Brooklyn drill explained

Brooklyn drill
Other Names:BK drill
Cultural Origins:Mid 2010s, Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.
Subgenres:Bronx drill
Fusiongenres:Jersey club rap

Brooklyn drill is a regional subgenre of drill music, which is a subgenre of rap music. It centered in Brooklyn, New York, that began as derivative of the drill music scene in Chicago and later became derivative of UK drill with its 808 percussion and sliding notes by producers from the UK drill scene.[1] [2] [3] Brooklyn drill emerged around 2014 with the single "Hot Nigga" from the rapper Bobby Shmurda.[4] [5] Other early contributors were Rowdy Rebel, Bam Bino, Money Millz, Dah Dah and Curly Savv.[6]

In 2019, the subgenre was repopularized in the mainstream by rap artist, Pop Smoke.[7] [8] [9] With the success of his mixtapes, particularly the songs "Dior" and "Welcome to the Party", Pop Smoke introduced Brooklyn drill into the mainstream music industry.[10] [11] [12]

History

Brooklyn drill music first gained attention with the 2014 single "Hot Nigga" from the rapper Bobby Shmurda.[4] [5] Other early pioneers were rappers Bam Bino, Dah Dah and Curly Savv.[6] The genre is agreed to have been driven by 22Gz and Sheff G, largely scaling the potential of the movement.[13] The music became more popular and associated with UK drill production (from producers such as 808Melo, AXL Beats, and Ghosty) with the releases of 22Gz's "Suburban" in 2016 and Sheff G's "No Suburban" in 2017. Both songs went viral and were credited for the rise of Brooklyn drill.[14] [15]

Brooklyn drill music reached mainstream Billboard Hot 100 success with tracks from Pop Smoke ("Welcome to the Party", "Dior", and "Gatti") and Fivio Foreign ("Big Drip" and "Demons").[16] [17] [18] Pop Smoke was nominated for a 2021 Grammy Award for "Dior."[19] [20] [21] [22] [23] After Pop Smoke's 2020 murder in the Hollywood Hills, Brooklyn drill would continue to evolve.[24] [25] [26] [27] [28] With the groundwork Pop Smoke laid, the broader drill scene of Brooklyn began to emerge.[29] One example is Staten Island rapper CJ, whose hit song "Whoopty" is reminiscent of the Brooklyn drill sound.[30]

Characteristics

The Brooklyn drill sound is a combination of trap, Chicago drill and UK drill (the latter of which brings production influences from grime and UK garage).[31] Characteristic features of Brooklyn drill production include distorted 808 percussions with vocal sampling from other popular tracks.[32] [33] Brooklyn drill lyrics tend to be dark, violent, and street-oriented, often discussing gang-related topics.

Criticism

In 2022, some drew connections between the glorification of gun violence in the genre to real-world gun violence on the streets of New York that had resulted in the deaths of a number of young drill artists, mostly those with origins of Brooklyn and the Bronx.[34] [35] [36] [37] [38]

The same year, several prominent New York DJs said they would stop playing gang/diss records in response to the deaths of a growing number of young people involved in the drill scene. [39] [40] [41]

In February 2022, NYC mayor Eric Adams directed some venue promoters not to allow drill music to be performed at festivals in the city following the killing of 18-year-old rapper C-HII Wvttz.[42] Adams met with musicians for a conversation on how to approach concerns about drill culture's connections, if any, to gun violence. Artists at the meeting included Maino, Fivio Foreign, B-Lovee, CEO Slow, Bucksy Luciano and Bleezy.[43]

Bronx drill

Bronx drill
Cultural Origins:early 2010s, The Bronx, New York

Bronx drill[44] is a subgenre of Brooklyn drill music, which uses uncleared samples of older records instead of synthesizers like in Brooklyn drill.[45]

Bronx drill originated during the early 2020s in New York (most prominently, in The Bronx), where producers such as Cash Cobain, EPondabeat,[44] WAR,[44] EvilGiane,[44] and others, started re-using older funk and soul, and pop music songs to create modern yet nostalgic sound. A number of rappers subsequently joined the scene, most prominently, Kay Flock, B-Lovee, Ron Suno, DThang Gz, Jay5ive and others.[45]

