Idea Box: “Trapfuturism” by Nailah Golden

Exhibit open

• Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 2-5 pm
• Sunday, 12-5 pm

Digital media artist Nailah Golden coined the term “Trapfuturism” in 2019 while working on a class project at the Rhode Island School of Design. A combination of the words “trap” (as in trap music) and “Afrofuturism,” it’s her way of describing how trap and hood culture influence global culture through technology like social media and music. 

The term also describes the future of trap culture and trap music, including the ways digital technology can provide opportunities for hood folks to prosper in whatever ways they need and want, including economically, socially, and politically.

Her multimedia exhibit was first exhibited this summer in the Lawndale Pop Up Spot, a community museum in a shipping container in the North Lawndale neighborhood of Chicago. Now in the Main Library Idea Box through September 24, this is Nailah’s second showing of Trapfuturism.

Learn more at Trapfuturism.com »

About Trapfuturism

Nailah says: “I was inspired by rapper Chief Keef (b. Keith Cozart), whose violent and traumatic past led him to a beautiful arts and tech-centered future where he is healing, progressing as a creative, and making passive income that has him set for the rest of his life. I want the world to look at Chief Keef and other people from inner-city communities who are demonized for the circumstances they grew up in—and see more than the negatives, because we are more than that.

“Trapfuturism is about Black people from hoods and ghettos globally being able to use design and tech to better their lives, thus redefining and reimagining the future of The Trap and Black culture as a whole.

“Bottom line: whether or not you listen to trap music (or hip-hop), or relate to it, etc., know that there are Black people in the future—including the “hood” / “ghetto” Black people that society looks down on. Technology has given us a platform to reinvent ourselves into things more beautiful and powerful than the boxes society puts us in. We already set the trends, from music to fashion to language. With the right exposure, resources, and community, imagine the possibilities!”

About the artist

Nailah (pronounced “nah-lah”) Golden is a digital media artist, lover of cyberspace, the mind behind Trapfuturism™, and a true Chicago native.

She specializes in 2D graphics and brand design, plus some web design. She is a recent graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), where she received degrees in Graphic Design and Computation, Technology, and Culture. Her inspirations include Internet culture (especially as relates to Black Internet culture), visual arts and technology, sci-fi, and all the possibilities of the digital age.

Nailah says: “With my tech savvy, my graphics skills, and my community engagement (plus a well-stocked meme collection), my main focus as an individual and a creative is to uplift underrepresented people within the design and tech space—through education and exposure. More specifically, I’m passionate about creating, holding, and amplifying space for underrepresented communities within the digital-virtual world as well as the real world.”

More about the Main Library Idea Box »