Short answers, pulled from the story.
Canibus launched his own website www.canibus.com in 1998 to share lyrics and music directly with fans. He later created MicClub.net in 2002 to build a digital space outside traditional music industry gatekeepers.
Soulja Boy became the first rapper to have a Twitter account during the late 2000s. This era marked the beginning of blog rap where artists distributed music through the online blogosphere using platforms like Myspace and DatPiff.
Lil B coined the term cloud rap in 2009 while pioneering the trap-based subgenre with producer Clams Casino. His influence was so profound that record producer Metro Boomin stated on Twitter that Lil B was responsible for a lot of careers and a true hip hop pioneer.
Yung Lean released the track Ginseng Strip 2002 which went viral online in 2013. The Swedish online rap collective Drain Gang visually drew influence from seapunk and vaporwave aesthetics to become a leading example of youths garnering fame through social media.
The term soundcloud rap became associated with a specific sound during the mid-to-late 2010s. This era was defined by artists like XXXTentacion, Lil Uzi Vert, and Playboi Carti who were collectively labeled soundcloud rap.
In the early 2020s international scenes emerged in the United Kingdom, China, and Argentina. The United Kingdom scene was spearheaded by Lancey Foux and Fimiguerrero, China featured artists like Bloodz Boi, and Argentina was led by the SwaggerBoyz collective.