The easily recognizable samples in Bronx drill are also said to increase its viral potential. Songs, such as B-Lovee's "My Everything" (sampling "Everything" by Mary J. Blige)[44] gained over 400,000 uses on TikTok and produced two remixes, featuring A Boogie wit da Hoodie and G Herbo. Another early TikTok viral Bronx drill hit was "Deep End Freestyle" (sampling Fousheé's "Deep End") by Brooklyn native Sleepy Hallow. Despite playing a huge role in genre's spread, Cash Cobain refused to acknowledge that Bronx drill musicians mostly do songs for TikTok.[45] EPondabeat, another producer involved in the scene, claimed that sampling in used for marketing purpose to invoke listener's relatability.[44]

Bronx drill rappers employ a variety of lyrical delivery styles, with those in the Bronx drill scene using a particularly aggressive style. "These little kids from the Bronx are wild. They on demon time. They're angrier with their shit," one producer said.[45]

Samples for Bronx drill come from a variety of sources and these sources may differ depending on producer. Bronx-based Cash Cobain mainly uses round-the-century contemporary R&B and hip hop music sources;[44] [46] meanwhile, EPondabeat, EvilGiane prefer to use soul music and funk recordings for sampling; other producers, such as WAR, do not limit themselves among sampling sources.[44]

Most Bronx drill songs are not granted clearance to sample other works until they've already gained popularity, with some artists saying they don't care to clear their samples at all.[45] [46]

Bronx drill, since its inception around 2020, already had a mainstream crossover, when Cardi B performed on "Shake It" by Kay Flock.[45] Bronx drill has also influenced Jersey drill sound[45] and more commercial drill sound, most particularly the influence can be heard on B.I.B.L.E. by Fivio Foreign, where he sampled "Say My Name" by Destiny's Child.[45]

The Bronx producer Cash Cobain has been described by Complex Music as inventing sexy drill which tones down the violent nature of drill, while still drawing on the sampling techniques. Cobain said, "I think everybody wants to feel good, party, and just feel sexy". Complex wrote that Cobain is "changing the sound of New York".[47]

