UK drill is a subgenre of drill music and road rap that originated in the South London district of Brixton from 2014 onwards. Borrowing heavily from the style of Chicago drill music, UK drill artists often rap about violent and hedonistic criminal lifestyles. Typically, those that create this style of music are affiliated with gangs or come from socioeconomically-deprived neighborhoods where crime is a way of life for many. UK drill music is heavily related to road rap
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UK drill is a subgenre of drill music and road rap that originated in the South London district of Brixton from 2014 onwards. Borrowing heavily from the style of Chicago drill music, UK drill artists often rap about violent and hedonistic criminal lifestyles. Typically, those that create this style of music are affiliated with gangs or come from socioeconomically-deprived neighborhoods where crime is a way of life for many. UK drill music is heavily related to road rap, a British style of gangsta rap that became popular in the years prior to the existence of drill. Musically, UK drill often exhibits violent language, variety of lyrical delivery, and the fierce rivalries that came with it. Notable pioneers include the crews 150, 67, 410 and 86 (all based in or around Brixton). Since 2016, more modern groups have emerged such as 814, Silwood Nation, Y67, Zone 2, BSide, Moscow 17, 1011, 12World, SMG, OFB, NPK and the increasingly popular Harlem Spartans. UK drill groups relied on internet platforms to distribute their music, particularly on YouTube, where platforms such as Link up TV, GRM Daily, SB.TV, Mixtape Madness, PacMan TV and Pressplay Media have helped various groups amass thousands, sometimes millions, of views.
UK drill also takes influence from earlier British genres such as grime and UK garage, (so much so that it has been called "New Grime" and drill producer Carns Hill has commented that it needs a new name) with a similar 140 bpm unseen in American drill. Unlike American drill, autotune is all but absent from its British counterpart. Whilst Chief Keef uses his mournful voice as an instrument, British drill rappers have a much harsher, stripped-back delivery indebted to grime and earlier road rap. UK drill rappers have also taken on a more allusive, ironic lyrical style.
The genre has been blamed by some for a climb in knife crime within London due to its violent content. One example, 17 year old rapper M-Trap, aka Junior Simpson, had written lyrics about violent knife crime. He would later be found guilty of stabbing 15-year-old Jermaine Goupall to death; giving him a life sentence. Judge Anthony Leonard QC told Simpson: “You suggested [the lyrics] were just for show but I do not believe that, and I suspect you were waiting for the right opportunity for an attack.” Another example being rapper Lynch who was jailed for 27 years after a series of shootings. His music videos were he boasted about shooting people, including a 16 year old who was paralysed as a result, was used as key evidence in his trial.
A notable activity popularized among UK drill fans is speculating on social media about which drill artist has been sent to prison or what info can be gathered about which "GM" (gang member) has been violated by whom, adding to what is known as the “scoreboard” (how many people a particular group have collectively stabbed).
UK drill groups often engage in disputes with each other, sometimes violent, often releasing multiple diss tracks. Notable disputes include Zone 2 versus Moscow 17, 150 versus 67, OFB/NPK versus WG/N9 and SMG versus 814 (a member of 814, Showkey, was stabbed to death in 2016 in an unrelated incident).
UK drill received significant attention outside the UK in 2017 when comedian Michael Dapaah released the novelty song "Man's Not Hot". The track samples a beat made by UK drill producers GottiOnEm and Mazza; it was first used by drill group 86 on its song "Lurk", and later 67 with "Let's Lurk" featuring Giggs.
