UK drill

UK drill developed a different production style than the most common Chicago beat patterns, albeit still based on Chicago drill styles originally pioneered by DJ L, a Chicago producer who collaborated with rapper G Herbo in the early Chicago scene.Jaimie Hodgson, 25 lug 2023 [https://www.vice.com/en/article/secret-history-drill-music/ "The Secret History of Drill"], Vice, If you look at the titles of UK beats from five or six years ago, they all said things like: ‘Lil Herb / G Herbo-style UK drill beat’, so that is [referencing] DJ L.... DJ L's pioneering drill sound was forged from a similarly simple recipe .... Ian McQuaid, the co-founder of UK label MOVES Recordings, has observed the cultural chords that were struck by DJ L’s imported sonics in the UK. .... With UK drill’s eventual mainstream crossover, DJ L’s signature formula has ended up as a familiar commercial radio backdrop around the world. The genre also took influence from earlier British genres such as grime and UK garage; in an interview with Complex, Jammer noted that "without grime...there would be no UK drill."{{Cite web|url=https://www.complex.com/music/jammer-neron-power-top-producer-interview|title=Jammer: "All Of Today's UK Street Music Has The Energy Of Grime"|first=James|last=Keith|date=24 January 2022|publisher=Complex Networks|access-date=24 January 2022}} Drill producer Mazza noted that both drill and grime share a similar rawness and energy, despite the two genres remaining distinct from each other. Drill producer Carns Hill, alongside several drill rappers, noted that UK drill should probably have a "new name" to distinguish it from the original Chicago drill sound.{{Cite news|date=25 July 2016|title=Meet Mazza : The Producer Taking Drill to a New Level|url=https://theblackscotsman.wordpress.com/2016/07/25/meet-mazza/|url-status=live|access-date=2018-03-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180319084854/https://theblackscotsman.wordpress.com/2016/07/25/meet-mazza/|archive-date=2018-03-19}}{{Cite journal|url=https://repub.eur.nl/pub/132478/|title=Cappen voor Clout?|first1=Robby|last1=Roks|first2=Jeroen|last2=van den Broek|date=10 December 2020|website=repub.eur.nl|language=nl|access-date=12 December 2021}} UK drill is generally more fast-paced compared to its Chicago counterpart. UK drill beats are generally structured around an contrast to the typical trap/Chicago drill beat, the hi-hats have moved from on-beat and triplet subdivisions to a steady 3+3+2 polyrhythm, hi-hat pattern, with snares landing on the fourth beat instead of the third every 2 bars. Instrumentals often also have a sliding bass, hard hitting kicks, and dark melodies. AXL Beats explained that the 808s and fast-tempo snares in UK drill are derivative of grime music.{{Cite web|title=UK Drill: Should the rap genre change its name?|url=https://www.capitalxtra.com/features/uk-drill-name-change-genre-us-comparison/|website=Capital XTRA|access-date=2020-04-15|archive-date=10 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210410063859/https://www.capitalxtra.com/features/uk-drill-name-change-genre-us-comparison/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|title=How Drake Ended Up Rapping on a Drill Beat: An Interview With "War" Producer AXL Beats|url=https://www.complex.com/music/2019/12/drake-war-drill-producer-axl-beats-interview|website=Complex|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191226010742/https://www.complex.com/music/2019/12/drake-war-drill-producer-axl-beats-interview|archive-date=2019-12-26|access-date=2019-12-26}} Both genres typically use a tempo of approximately 138–151 beats per minute.{{Cite web|title=Get Familiar With UK Drill, the New Sound Exploding on the Streets of London|url=https://www.complex.com/pigeons-and-planes/2018/01/uk-drill-sl-harlem-spartans-67-essay|website=Complex|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190611131706/https://www.complex.com/pigeons-and-planes/2018/01/uk-drill-sl-harlem-spartans-67-essay|archive-date=2019-06-11|access-date=2019-06-11}}{{Cite news|date=27 April 2017|title=From Chicago to Brixton: The Surprising Rise of UK Drill|work=FACT Magazine: Music News, New Music.|url=http://www.factmag.com/2017/04/27/uk-drill-chicago-brixton/|url-status=live|access-date=2018-03-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180324130941/http://www.factmag.com/2017/04/27/uk-drill-chicago-brixton/|archive-date=2018-03-24}}The use of British slang, intricate lyrical flows, and elements of social commentary further help distinguish UK drill from its Chicago and Brooklyn counterparts, which are often characterised by a more aggressive, stream-of-consciousness style. As referenced in the book What Do You Call It? From Grassroots to the Golden Era of UK Rap (2024),{{Cite book |last=Kane |first=David |title=What Do You Call It? From Grassroots to the Golden Era of UK Rap |publisher=Velocity Press |year=2024 |isbn=978-1-913231-61-3 |url=https://velocitypress.uk/product/what-do-you-call-it-book/}} UK drill also developed its own distinct visual identity, shaped in part by economic realities. As Brixton-based rapper Skengdo explained: "The Chicago lot had True Religion jeans, Timberlands, they were all swagger. But coming up as 15–16-year-olds in the ends, not everyone can afford expensive brands. So [we’re wearing] Nike tracksuits and Tech hoodies in the video."