Ice Spice and Kenzo B emerged from the Bronx drill scene.[48] [49]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Pierre. Alphonse. AXL Beats Is the London Rap Producer Bringing Brooklyn Drill to Drake and Travis Scott. 2020-08-10. Pitchfork. 30 January 2020. en-us. 2020-08-01. https://web.archive.org/web/20200801191023/https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/axl-beats-drake-travis-scott/. live.
  2. Web site: How Drake Ended Up Rapping on a Drill Beat: An Interview With "War" Producer AXL Beats. 2020-08-11. Complex. en. 2019-12-26. https://web.archive.org/web/20191226010742/https://www.complex.com/music/2019/12/drake-war-drill-producer-axl-beats-interview. live.
  3. Web site: Koku. Danielle. 2020-05-14. "We own the ball now": How UK producers set a new standard for drill. 2020-09-24. Mixmag. 2020-11-01. https://web.archive.org/web/20201101024302/https://mixmag.net/feature/uk-drill-producers-chicago-us-rap. live.
  4. 2019-11-21. Songs That Defined the Decade: Bobby Shmurda, 'Hot N---a'. 2020-08-11. Billboard.
  5. Web site: April 15, 2020. There's a New Hip-Hop Movement Brewing in New York, and Everybody Knows It. 2020-10-22. XXL Mag. en. 2020-12-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20201215041719/https://www.xxlmag.com/new-york-hip-hop-movement. live.
  6. Web site: How Brooklyn Drill Became the New Sound of New York. 2020-08-11. Complex.com. en. 2020-09-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20200915222946/http://story.complex.com/brooklyn-drill-the-new-sound-of-new-york/. dead.
  7. Web site: 22Gz, a Pioneer of Brooklyn Drill. 2020-08-10. Complex. en. 2020-07-18. https://web.archive.org/web/20200718154716/https://www.complex.com/music/22gz-interview-brooklyn-drill. live.
  8. Web site: Schwartz. Danny. 2020-02-20. Pop Smoke Should've Been New York's Next Great Rapper. 2020-08-10. The Ringer. en. 2020-10-30. https://web.archive.org/web/20201030170725/https://www.theringer.com/2020/2/20/21145662/pop-smoke-obituary-death-welcome-to-the-party-gatti-dior. live.
  9. Web site: XXL Staff. 2020-09-03. Pop Smoke Speaks on Brooklyn Drill, New New York Movement and His Place In It in One of His Final Interviews. 2020-09-24. XXL Mag. en. 2020-09-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20200915063435/https://www.xxlmag.com/pop-smoke-interview-brooklyn-drill/. live.
  10. News: 2020-02-28. The Death of Pop Smoke and the Future of Brooklyn Drill. en-US. The New York Times. 2020-08-10. 0362-4331. 2020-06-02. https://web.archive.org/web/20200602202257/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/28/arts/music/popcast-pop-smoke.html. live.
  11. Web site: Balsamini. Dean. 2020-05-23. Young up-and-coming NYC rapper KJ Balla killed in drive-by shooting. 2020-08-11. New York Post. en-US. 2020-06-03. https://web.archive.org/web/20200603175204/https://nypost.com/2020/05/23/one-killed-another-wounded-in-brooklyn-shooting/. live.
  12. Mamo. Heran. 2023-05-11. THE NEW 'PRINCESS' OF RAP: HOW ICE SPICE EXPLODED INTO STARDOM. 2023-05-21. Billboard. en-US.
  13. Web site: Setaro . Eric Skelton, Shawn . How Brooklyn Drill Became the New Sound of New York . 2022-12-13 . Complex.com . en . 2022-12-03 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221203024130/https://www.complex.com/music/brooklyn-drill-the-new-sound-of-new-york . live .
  14. Web site: Pierre. Alphonse. Sheff G Made Drill the Sound of Brooklyn. 2020-08-10. Pitchfork. May 2019. en-us. 2020-07-04. https://web.archive.org/web/20200704124615/https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/sheff-g-made-drill-the-sound-of-brooklyn/. live.
  15. Web site: Exploring The Trans-Atlantic Drill Connection. 2020-08-11. Clash Magazine. 31 July 2020. en. 2020-08-09. https://web.archive.org/web/20200809134628/https://www.clashmusic.com/features/exploring-the-trans-atlantic-drill-connection. live.
  16. News: Coscarelli. Joe. 2020-06-30. Pop Smoke Took Brooklyn Drill Global. Fivio Foreign Is Carrying the Torch.. en-US. The New York Times. 2020-08-10. 0362-4331. 2020-08-16. https://web.archive.org/web/20200816185226/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/30/arts/music/fivio-foreign-big-drip-brooklyn-drill.html. live.
