TOP."

By 2019, tracks like “Stop!” and “Relax!” had him buzzing, partly because listeners couldn't get over his unmistakable, pre-teen voice. Joining Diamondsonmydick’s Reptilian Club Boyz in 2020 until its dissolution the following year, Shine cemented his reputation as a standout figure in pluggnb’s online community.

BoofPaxkMooky

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zULA44-V_XA

Jalan Cordell Hunter, known better as BoofPaxkMooky, is a Tarboro, North Carolina native whose music also helped shape the rise of pluggnb. Initially focused on basketball, Mooky pivoted to music after linking up with Calii Breezze during high school.

He broke through with “Show Me Up” in 2018, one of pluggnb’s early anthems, eventually catching the attention of artists like Lil Tecca. Mooky solidified his status with the viral hit “Ta Da” alongside producer Yung Brando and continued collaborations with underground stars like SSGKobe, KA$HDAMI, and Texako.

The beats are laid back, and the flow is dreamy, perfect for a nighttime neighborhood drive.

Summrs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kahkUxXtNEI

If you’re getting into pluggnb music, you have to check out Summrs. He’s one of the key figures who helped shape the whole sound. The music is melodic, emotional, and super vibey. He came up with the Slayworld collective, alongside artists like Autumn! and Kankan, and that crew basically made PluggnB what it is today.

Summrs has this crazy ability to blend vulnerable lyrics with smooth, floaty beats. I highly recommend starting with tracks like “Swing Ya Pole” or projects like Fallen Raven and Nothing More Nothing Less are a great intro to his style.

He’s got that raw, melodic, stream-of-consciousness flow that feels both effortless and real, and fans love how personal his music feels. If you’re into emotional rap with clean melodies, he's essential.

A Continuation of Pluggnb

Internet trends live fast and die young, but even after the memes fade and SoundCloud moves on, the cultural residue sticks around. Genres like pluggnb might seem fleeting, but they always leave behind dedicated fanbases, including bedroom producers, Discord obsessives, and nostalgic listeners who keep the flame alive long after mainstream hype fizzles.

Like vaporwave or cloud rap before it, pluggnb as a genre probably won’t remain static. Soon enough, some kid with FL Studio and too much caffeine will remix it into the next bizarre yet addictive new wave sound we never saw coming. But until the algorithm hands us something new, we'll keep hitting replay on BoofPaxkMooky's “Ta Da”, enjoying pluggnb's beautifully strange moment in the sun.

And if you're getting into making pluggnb music yourself, there are hundreds of great tutorials on YouTube to get you started!