Studio Practice: OUGD505 - SB1 micro genre choice

After searching through the website Everynoise.com for different sub-genres of music, the one that was most appealing was UK Drill music. This sub-genre of UK rap emerged after being inspired by 'drill', which originated in Chicago, USA. Starting off with the origins of drill, the genre can be traced back to the early 2010s, when rappers such as Chief Keef, Lil Dirk and Fredo Santana became prominent figures in the then underground style of rap. Around mid-2012 is when drill music began to gain mainstream popularity, with sites such as Youtube and Soundcloud being used as a platform to share the songs.

http://www.everynoise.com/engenremap.html

Origins
Influenced mostly by gangster rap, this form of 'trap' music was another emerging sub-genre which focused on violent nature, nihilistic lyrics and gang culture among young people living in Chicago. The most notable characteristic of drill, which separate it from mainstream rap, was that it focused mostly on the gritty and realistic depictions of life on the streets of Chicago. Drill is known to have emerged from the poorer districts of Chicago, including Englewood, Chatham and Riverdale. This is likely due to the high levels of crime in these areas, in particularly gang affiliated crimes, including murder.

Rapper Keith Farrelle Cozart (Chief Keef)

https://lastfm-img2.akamaized.net/i/u/770x0/66b9c512293f4f8a87ec8ab79bd4067e.jpg

Drill music often uses 60 - 70 beats per minute, which is slower in comparison with trap music. However some producers often use double tempo, working at 130 - 140 beats per minute. Drill music has also attracted media attention in the past, having been criticised for its 'glorification' of violence, criminal themes and its influence on listeners. Following several feuds in Chicago, drill music has also been used as a platform for rappers to taunt one another through 'diss tracks'. In rare cases, some of the tracks featuring taunts have ended in violence between gangs and even killings. This link between music and violence is what critics of the genre believe is having a negative affect on the listeners. The word drill is often associated with an automatic weapon, but has also been used as a term that refers to fighting and retaliating. This is evidence that drill involves the rivalry and retaliation between two oppositions.

Over the last 8 years drill music from Chicago has inspired rappers in the UK to create their own take on the genre. In South London, there are several areas, predominantly Brixton, which took a liking to this style and adapted it to become UK drill. The reason for this is likely because many people who listened to Chicago drill could relate to the lyrical content in their own way.

Characteristics of drill
Like many existing sub-genres of UK hiphop, UK drill uses a wide range of slang terms to communicate their opinions. This is a combination of British slang mixed with Caribbean and African dialect. Much like the drill found in Chicago, it also uses a rebellious tone and as a result has garnered negative attention from the police and the media. Although this sub-genre is popular around the UK, it has not yet reached mainstream heights to which the songs are among popular charts. After looking at several reports on the rise of drill in the UK, it is clear that the main platform for this genre is Youtube. Channels such as SBTV, Mixtape Madness and Pressplay Media are the most popular for artists to share their music. The videos that are uploaded on these channels are then judged based on their lyric content by viewers, similar to how a talent show would showcase potential talents and the more attention they receive from the audience the more likely they are to continue showing their talent.

Through this process many talented rappers and rap groups have emerged as prominent figures in the genre. This includes 67, Loski, Harlem Spartans, Abracadabra and 410. Their style of rapping has set a cornerstone in the genre for other artists to follow and be inspired by. This includes their flow, lyrical content and attitude toward the art form.