  17. Pop Smoke. 2020-08-11. Billboard.
  18. 2019-10-18. Columbia Records Signs Brooklyn Rapper Fivio Foreign. 2020-08-11. Billboard.
  19. Web site: 2020-11-23. Pop Smoke. 2020-11-27. GRAMMY.com. en. 2021-01-16. https://web.archive.org/web/20210116004329/https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/pop-smoke/287444. live.
  20. Web site: William E.. Ketchum III. "It Should've Been Way Bigger": Pop Smoke's Label Boss Steven Victor Isn't Satisfied with One Grammy Nomination. 2020-11-27. GQ. 25 November 2020. en-us. 2020-12-01. https://web.archive.org/web/20201201193203/https://www.gq.com/story/pop-smoke-dior-grammy-nomination-steven-victor-interview. live.
  21. Web site: Pop Smoke's "Shoot For The Stars Aim For The Moon" Hits New Sales Milestone. 2020-11-27. HotNewHipHop. 21 November 2020. en. 2020-11-28. https://web.archive.org/web/20201128141725/http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/pop-smokes-shoot-for-the-stars-aim-for-the-moon-hits-new-sales-milestone-news.121647.html. live.
  22. Pop Smoke's 'Shoot for the Stars' Has Most Weeks at No. 1 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Since 2012. 2020-11-27. Billboard.
  23. Web site: Holmes. Charles. 2020-11-24. The Grammys Weren't Built for a Black Revolution. 2020-11-27. The Ringer. 2020-11-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20201127230431/https://www.theringer.com/music/2020/11/24/21710346/grammys-nominations-pop-smoke-lil-baby-rap. live.
  24. Web site: Sodomsky. Sam. Pop Smoke Shot Dead at 20. 2020-08-10. Pitchfork. 19 February 2020. en-us. 2021-01-22. https://web.archive.org/web/20210122195108/https://pitchfork.com/news/pop-smoke-shot-dead-at-20-report/. live.
  25. Web site: 2020-02-19. Rapper Pop Smoke gunned down in Hollywood Hills home. 2020-08-10. Los Angeles Times. en-US. 2020-02-19. https://web.archive.org/web/20200219190217/https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-02-19/up-and-coming-rapper-pop-smoke-killed-in-hollywood-hills-home-by-masked-gunmen-police-say. live.
  26. Web site: 2020-02-19. Rapper Pop Smoke slain in Hollywood Hills, reports say. 2020-08-10. Las Vegas Review-Journal. en-US. 2020-02-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20200220193430/https://www.reviewjournal.com/entertainment/music/rapper-pop-smoke-slain-in-hollywood-hills-reports-say-1960889/. live.
  27. Web site: Strauss. Matthew. 5 Arrested in Connection With Pop Smoke's Murder. 2020-08-10. Pitchfork. 9 July 2020. en-us. 2020-08-08. https://web.archive.org/web/20200808233805/https://pitchfork.com/news/5-arrested-in-connection-with-pop-smoke-murder-report/. live.
  28. Battan. Carrie. The Rallying Cry in Pop Smoke's Posthumous Album. 2020-08-10. The New Yorker. en-us.
  29. Web site: 2020-09-26. How Pop Smoke Shaped New York's Drill Rap Scene. 2020-11-27. GRAMMY.com. 2020-10-09. https://web.archive.org/web/20201009115219/https://www.grammy.com/grammys/news/how-pop-smoke-shaped-new-yorks-drill-rap-scene-well-afterlife. live.
  30. Web site: Seabrook III. Robby. November 25, 2020. The Break Presents: CJ. 2020-11-27. XXL. 2020-11-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20201127110024/https://www.xxlmag.com/cj-interview-the-break/. live.
  31. Web site: 2020-03-17. Remembering Pop Smoke, the US rapper who introduced the UK drill sound to New York. 2020-10-27. The Independent. en. 2020-03-16. https://web.archive.org/web/20200316125517/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/pop-smoke-death-shooting-rapper-hip-hop-drill-music-new-york-age-cause-a9358366.html. live.
  32. Web site: Pop Smoke's Legacy and the Sound of Brooklyn Rap. 2020-08-10. Pitchfork. 17 July 2020. en. 2020-08-10. https://web.archive.org/web/20200810033104/https://pitchfork.com/features/podcast/pop-smokes-legacy-and-the-sound-of-brooklyn-rap/. live.
  33. Web site: Barshad. Amos. 2020-07-01. After Pop Smoke's death, can UK drill producers maintain their US success?. 2020-08-11. The Guardian. en. 2020-08-12. https://web.archive.org/web/20200812182834/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/jul/01/up-in-smoke-can-uk-drill-producers-maintain-their-us-success-pop-smoke-killing-drake-travis-scott. live.
