Drill Music and Its Evolution

The early 2010s saw the birth of the hip-hop musical style known as "drill" in Chicago. It shares a similar sound with the trap music subgenre and a similar lyrical style with gangster rap. Drill music performers have drawn attention for their aggressive poetry and links to Chicago's criminal underworld. The word "drill" is slang meaning "fight or retaliate," but it may also refer to anything from young women getting ready for a night out to a full-scale street battle.

Drill naturally has violent themes, mainly from the rappers' lives who invented the genre. There is a persistent homicide and gang problem on Chicago's South Side. Drill rap originated in those areas and has been dramatically impacted by the events of the young people who grew up with this brutality as a regular part of their daily lives. It serves as a symbol for a specific hip-hop subgenre and a particularly marginalized US population. Drill rappers have a gloomy, deadpan delivery that is frequently auto-tuned. Despite many similarities to trap music, drill rhythms are often slower, with a moderate tempo of roughly 60 to 70 beats per minute. Drillers are frequently young; several well-known musicians in the scene first gained notoriety while still in their teens. More than anybody else, Chief Keef is to blame for drill rap's introduction to the mainstream hip-hop scene. 

UK drill is a type of road rap and drill music that first appeared in Brixton, a neighborhood in South London, around 2012. Drill music from the UK frequently has rapped about violent and hedonistic criminal lifestyles, influenced mainly by Chicago drill music. Those who produce this music often belong to gangs or are from impoverished communities where crime is a way of life for many. Road rap, a form of British gangster rap that rose to popularity in the years before the drill, is closely tied to UK drill music. UK drill frequently uses aggressive language and inflammatory lyrics in its music.

The conflict between the various organizations competing for power and influence was an unintended byproduct of the genre's gang violence roots. Compared to other songs on life experiences, diss recordings on YouTube received more views. Sadly, the diss tracks would be like a matchstick dropped into a gasoline pool, kindling violent rages. Rappers like Tdott Woo and Pop Smoke were victims of fatal attacks during this time, which became particularly widespread in New York. Ultimately, many drill DJs and rappers stopped producing or performing the tracks out of concern that the violence might worsen. 

Here are some drill music classics for those who want to listen:

Chief Keef - I Don't Like

King Louie - Michael Jordan

Pop Smoke - DIOR

Pop Smoke - Welcome to the Party

Stickz - Let's Get It

67 feat. Giggs - Let's Lurk

Giggs feat. Waka Flocka Flame - Lemme Get Dat