Censorship of UK drill lyrics through vocal cuts and mutes is sometimes done to avoid them being used during their prosecution by the police;{{Cite web|date=22 June 2018|title=The war against rap: censoring drill may seem radical but it's not new|url=http://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/jun/22/the-war-against-rap-censoring-drill-may-seem-radical-but-its-not-new|access-date=2022-01-25|website=theguardian.com|first=Dan|last=Hancox|language=en}} for example, "shh" is used in songs to replace the names of people, weapons and criminal acts.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0cb8DwAAQBAJ|title=Neon Screams: How Drill, Trap and Bashment Made Music New Again|first=Kit|last=Mackintosh|date=2021|publisher=Watkins Media Limited |isbn=9781913462475|access-date=2 March 2022}}

150 (now known as GBG), a group from the Angell Town Estate in Brixton, is often credited with pioneering UK drill music, with 150 members Stickz, M Dargg and Grizzy (stylized as GR1ZZY) being dedicated exponents of the early style. 67 is often credited for shifting the sound away from the Chicago influences it seemed to heavily draw inspiration from in its early days and foundation and for forming a more homegrown sound.{{Cite news|title=UK drill FAQ: History, facts & future of the rap genre|work=Red Bull|url=https://www.redbull.com/gb-en/uk-drill-FAQ-history-artists-and-future|url-status=live|access-date=14 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190806213411/https://www.redbull.com/gb-en/uk-drill-FAQ-history-artists-and-future|archive-date=6 August 2019}} Producers Carns Hill (who crafted instrumentals for many of 67's early songs) and QUIETPVCK (who worked closely by 150 and 410 members in their early era) are widely considered to be two of the main pioneering producers of the genre with their unique and innovative alternatives to the Chicago drill sound.{{cite news|date=12 October 2017|title=According To UK Rap Producer Carns Hill, His 'Drill' Sound Happened Almost By Accident|work=Complex|url=https://www.complex.com/music/2017/10/carns-hill-trench-interview|url-status=live|access-date=15 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190815102708/https://www.complex.com/music/2017/10/carns-hill-trench-interview|archive-date=15 August 2019}}

An article from VICE divided the history of UK drill into 3 phases; the first of these phases, which lasted from 2014 to 2018, resulted in drill becoming "its own distinctly British entity", with the phase peaking in 2016 following the release of "Let's Lurk" by 67, featuring Giggs. Given that the genre was "locked out" of the mainstream music industry due to its uncensored nature, music videos became a major player in the genre's circulation.{{Cite web|url=https://djmag.com/longreads/how-uk-drill%E2%80%99s-filmmakers-are-driving-its-thriving-scene|title=How UK drill's filmmakers are driving its thriving scene|first=Ethan|last=Herlock|date=1 May 2020|website=djmag.com|access-date=18 January 2022}} Its uncensored nature also resulted in Form 696 being used to cancel shows by drill artists.{{Cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/third-phase-uk-drill/|title=The Third Phase of UK Drill Is Here|first=Abubakar|last=Finiin|date=1 May 2020|publisher=Vice|access-date=17 December 2021}} In early 2017, "Kennington Where It Started" was released by the Harlem Spartans, considered by fans to have turned UK drill from an underground genre into a mainstream one.{{Cite web|url=https://www.acrosstheculture.com/media/music/history-drill-music/|title=A Brief History of Drill Music, Globally|first=Zander|last=Tsadwa|date=8 September 2020|work=Across the Culture|access-date=12 April 2022}}

In 2018, members of 1011 (now known as CGM), including Digga D, were given a court order that banned them from making music without police permission; in addition, they couldn't mention death or injury, including the death of Abdullahi Tarabi, and had to notify police in advance of any song releases or performances. Kevin Southworth, Detective Chief Superintendent, noted that it was "one of the first times" that such an order was made. The order was condemned by Index on Censorship.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/jun/15/london-drill-rap-gang-banned-from-making-music-due-to-threat-of-violence|title=London drill rap group banned from making music due to threat of violence|first=Ian|last=Cobain|date=15 June 2018|work=The Guardian|access-date=12 April 2022}}

