Drill music, also known asdrill rap or simplydrill, is a subgenre oftrap music that originated inChicago in the early 2010s.[3][4] Carrying similarities togangsta rap andhip-hop music, drilllyricism is noted for its ominous,confrontational nature, often including references togang rivalries and various incidents, sometimesmurder, although the subgenre is thematically broader.[5] Drill artists often address authentic, real-life conflicts, at times incorporating artistic expressions such as bravado, taunting, or mockery.[4][6]
The subgenre's controversial nature has stimulated discussion.[46][49][50][51] Public debate about the implications drill rap has raged, while some authorities, elected officials, and commentators in the UK and America castigate the genre and its artists, claiming that drill rap catalyzes real world violence.[4][52] On the other hand, it has been counterargued that drill illuminates harsh societal realities, resonating closely with the disenfranchised youth audience, and that artists are within theirright to self-expression.[3][46] Attempts at curtailing the subgenre, including deleting posted music videos, blockading performances, and legalizing song lyrics as criminal evidence, have been put in practice in the UK and America, generating further controversy.[53]
Drill lyrics tend to be adversarial,aggressive, sometimes with a "combative energy".[3]The Guardian's Lucy Stehlik said, "Nihilistic drill reflects real life where its squeaky-clean hip-hop counterparts have failed."[54] Drill lyrics strongly contrast with the subject matter of earlier Chicago rappers[55] and contemporary mainstream hip hop which at the time of drill's emergence tended to glorify and celebrate a rise to wealth.[56]
Drill lyrics typically reflect crime on the streets, and tend to be gritty,violent, realistic, andnihilistic. ThePhiladelphia Inquirer describes drill lyrics as "celebrating violence" and that the songs "often explicitly describe shootings, mock victims, and taunt enemies".[4] According to DJ Drewski ofHot 97, "That's what started the wholeNew York drill [scene] was if I beef with you, or if I got a problem with you, I'm gonna say it on this record".[57] In drill lyrics, the term "opp" or "opps" (an abbreviation of the word "opposition") is frequently used to refer to enemy gang members and rivals.[58] Drill rappers use a grim, deadpan delivery,[59] often filtered throughAuto-Tune, influenced by the "stoned, aimless warbling ofSoulja Boy (one of the earliest non-local Keef collaborators) andLil Wayne before him."[60] Atlanta-based rappersGucci Mane andWaka Flocka Flame were important influences on the early drill rappers.[61][3]
TheBBC states that "Whereas trap, the Atlanta-born rap style that dominated hip-hop for most of the 2000s, is often rhythmically rigid – with a snare falling on the third beat of each bar – drill moves to skippy, syncopated hi-hat patterns echoing the rapid fire of amachine gun".[3]
The Guardian called drill production style the "sonic cousin to skittishfootwork,southern-fried hip-hop and the808 trigger-finger oftrap."[54]Young Chop is frequently identified by critics as the genre's most characteristic producer.[62][63][64] The sound of trap producerLex Luger's music is a major influence on drill,[61][63][65] and Young Chop identifiedShawty Redd,Drumma Boy, andZaytoven as important precursors to drill.[64] Chicago drill is traditionally characterized by synth brass and bell melodic elements, use of the crash cymbal, and busy snare drum patterns.[66]
UK drill production, which is commonly utilized inBrooklyn drill, is characterized by a faster BPM, 808s "slides," and more syncopated drum rhythms—including the use of a sped-uptresillo rhythm in the hi hat patterns.[67]
Drillers tend to be young; many prominent musicians in the scene started getting attention while still in their teens.[68] One of the genre's most prominent musicians,Chief Keef, was 16 when he signed a multi-million dollar record contract withInterscope,[69] and in an extreme example, Lil Wayne co-signed the 13-year-old driller Lil Mouse.[70] Critics have noted drill rappers' lack of concern with metaphor or wordplay. Chief Keef said that his simplistic flow is a conscious stylistic choice:
"I know what I'm doing. I mastered it. And I don't even really use metaphors or punchlines. 'Cause I don't have to. But I could. ... I think that's doing too much. I'd rather just say what's going on right now. ... I don't really like metaphors or punchlines like that."[71]
Whet Moser ofChicago Magazine wrote that Keef's songs are "lyrically, rhythmically, and emotionally diminished, which is why they sound so airless and claustrophobic ... It's not even fatalistic, because that would imply a self-consciousness, a moral consideration, that isn't there in the lyrics. It just is, over and over again."[72] A profile on the scene inThe New York Times examined the genre's aggression:
