Phonk grew out of 1990s Memphis rap samples and later merged with drift car culture, cowbell rhythms and heavily distorted bass online. Gaming editors adopted the style for character edits, and the Doom Slayer, the silent protagonist of id Software's DOOM franchise, became a natural fit because his image is built around relentless demon fighting. Clips pairing phonk drops with DOOM gameplay, gym footage and anime-style edits spread on short video platforms, where the track is used as shorthand for going all in.