In 2019, Skengdo & AM, members of drill group 410, were handed a 9-month suspended sentence, suspended for 2 years, for breaching a gang injunction.{{Cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/drill-rappers-skengdo-and-am-given-suspended-jail-sentence-a4043391.html|title=Skengdo and AM sentenced: Brixton drill rappers handed suspended sentences for breaching gang injunction|first=Olivia|last=Tobin|date=18 January 2019|website=standard.co.uk|access-date=17 December 2021}} According to The Guardian, the injunction, which lasted until January 2021, prevented Skengdo & AM, as well as 2 other members of 410, from entering the SE11 postcode, as well as prohibiting them from performing songs that had lyrics mentioning rival crews, their rappers or any mentions to them entering the territory of other groups.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/jan/31/skengdo-and-am-the-drill-rappers-sentenced-for-playing-their-song|title=Skengdo and AM: the drill rappers sentenced for playing their song|first=Dan|last=Hancox|date=31 January 2019|work=The Guardian|access-date=13 April 2022}} The sentence resulted in a letter being signed by 65 people that was addressed to the Metropolitan Police, calling upon them to stop issuing gang injunctions and stating that musicians should be given the rights of freedom of speech and creative expression.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/law/2019/feb/03/stop-criminalising-our-musicians|title=Stop criminalising our musicians|date=3 February 2019|website=The Guardian|access-date=17 December 2021}}

In March 2025 Eddy Frankel, reviewing in The Guardian the art installation on drill music Anti-Blackness Is Bad, Even the Parts That We Like by RIP Germain, said that the UK drill scene was dead as so many singers were in prison—the installation depicted 42 rappers, all in prison.{{cite web | title=R.I.P. Germain - Anti-Blackness Is Bad, Even The Parts That We Like|publisher=Cabinet| date=13 March 2025 | url=https://www.cabinet.uk.com/rip-germain-2025}}{{cite web | last=Frankel | first=Eddy | title='The drill scene was dead. They'd locked everyone up': RIP Germain on his shocking coffin installation | newspaper=The Guardian | date=20 March 2025 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2025/mar/20/rip-germain-show-uk-drill-coffin-installation-cabinet-london}}

UK drill received widespread attention outside of Britain in 2017, when comedian Michael Dapaah released the novelty song "Man's Not Hot" under the name "Big Shaq" or "Roadman Shaq". The track sampled a beat made by UK drill producers GottiOnEm and Mazza; it was first used by drill group 86 on its song "Lurk", and, later on, 67 on "Let's Lurk" featuring Giggs.{{Cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/a3m7nk/uk-drill-holiday-guide|title=A Guide to Explaining UK Drill to Your Family Over the Holidays|last1=Bassil|first1=Ryan|last2=Mokoena|first2=Tshepo|date=20 December 2018|website=Vice|access-date=2019-08-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190807014009/https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/a3m7nk/uk-drill-holiday-guide|archive-date=7 August 2019|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|url=https://i-d.co/article/welcome-to-the-golden-age-of-drill/|title=welcome to the golden age of drill|last1=McQuaid|first1=Ian|last2=Lanigan|first2=Roisin|date=21 June 2019|website=I-D|access-date=2019-08-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190802213148/https://i-d.vice.com/en_uk/article/bj9378/welcome-to-the-golden-age-of-drill|archive-date=2 August 2019|url-status=live}}

Unknown T's song "Homerton B" charted on the Official Singles Chart after its August 2018 release, becoming the first UK drill single to do so. The song entered at number 83 on the chart on 28 August 2018, then peaked at 48 in September 2018.{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/54130/unknown-t/|work=Official Charts Company (OCC)|title=UNKNOWN T – full Official Chart History – Official Charts Company|date=11 July 2019|access-date=6 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190322042536/https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/54130/unknown-t/|archive-date=22 March 2019|url-status=live}}

UK drill group 67 had two entries into the official charts; however, unlike "Homerton B", the entries were on the albums chart and not the singles chart. They reached number 66 in the Official Albums Chart with the mixtape Let's Lurk and number 71 with the mixtape The Glorious Twelfth.{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/48446/67/|work=Official Charts Company (OCC)|title=67 – full Official Chart History – Official Charts Company|date=11 July 2019|access-date=6 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412123821/https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/48446/67/|archive-date=12 April 2019|url-status=live}} Although considered a predominantly trap-based album that implemented some drill features and elements, Section Boyz's mixtape Don't Panic reached number 37 in the UK Albums Chart, later peaking at number 36 in 2015.{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/48395/section-boyz/|work=Official Charts Company (OCC)|title=SECTION BOYZ – full Official Chart History – Official Charts Company|date=11 July 2019|access-date=14 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190602000326/https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/48395/section-boyz/|archive-date=2 June 2019|url-status=live}}