"With rare exception this music is unmediated and raw and without bright spots, focused on anger and violence. The instinct is to call this tough, unforgiving and concrete-hard music joyless, but in truth it's exuberant in its darkness. Most of its practitioners are young and coming into their creative own against a backdrop of outrageous violence in Chicago, particularly among young people—dozens of teenagers have been killed in Chicago this year—and often related to gangs. (There's a long history of overlap between Chicago's gangs and Chicago's rap.) That their music is a symphony of ill-tempered threats shouldn't be a surprise."[56]
David Drake ofComplex said drill is not defined by any particular production style, but "is about the entirety of the culture: the lingo, the dances, the mentality, and the music, much of which originated in 'Dro City', a gang-defined territory of city blocks in theWoodlawn neighborhood."[73]
In street slang, "drill" means to fight or retaliate, and "can be used for anything from females getting dolled up to all out war in the streets."[74] Dro City rapper Pac Man, considered the stylistic originator and forefather of the subgenre, is credited as the first to apply the term to the local hip hop music.[73][74] Pac Man's 2010 track, "It's a Drill," is the first instance of the term being connected to the genre.[75]
Regarding drill rappers' use of earlysocial media, musicianNaledge stated that Drill rappers "understoodvirality in a way that I believe goes unremarked in terms of their genius and their ability touse social media to garner large audiences".[76]
RapperDrake described the drill scene as a major vehicle of the early 2010s rise of Chicago hip hop, and described the scene as agrassroots movement that had incubated in a closed, interlocking system: on the streets and through social media in a network of clubs and parties and amongst high schools.[61] Drill developed on theSouth Side of Chicago, in the midst of escalating violence and a homicide crisis. Mark Guarino wrote forSalon that the music grew during "a shift from historic feuding between monolithic crime organizations controlling thousands of members each to intrapersonal squabbling and retaliatory conflicts among smaller hybrid groups whose control extends just a few blocks... The toughened reality of living in these neighborhoods is what shaped Drill music."[77] In the drill scene, rap conflict and gang conflict overlap, and many of the young rappers come from backgrounds with experience of violence.[56][78]The Independent's Sam Gould wrote that Chief Keef "represents both a scary strain of current hip hop culture and a seriously alienated group within American society."[70]
YouTube was a platform for many drill rappers to release their music videos on, and ultimately significantly contributed to the genre's popularity.[79] Chief Keef is considered the primary progenitor and popularizer of drill music, responsible for bringing it to the mainstream.[15] In 2011 and 2012, he recorded multiple singles, including "Love Sosa", "I Don't Like" and "Bang", which became viral hits, and was subsequently offered a deal fromInterscope Records.[80] Around the same time,King Louie, another drill rapper, was given a record deal fromEpic Records.[26]
New JerseyDJ Akademiks's commentary YouTube channel 'War in Chiraq' played a significant role in presenting the early Chicago drill scene to a wider audience. It had a quarter million subscribers and 94 million views in its first two years.[84] Akademiks is quoted saying "I’ve done a lot to create narratives and help rappers themselves."[85]
Videographer A Zae Production was of the leading videographers on the early drill scene.[86] Videographer ZackTV also played a significant role in the exposure of Chicago's early drill scene to a wider audience. TheYouTube interviews he conducted includes coverage such as Chief Keef's first on-camera interview, along with interviews with artists such as L'A Capone and RondoNumbaNine. ZackTV's work also sparked a media niche of intimate on-scenevideo journalism of the Chicago gangland culture behind the drill music, which had not been done before at the time.[87][88][89] ZackTV was considered a mentor by other gangland reporters in that niche around the country.[90]
Older Chicago rappers have been mixed in their reaction to drill's popularity and violence. In a radio interview, rapper Lupe Fiasco said "Chief Keef scares me. Not him specifically, but just the culture that he represents ... The murder rate in Chicago is skyrocketing, and you see who's doing it and perpetrating it—they all look like Chief Keef."[55] After Chief Keef threatened Fiasco on Twitter, Fiasco said he was considering quitting the music scene.[55] Rhymefest tweeted that drill is "the theme music to murder."[91]
Chief Keef's debut album, "Finally Rich", released onInterscope Records in late 2012, was subsequently described as a "classic" album in the genre.[92][93][94] Despite the warm critique, "Finally Rich" sold an underwhelming 50,000 units in the first week, which resulted in record labels subsequently overreacting, deeming it a "fad".[26]
