THE rapping style has been on the scene for the past few years and it’s gradually becoming more mainstream.
Here’s all you need to know about it…
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What is drill music?
Drill music is a form of trap music that first originated in the South Side of Chicago.
The style is a prominent part of Chicago hip-hop and can be recognised by its violent, dark lyrical content.
Drill music focuses on crime and the daily ordeals of life on the streets.
And the word itself is street slang for the use of automatic weapons.
The beat tends to be of a slow tempo – usually 60 or 70 beats per minute.
The rapping style isn’t concerned with metaphors or punchlines and often has a very deadpan delivery.
One of the main players in the musical movement is Chicago’s Chief Keef who explained that his simplistic lyrics and delivery are intentional: “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.”
The New York Times wrote a profile on the genre’s focus on violence saying the music is unmediated and raw and without bright spots, focused on anger and violence.
It added: “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.
“That their music is a symphony of ill-tempered threats shouldn’t be a surprise.”
Which rappers perform it?
The most well-known drill rappers are:
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- Chief Keef
- Fredo Santana
- Lil Durk
- Katie Got Bandz
- Lil Reese
- King Louie
- Lil Bibby
- G Herbo
- Montana of 300
- Famous Dex
Where did it come from?
The rapping style came from the Woodlawn neighbourhood of Dro City.
It was developed in the crime-riddled South Side of Chicago.
The UK counterpart of drill music originated in Brixton.
It emulates the Chicago drill scene with its focus on violence, money and criminal lifestyles.
Why is drill music being blamed for rising knife crime?
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said last year that the “drill” genre of rap music was partly to blame for rising crime.
And he also suggested that social networks such as YouTube and Facebook had contributed to the problem.
Speaking to the BBC, Mr Khan said both drill music and social media “have a role to play, of course”.
A game known as Tally Up – in which players score “points” by stabbing certain areas of their victims’ bodies – has been referenced in several drill songs.