Canadian musician Drake did a "Behind Barz" freestyle for Link Up TV in 2018, where he rapped over a UK drill beat. Drake also credited UK drill artist Loski as an influence for his 2018 album, Scorpion.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/jul/19/why-drake-fell-in-love-with-the-uk-and-vice-versa|title=Why Drake fell in love with the UK (and vice versa)|last=Beaumont-Thomas|first=Ben|date=19 July 2018|work=The Guardian|access-date=2019-12-25|issn=0261-3077|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191120015143/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/jul/19/why-drake-fell-in-love-with-the-uk-and-vice-versa|archive-date=20 November 2019|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://heartafact.com/drake-is-officially-a-uk-citizen/|title=Drake is officially a UK Citizen|date=17 April 2019|website=Heartafact|access-date=2019-12-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191225051823/https://heartafact.com/drake-is-officially-a-uk-citizen/|archive-date=25 December 2019|url-status=live}} In 2019, Drake released "War"; the song used UK drill's production style and was produced by British producer AXL Beats.{{Cite web|url=https://versus.uk.com/2019/12/drake-uk-drill-new-freestyle-track-war/|title=Drake Is Doing up UK Drill on New Freestyle Track "War"|date=24 December 2019|website=VERSUS|access-date=2019-12-25|archive-date=23 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210923231541/https://versus.uk.com/2019/12/drake-uk-drill-new-freestyle-track-war/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.complex.com/music/2019/12/drake-new-song-war-biggest-takeaways|title=5 Biggest Takeaways From Drake's New Song "War"|website=Complex|access-date=2019-12-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191224214544/https://www.complex.com/music/2019/12/drake-new-song-war-biggest-takeaways|archive-date=24 December 2019|url-status=live}} Drake's flow in both instances was reminiscent of UK drill artists.

In 2020, DigDat released Ei8ht Mile. The mixtape scored the biggest opening week for a UK drill album at the time, opening at number 12.{{Cite web|url=https://www.plugsville.com/digdat-ei8ht-mile-uk-drill-album-biggest-opening-week/|title=DigDat Secures Biggest Opening Week For A UK Drill Album With 'Ei8ht Mile'|date=25 January 2020|website=plugsville.com|access-date=10 December 2021}} The same year, Skengdo & AM released EU Drillas, a collaborative project that featured drill artists from across Europe;{{Cite web|title=Skengdo X AM – 'EU Drillas' review|url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/album/skengdo-x-am-eu-drillas-review-2612948|date=24 February 2020|website=NME Music News, Reviews, Videos, Galleries, Tickets and Blogs {{!}} NME.COM|access-date=2020-05-01|archive-date=7 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807005608/https://www.nme.com/reviews/album/skengdo-x-am-eu-drillas-review-2612948|url-status=live}} in addition, Headie One released "Only You Freestyle" with Drake, which peaked at number 5 on the UK Singles Chart.{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/joel-corry-and-mnek-hold-on-to-number-1-with-head-and-heart-on-the-official-singles-chart__30659/|title=Joel Corry and MNEK hold on to Number 1 with Head and Heart on the Official Singles Chart|first=Helen|last=Ainsley|date=31 July 2020|website=officialcharts.com|access-date=6 May 2022}} Towards the end of the year, he released Edna, which debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart,{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/headie-one-s-edna-debuts-at-number-1-on-the-official-albums-chart__31256/|title=Headie One's Edna debuts at Number 1 on the Official Albums Chart|first=Rob|last=Copsey|date=16 October 2020|website=officialcharts.com|access-date=6 May 2022}} becoming the first UK drill album to do so.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mancunianmatters.co.uk/entertainment/21112021-gig-review-headie-one-uk-tour-edna-at-manchester-academy/|title=Gig Review: Headie One UK tour Edna at Manchester Academy|first=Robyn|last=Fawcett|date=21 November 2021|work=Mancunian Matters|access-date=22 June 2022}}

In 2021, Digga D's mixtape Made in the Pyrex peaked at number three on the UK Albums Chart, becoming the highest-charting UK drill mixtape at the time.{{Cite news |last=Ainsley |first=Helen |date=5 March 2021 |title=Architects secure first Number 1 with For Those That Wish To Exist |work=Official Charts Company |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/architects-win-close-battle-to-secure-their-first-number-1-album-with-for-those-that-wish-to-exist-it-s-unbelievable-__32616/ |access-date=17 July 2021 |archive-date=17 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210717203324/https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/architects-win-close-battle-to-secure-their-first-number-1-album-with-for-those-that-wish-to-exist-it-s-unbelievable-__32616/ |url-status=live }} In the same year, Tion Wayne and Russ Millions released "Body", becoming the first UK drill song to reach Number 1 on the UK Singles Chart.{{Cite web|title=Tion Wayne and Russ Millions' Body is first drill song to go to UK No 1|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/may/07/tion-wayne-and-russ-millions-body-is-first-drill-song-to-go-to-uk-no-1|date=21 May 2021|website=The Guardian {{!}} TheGuardian.com|access-date=2021-05-09|archive-date=9 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210509191741/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/may/07/tion-wayne-and-russ-millions-body-is-first-drill-song-to-go-to-uk-no-1|url-status=live}}