While Chicago drill rap saw a decline in mainstream popularity after 2012, a new scene was emerging in the UK and by the late-2010s was gaining mainstream popularity, spreading across Europe, influencing the creation of drill scenes around the continent.[95]UK drill[96][97][98] is a subgenre of drill music androad rap that originated in the South London district ofBrixton from 2012 onwards. Borrowing heavily from the style of Chicago drill music, UK drill artists often rap about violent and hedonistic criminal lifestyles.[99][96] Typically, those who create this style of music are affiliated with gangs or come from socioeconomically deprived neighborhoods where crime is a way of life for many.[96]
The Guardian writes that "Born in Chicago, a city whoseworking-class black population, like London’s, has arguably been left to fend for itself and descended into violence, drill was initially a cold, bombastic style of gangsta rap. Its biggest breakout star was arguably Chief Keef, famous for his 2012 track I Don’t Like. The style filtered over to the UK, and was picked up by a young generation MCs keen to define themselves away from thegrime of an older generation. While other corners of black British music have explored African pop anddancehall, resulting in the lascivious and relatively carefree “afro-swing” and “afro-trap” styles, drill has looked to the US, and the tales of violence that have been a feature of rap there since the 90s."[51]
UK drill music is closely related to road rap, a British style of gangsta rap that became popular in the years prior to the existence of drill.[97][98][100] Musically, UK drill often exhibits violent language and provocative lyrics.[99] UK drill music evolved its own distinct style of production compared to Chicago drill with UK drill group67 often credited for shifting the sound away from the Chicago influences it seemed to heavily draw inspiration from in its early days and foundation and for forming a more homegrown sound,[101] withLD – a member of 67 – being named as the godfather of UK drill.[102][103]
Later Brooklyn drill production is heavily influenced by UK drill (the latter of which brings production influences fromgrime andUK garage)[110] with artists such as Fivio Foreign, Sheff G, Smoove'L, Bizzy Banks, 22Gz, and Pop Smoke collaborating with UK drill producers such as808Melo, Yamaica Productions, Yoz Beats, Tommyprime and AXL Beats.[111][112][113] Pop Smoke's song "Welcome to the Party", produced by 808Melo was a prominent release in 2019 and saw remixes fromNicki Minaj,Meek Mill and British MCSkepta.[104][114][115][116][117] Sheff G's "No Suburban" (released in 2017) and 22Gz's "Suburban" (released in 2016) have been credited for bringing attention to laterBrooklyn drill.[107]
Brooklyn and Bronx drill artists who were victims of violence include TDott Woo,[118]Pop Smoke,[46] 18-year old Chii Wvttz,[119] 14-year oldNotti Osama,[120] 17-year old Jordany Aracena,[121] Nick Blixky,[122]Lil Tjay,[123] and Nas Blixky[124] (the latter two surviving the shootings against them). Brooklyn and Bronx drill rappers charged with violent and gang related crimes includeSheff G andSleepy Hallow,[125] C Blu,[126]Kay Flock,[126] Nay Benz,[127] andSha EK.[128] The 2020's spate of gang violence and the rise of drill rap in New York City led some authorities, including New York City mayorEric Adams,[129] officers with theNew York City Police Department,[126] and Brooklyn district attorneyEric Gonzalez,[46] to view drill rap as fuel for New York City's gang violence. District Attorney Gonzalez stated in 2022 that there were "a number of shootings in Brooklyn recently that are directly related to drill ... These drill rap videos are causing young people to lose their lives. It's not that the music is the cause of the violence, but it's fueling the desire to retaliate".[130] Brandon Terry, an associate professor ofsocial sciences atHarvard University, commented that "Elected officials like Mayor Eric Adams in New York have described drill music as a kind ofdevilish bargain, wheremusic industry executives and social media companies accelerate andcommodify gang violence for profit".[52] In September 2022, the NYPD ordered the removal of local drill artists from theRolling Loud festival, due to concerns of public safety and fears that the rappers would incite violence,[131] which led to criticism from labels such asWarner Records, who said they believed mentorship for their artists was key in keeping them from crime.[50]