  34. Web site: Rapper TDott Woo fatally shot in Brooklyn after signing with record label. February 3, 2022. February 8, 2022. February 8, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220208184706/https://nypost.com/2022/02/03/nyc-rapper-tdott-woo-fatally-shot-in-brooklyn-after-signing-with-record-label/. live.
  35. Web site: Drill rapper killed in Brooklyn, 2nd in a week. February 7, 2022. FOX 5 NY. February 8, 2022. February 8, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220208183058/https://www.fox5ny.com/news/drill-rapper-killed-in-brooklyn-2nd-in-a-week. live.
  36. News: N.Y.C. Rapper Tdott Woo Fatally Shot in Brooklyn Hours After Signing Record Contract. Dan. Heching. People. 2022-02-08. 2022-02-08. https://web.archive.org/web/20220208183101/https://people.com/crime/nyc-rapper-tdott-woo-fatally-shot-in-brooklyn-hours-after-signing-record-contract/. live.
  37. Web site: NYC drill rap music scene eyed by NYPD as fuel for spate of gun violence. MSN. 2022-02-08. 2022-02-08. https://web.archive.org/web/20220208183100/https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/nyc-drill-rap-music-scene-eyed-by-nypd-as-fuel-for-spate-of-gun-violence/ar-AATzm68. live.
  38. Web site: Teen Rapper C Blu Back In Jail Days After Posting $250K Bond For Attempted Murder. February 4, 2022. HipHopDX. February 8, 2022. February 8, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220208183059/https://hiphopdx.com/news/id.67808/title.teen-rapper-c-blu-back-in-jail-days-after-posting-250k-bond-for-attempted-murder. live.
  39. Web site: Hot 97's DJ Drewski Will No Longer Play Gang Music: 'We R Losing Too Many Young Men and Women to the Streets'. Complex Networks. 2022-02-08. 2022-02-08. https://web.archive.org/web/20220208183307/https://www.complex.com/music/hot-97-dj-drewski-vows-not-to-play-diss-gang-music-on-radio. live.
  40. Web site: Hot 97's DJ Drewski Pulls Plug On Gang Diss Music Following Tdott Woo + Nas Blixky Shootings. February 2, 2022. HipHopDX. February 8, 2022. February 8, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220208183430/https://hiphopdx.com/news/id.67734/title.hot-97s-dj-drewski-pulls-plug-on-gang-diss-music-following-tdott-woo-nas-blixky-shootings. live.
  41. Web site: Why Violent Diss Songs Are Getting Pulled From New York Radio. Complex. 2022-02-16. 2022-02-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20220215233848/https://www.complex.com/music/violent-diss-songs-pulled-new-york-radio/. live.
  42. Web site: Kaplan . Michael . Hamilton . Brad . 2022-02-16 . Inside drill rap, the ultra-violent genre NYC's mayor wants to shut down . 2022-07-20 . New York Post . en-US . 2022-07-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220720162912/https://nypost.com/2022/02/16/inside-drill-rap-the-genre-nycs-mayor-wants-to-shut-down/ . live .
  43. Mayor Takes Late-Night Meeting With 'Drill' Rappers, Promises Violence Solutions https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/mayor-takes-late-night-meeting-with-drill-rappers-promises-violence-solutions/3556598
  44. Web site: How Sample Drill Is Leading One Of Rap's Most Bizarre Sampling Eras. Abe. Beame. 2022. Okayplayer. 2022-07-19. 2022-10-09. https://web.archive.org/web/20221009055130/https://www.okayplayer.com/music/what-is-sample-drill-new-york-drill-samples-producers.html. live.
  45. Web site: Sample Drill Is Taking Over New York Rap. Jordan. Rose. May 3, 2022. Complex. July 19, 2022. October 9, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221009055129/https://www.complex.com/music/sample-drill-taking-over-new-york-rap/where. live.
  46. Web site: A Beginner's Guide To NYC Sample Drill. Seamus. Fay. May 10, 2021. Lyrical Lemonade. July 19, 2022. July 19, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220719230632/https://lyricallemonade.com/p/a-beginners-guide-to-nyc-sample-drill. live.
  47. Web site: How Cash Cobain is Reinventing the Sound of New York with Hits Like "Fisherrr" . .
  48. News: Ice Spice Broke Out With 'Munch.' Rap's New Princess Is Just Warming Up. The New York Times. 20 January 2023. Caramanica. Jon.
  49. News: Pierre . Alphonse . These Women Rappers Are Busting Up New York Drill's Boys' Club . Pitchfork . May 20, 2022.

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