Though the genre originated in London, it is not restricted to London alone as the genre's sole production hub in terms of emerging talents and dissemination of the sound. Artists around the country have appeared and become prominent creators within the scene, such as SmuggzyAce and S.White of Birmingham group 23 Drillas and SV of Nottingham.{{Cite news|url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/watch-23-drillas-rappers-taunt-15176772|title=23 Drillas rappers taunt armed police after gangsters jailed|date=24 September 2018|access-date=2019-04-27|website=Birmingham Mail|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190427133823/https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/watch-23-drillas-rappers-taunt-15176772|archive-date=27 April 2019|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.mixtapemadness.com/blog/music/mm-exclusive-nottingham-native-sv-returns-with-menacing-drill-track-known|title=MM Exclusive: Nottingham native SV returns with menacing drill track 'Known'|first=Casey|last=Dorney|date=17 June 2021|website=mixtapemadness.com|access-date=17 December 2021}}

UK drill has spread outside of the United Kingdom, with artists and groups in other countries rapping in styles and using slang terms heavily influenced by UK drill music, and using UK drill instrumentals produced by British producers. Ireland, the Netherlands, and Australia in particular have developed drill scenes that are heavily indebted to UK drill music, with artists such as OneFour in Australia,{{Cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/behind-the-scenes-with-onefour-australias-first-drill-rappers/|title=Behind The Scenes With OneFour: Australia's First Drill Rappers|last1=Fazal|first1=Mahmood|last2=Butler|first2=Gavin|date=1 August 2019|website=Vice|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190807011410/https://www.vice.com/en_au/article/a3x58j/behind-the-scenes-with-onefour-australias-first-drill-rappers|archive-date=2019-08-07|access-date=2019-08-07}} Offica and A92 in Ireland,{{Cite web|url=https://djmag.com/longreads/rise-irish-drill-reggie-ac130-cubez-lukefly-kid-spyral-offica-a92-sello|title=The rise of Irish drill|first=Robert|last=Kazandjian|date=15 June 2021|work=DJ Mag|access-date=5 May 2022}} and 73 De Pijp from The Netherlands.{{cite web|url=https://www.parool.nl/gs-b71f546d|title=De opkomst van Amsterdamse drillrap: 'Er is een overlap met criminaliteit'|last=Vugts|first=Paul|date=27 December 2019|website=Het Parool|language=nl-NL|access-date=2020-01-14}} In addition, artists in Spain making drill music have also taken on influence by its British counterpart, with various references and similar production to UK drill; Spanish drill artists include 970Block{{Cite web|url=https://trenchtrenchtrench.com/features/drillers-without-borders-5-drill-scenes-flourishing-outside-of-the-uk|title=Drillers Without Borders|website=trenchtrenchtrench.com|access-date=2019-08-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190807011411/https://trenchtrenchtrench.com/features/drillers-without-borders-5-drill-scenes-flourishing-outside-of-the-uk|archive-date=7 August 2019|url-status=live}} and Skinny Flex.{{Cite web|url=https://djmag.com/longreads/meet-mc-leiti-sene|title=Meet The MC: Leïti Sène|first=Robert|last=Kazandjian|date=7 October 2021|website=djmag.com|access-date=13 December 2021}} Other countries with UK drill-inspired scenes include Ghana and France.{{Cite web|url=https://www.stereogum.com/2158536/tion-wayne-takes-london-drill-worldwide/columns/status-aint-hood/|title=Tion Wayne Takes London Drill Worldwide|first=Tom|last=Breihan|date=25 August 2021|publisher=Stereogum|access-date=24 January 2022}}

Brooklyn drill music began rising to prominence in the late 2010s. Brooklyn drill has taken influence from UK drill with artists such as Pop Smoke, Sheff G, and 22Gz collaborating with UK drill producers such as AXL Beats, Yoz Beats, Ghosty, and 808Melo.{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/levels/sheff-g-made-drill-the-sound-of-brooklyn/|title=Sheff G Made Drill the Sound of Brooklyn|website=Pitchfork|date=May 2019|access-date=2019-08-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190807011410/https://pitchfork.com/levels/sheff-g-made-drill-the-sound-of-brooklyn/|archive-date=7 August 2019|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://uproxx.com/music/pop-smoke-final-interview-uk-drill/|title=Pop Smoke Shouted Out The UK's Top Drill Producers in His Final Interview|date=24 February 2020|website=UPROXX|access-date=2020-03-03|archive-date=3 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200303205302/https://uproxx.com/music/pop-smoke-final-interview-uk-drill/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|title=These are the most exciting UK drill producers right now|url=https://djmag.com/longreads/these-are-most-exciting-uk-drill-producers-right-now|date=1 April 2020|website=DJMag.com|access-date=2020-05-01|archive-date=27 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210227070855/https://djmag.com/longreads/these-are-most-exciting-uk-drill-producers-right-now|url-status=live}} 808Melo produced "Welcome to the Party" for Pop Smoke, which received a considerable amount of attention. Pop Smoke created a mixtape produced entirely by 808Melo and Trap House Mob (a team of UK-based producers).{{cite web|url=https://hypebeast.com/2019/8/pop-smoke-welcome-to-the-party-remix-nicki-minaj|title=Nicki Minaj Remixes Pop Smoke's "Welcome to the Party" – HYPEBEAST|website=hypebeast.com|date=17 August 2019|access-date=2019-08-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190820202034/https://hypebeast.com/2019/8/pop-smoke-welcome-to-the-party-remix-nicki-minaj|archive-date=20 August 2019|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://kazimagazine.com/music/reviews/pop-smokes-debut-meet-the-woo-is-an-introduction-to-a-new-sound-in-new-york-city-hip-hop/|title=Pop Smoke's Debut "Meet The Woo" Is An Introduction to a New Sound in New York City Hip-Hop|last=Bundy|first=Tee|date=30 July 2019|website=KAZI. MAGAZINE|access-date=2019-08-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190807011411/https://kazimagazine.com/music/reviews/pop-smokes-debut-meet-the-woo-is-an-introduction-to-a-new-sound-in-new-york-city-hip-hop/|archive-date=7 August 2019|url-status=live}}