Erik Nielson, co-author of the 2019 book "Rap on Trial: Race, Lyrics, and Guilt in America" toldABC News that drill music’s "primary connection to violence is artistic and creative" and that the music provides for rappers "a way out of the violent neighborhoods that they chronicle."[46] Jabari Evans, a professor of race and media at theUniversity of South Carolina, noted that drill artists have a right to self-expression, stating "it's easy to make drill a scapegoat," but that "in reality, the situations, the spaces, places, and problems that existed in certain communities existed far before drill".[46] Prominent Brooklyn drill rapperFivio Foreign stated in defense of the genre, "It’s not the music that’s killing people, it’s the music that’s helping n----- fromthe hood get out the hood".[132]
Jonathan Ilan, senior lecturer ofsociology atLondon’s City University, argued against censuring UK drill, writing inThe British Journal of Criminology that drill rappers exaggerate and fabricate violence in their lyrics. He wrote that "This is not to deny that crime and violence take place involving drillers as either victims or perpetrators – rather, it emphasises not to view the violence as directly related to, caused by or evidenced by the music". He further stated that efforts to criminalise drill marginalised communities, "ultimately exacerbating the conditions which lead to urban violence in the first place".[3][133] American professor ofsociology at Stanford,Forrest Stuart, made similar remarks, cautioning that "villainizing drill music gives thecarceral system ammunition against young Black men", such as authorities issuing additional criminal charges against rappers for havingreplica guns in a video.[52]
Drill has been criticized by rappers such asLupe Fiasco andDee-1, the latter stating in a public forum about drill music, "As a consumer, you have the choice to literally support whatever it is that you would like to see more of ... If you truly want to see your conditions change, as an artist you have a choice to say, 'I might have to sacrifice some popularity or some paper for the sake of putting out content that is actuallyprogressive and conducive to a better world around us.'"[52]
Some rappers noticed that their music received more attention andstreams from hip-hop fans after incorporating disses against deceased rivals into their music,[4] and some drill music has goneviral after incorporating such disses.[5] ThePhiladelphia Inquirer reported that teen drill rappers inPhiladelphia "fueled by the pursuit of fame and money ... came to believe the formula to success was to dis the dead. Shocking lyrics about violence, they learned, drew hundreds of thousands — sometimes millions — of listeners to their songs". In some cases, the rappers did not know or had never met the rivals that they dissed.[4] Several progenitors of drill, including rappers Lil Durk, and Chief Keef, have distanced themselves from or have discouraged the practice of dissing deceased rivals in drill music.[6][134]
In response to deaths and crime arising out of the Brooklyn and Bronx drill scene,in early 2022 a number of prominent New York DJs and music influencers, including DJ Drewski atHot 97,Joe Budden,Ebro Darden of "Ebro in the Morning" onHot 97,D-Teck, andPower 105.1's DJ Gabe P either vowed to stop playing drill anddiss records or re-iterated their refusal to play such content.[135][136][137]
Some mothers of victims dissed in drill songs have publicly commented about feeling frustration and pain after hearing their sons being disrespected in drill songs, and some have called for an end to the violence and justice for their sons.[5][138][139][140][141] These include the mother of Shondale "Tooka" Gregory, a Chicago teen and alleged member of the Gangster Disciples who was killed in 2011, and was subsequently mocked in the music of rappers Chief Keef, Lil Durk, and King Von. Gregory's mother said, "Why? That’s all I have to ask them. What has my son done to y'all to make y'all disrespect him like this? Every song they make has got, 'We smokin' on Tooka' ... You know how long my son has been gone? Since 2011. This is 2022 and he's still a trending topic".[6][142]
Some French drill artists such asFreeze Corleone have been in trouble (concerts cancelled,[131][143] restricted distribution[144]) due to their positions towards slavery, Jews,[145] geopolitical conflicts, terrorism, pedophils,[146] conspiracy theories, sexism and politics.[147]
The 2023We TV drama series Kold x Windy revolves around two women, played bySh’Kia Augustin and Nijah Brenea, trying to make it in the violent world of drill music.[148]
Ilan, Jonathan (June 23, 2020). "Digital Street Culture Decoded: Why criminalizing drill music is Street Illiterate and Counterproductive".The British Journal of Criminology.60 (4):994–1013.doi:10.1093/bjc/azz086.
Lynes, Adam; Kelly, Craig; Kelly, Emma (August 2020). "THUG LIFE: Drill music as a periscope into urban violence in the consumer age".The British Journal of Criminology.60 (5):1201–1219.doi:10.1093/bjc/azaa011.
Schwarze, Tilman; Fatsis, Lambros (December 2022). "Copping the blame: the role of YouTube videos in the criminalisation of UK drill music".Popular Music.41 (4):463–480.doi:10.1017/S0261143022000563.