UK drill, alongside grime, has been cited as a reason for the expansion of Multicultural London English to other countries, including Finland{{Cite thesis|url=https://helda.helsinki.fi/handle/10138/331105|title='Good to see the mandem from the endz doing their ting' : Multicultural London English in the tweets of Grime artists|first=Illari|last=Raiski|date=2021|publisher=University of Helsinki|access-date=11 December 2021}} and Australia.{{Cite web|url=https://www.economist.com/britain/2021/01/30/grime-and-uk-drill-are-exporting-multicultural-london-english|title=Grime and UK drill are exporting multicultural London English|date=30 January 2021|website=economist.com|access-date=17 December 2021}}

UK drill groups often engage in rivalries with each other – sometimes violent{{Cite journal|url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01419870.2019.1623411|title="I feel English as fuck": translocality and the performance of alternative identities through rap|first1=Richard|last1=Bramwell|first2=James|last2=Butterworth|date=15 July 2019|journal=Ethnic and Racial Studies|volume=42|issue=14|pages=2510–2527|doi=10.1080/01419870.2019.1623411|s2cid=189982663|access-date=11 December 2021}} - often releasing multiple diss tracks towards each other.{{Cite journal|url=https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11196-020-09769-8|title=Prison and the Law in Modern American and British Popular Music|first=Philip|last=Rodney|date=16 September 2020|doi=10.1007/s11196-020-09769-8|journal=International Journal for the Semiotics of Law - Revue internationale de Sémiotique juridique|volume=34|page=230|s2cid=229017684|access-date=11 December 2021|url-access=subscription}} The names of these groups sometimes reflect the postcode they are located in.{{Cite journal|url=https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/17416590211030679|title=This Is Not a Drill: Towards a Sonic and Sensorial Musicriminology|first=Murray|last=Lee|date=7 July 2021|journal=Crime, Media, Culture|volume=18 |issue=3 |pages=446–465 |doi=10.1177/17416590211030679|s2cid=237757419|access-date=12 December 2021|url-access=subscription}} Notable rivalries include 67 versus GBG/150,{{Cite web|url=https://djmag.com/longreads/evolving-sound-uk-drill|title=The evolving sound of UK drill|first=James|last=Keith|date=21 October 2020|website=djmag.com|access-date=10 December 2021}} Harlem Spartans versus 410, Zone 2 versus Moscow17, and CGM/1011 versus 12World.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/jun/15/london-drill-rap-gang-banned-from-making-music-due-to-threat-of-violence|title=London drill rap group banned from making music due to threat of violence|first=Ian|last=Cobain|date=15 June 2018|work=The Guardian|access-date=10 December 2021}}

The aesthetic of UK drill videos was described by Jonathan Ilan, of the University of London, in a paper within The British Journal of Criminology; the aesthetic included groups of young men, usually near council houses and wearing a variety of streetwear, using hand gestures to represent a variety of things, including tributes to their friends that were dead or jailed.{{Cite journal|url=https://academic.oup.com/bjc/article-abstract/60/4/994/5706791|title=Digital Street Culture Decoded: Why criminalizing drill music is Street Illiterate and Counterproductive|first=Jonathan|last=Illan|date=July 2020|journal=The British Journal of Criminology|volume=60|issue=4|page=1002|doi=10.1093/bjc/azz086|access-date=26 December 2021|url-access=subscription}} In addition, as a result of the police response to UK drill, drill artists began to adopt masks to protect their identities; these masks soon became an artistic statement, with an article in Dazed saying that, "As much as a method of hiding personal information, it was also a way of standing out from the crowd."{{Cite web|url=https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/55008/1/mask-off-drill-uk-public-image-dazed-winter-2021|title=Mask Off: how UK drill subverts reality, fantasy, and public image|first=Sam|last=Davies|date=14 December 2021|website=dazeddigital.com|publisher=Dazed|access-date=11 January 2021}} A 2021 book regarding music genres noted that "rather than personalized nicknames, performers strip themselves of any individuality or character so as to become...conflated with their gang."

The genre's violent lyrics have been cited by police, MPs, journalists and others in positions of potentially significant influence as the reason for a climb in the rate of knife crimes in London.{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/drill-music-london-stabbings-shootings-rap-67-abra-cadabra-comment-government-a8305516.html|title=Inside UK drill, the demonised rap representing a marginalised generation|date=15 April 2018|work=The Independent|access-date=2018-04-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180425033428/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/drill-music-london-stabbings-shootings-rap-67-abra-cadabra-comment-government-a8305516.html|archive-date=25 April 2018|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/article/drill-the-demonic-music-linked-to-rise-in-youth-murders-0bkbh3csk|title=Drill, the 'demonic' music linked to rise in youth murders|last=Andrew Gilligan|first=Shingi Mararike, Tom Harper and|date=8 April 2018|work=The Sunday Times|access-date=2018-04-24|issn=0956-1382|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180425114511/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/drill-the-demonic-music-linked-to-rise-in-youth-murders-0bkbh3csk|archive-date=25 April 2018|url-status=live}} In one instance, then 17-year-old rapper M-Trap who had written lyrics about knife attacks, was part of a four-person group that stabbed a 15-year-old boy to death, for which he received 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."{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/apr/09/uk-drill-music-london-wave-violent-crime|title=Is UK drill music really behind London's wave of violent crime?|last=Beaumont-Thomas|first=Ben|date=9 April 2018|website=The Guardian|access-date=2018-04-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180614042904/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/apr/09/uk-drill-music-london-wave-violent-crime|archive-date=14 June 2018|url-status=live}}

In defence of the genre, a 2019 paper in The Sociological Review says that the genre "naturalistically broadcasts, but does not cause violent crime" and that drill musicians have become "both suspects and victims of state-administered racial injustice in an allegedly post-racial era."{{Cite journal|url=https://academic.microsoft.com/paper/2928756776/reference/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211212023135/https://academic.microsoft.com/paper/2928756776/reference/|url-status=dead|archive-date=12 December 2021|title=Policing the beats: The criminalisation of UK drill and grime music by the London Metropolitan Police|first=Lambros|last=Fatsis|date=2019|journal=The Sociological Review|volume=67|issue=6|pages=1300–1316|doi=10.1177/0038026119842480|s2cid=151202653|access-date=11 December 2021}} Another paper, published in The British Journal of Criminology, states that:

{{Blockquote|"Media stories that position drill music as a cause of urban violence also...tend to reaffirm the view that young urban black men—and the forms of culture that appear tied to this population—constitute a threat to the civic mainstream. These stories...appear to have fed into the vague police cultures that sustain racialized stop and search practices in the capital."{{Cite journal|url=https://academic.oup.com/bjc/article-abstract/60/5/1201/5771512|title=THUG LIFE: Drill music as a periscope into urban violence in the consumer age|first1=Adam|last1=Lynes|first2=Craig|last2=Kelly|first3=Emma|last3=Kelly|date=September 2020|journal=The British Journal of Criminology|volume=60|issue=5|page=1202|doi=10.1093/bjc/azaa011|access-date=26 December 2021|url-access=subscription}}}}

An article by Ciaran Thapar states that, rather than addressing the causes of youth violence, "those in power are content to target the music that rises, like steam from a pressure cooker, out of these conditions."{{Cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/the-moral-panic-against-uk-drill-is-deeply-misguided/|title=The Moral Panic Against UK Drill Is Deeply Misguided|first=Ciaran|last=Thapar|date=12 September 2018|website=pitchfork.com|access-date=18 January 2022}}

In May 2018, YouTube reported that it had deleted more than half of the "violent" music videos identified by senior police officers as problematic; this was done through Operation Domain, which was established in September 2015 to remove gang-related YouTube videos.{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/drill-music-stabbings-london-youtube-violence-police-knife-crime-gangs-a8373241.html|title=Police targeting drill music videos in controversial crackdown on social media that 'incites violence'|first=Lizzie|last=Dearden|website=independent.co.uk|date=28 May 2018|access-date=11 December 2021}} Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick blamed some videos for fuelling a surge in murders and violent crime in London, singling out drill music. YouTube said that more than 30 clips had been removed. The removal of drill videos caused outrage in the community – with several drill artists condemning the Metropolitan Police{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/music/music-news/theyre-just-making-them-more-famous-irish-drill-artist-on-youtube-deleting-videos-flagged-by-uk-police-as-inciting-violence-36961994.html|title='They're just making them more famous' – Irish drill artist on YouTube deleting videos flagged by UK police as inciting violence|first=Aoife|last=Kelly|date=31 May 2018|website=independent.ie|access-date=11 December 2021}} – and caused a slight lull in production of the music.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-44281586|work=BBC News|title=YouTube deletes 'violent' music videos|date=29 May 2018|access-date=21 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180727235656/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-44281586|archive-date=27 July 2018|url-status=live}}

In 2018, FACT magazine claimed in an article on UK drill producers M1OnTheBeat & MKThePlug:

..."Drill is this generation's furious response against the Conservative government's decimation of state support for the most vulnerable communities under austerity".{{cite news|url=https://www.factmag.com/2018/08/02/mk-the-plug-and-m1-on-the-beat-are-uk-drills-brightest-hope/|work=FACT|title=Making the banned: MK The Plug and M1 on the Beat are UK drill's brightest hope|date=12 August 2018|access-date=15 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190713230018/https://www.factmag.com/2018/08/02/mk-the-plug-and-m1-on-the-beat-are-uk-drills-brightest-hope/|archive-date=13 July 2019|url-status=live}}

In late 2018, South London-born driller Drillminister created a track called "Political Drillin", which was broadcast on Channel 4 News and used comments made by Members of Parliament, attempting to highlight their own hypocrisy in using violent language.{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/drill-mc-violent-quotes-mps-track-political-drilling-2392949|title=A drill MC highlights hypocrisy against genre by using violent quotes from MPs in new track 'Political Drilling'|first=Rhian|last=Daly|date=23 October 2018|work=NME|access-date=2 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200202151209/https://www.nme.com/news/music/drill-mc-violent-quotes-mps-track-political-drilling-2392949|archive-date=2 February 2020|url-status=live}}

In 2021, a report by Policy Exchange stated that 37% of homicide cases in 2018 were linked to drill music. The report was condemned in a letter signed by 49 criminologists, which said that the report was factually incorrect.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thejusticegap.com/policy-exchange-report-linking-drill-music-to-violence-inaccurate-and-misleading/|title=Policy Exchange report linking drill music to violence 'inaccurate' and 'misleading'|first=Udit|last=Mahalingam|date=15 November 2021|website=thejusticegap.com|access-date=18 January 2022}}

In 2022, the Crown Prosecution Service announced that it would update guidance regarding the use of drill lyrics within criminal trials; the announcement stemmed from concerns from numerous groups, including academics and organisations such as JUSTICE.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-60070345|title=CPS to review guidance on using drill music as evidence|first1=Jeremy|last1=Ball|first2=Caroline|last2=Lowbridge|date=24 January 2022|publisher=BBC News|access-date=26 January 2022}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.complex.com/life/cps-to-review-using-drill-lyrics-as-evidence|title=CPS To 'Update Its Guidance' On Use Of Drill Music As Evidence In Trials|first=James|last=Keith|date=25 January 2022|publisher=Complex Networks|access-date=26 January 2022}}{{Cite news |first=Jonathan |last=Ames |date=25 February 2021 |title=Stop using drill music to tar defendants, says think tank Justice |work=The Times |language=en |url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/stop-using-drill-music-to-tar-defendants-says-think-tank-justice-0bwn69nfl |access-date=2022-07-28 |issn=0140-0460}}

The coalition known as Art Not Evidence formed as a growing group of lawyers, journalists, artists, academics, youth workers, music industry professionals and human rights campaigners working together to fight the criminalisation of rap music in UK courts.{{cite web | title=Art Not Evidence | website=Art Not Evidence | date=2023-09-22 | url=https://www.artnotevidence.org/ | access-date=2025-05-20}} The group believes that art, and particularly rap music, should be protected as a fundamental form of freedom of expression, and should not be used to unfairly implicate individuals in criminal charges.{{cite web | title=“We continue to fight for our minds”: Art Not Evidence makes the case against using drill lyrics as evidence in court | publisher=City St George's, University of London | date=2024-07-31 | url=https://www.citystgeorges.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/2024/august/art-not-evidence | access-date=2025-05-20}}{{cite web | title=Your connected workspace for wiki, docs & projects | website=Notion | url=https://driftime.notion.site/Criminal-Evidence-Creative-and-Artistic-Expression-Bill-2554634113ef463bb8b42534d262b34d | access-date=2025-05-20}}

A black Manchester man, Ade Adedeji, served three years in prison wrongfully, after false evidence that he was in a certain drill music video was presented to the jury in the prosecution's attempt to prove he was a gang member. He was released from prison in January 2025 after new evidence proved that he was in fact not in the video. Adedeji feels that his wrongful conviction is race related. Barrister, Keir Monteith KC, founding member of the campaign Art Not Evidence, which calls for a stop to rap lyrics and music videos being used as evidence in UK trials, commented on the weakness of the prosecution's evidence against Adedeji stating rhetorically “Things like where [Ade] lives, his interest in music, who he knocks around with – that’s enough to prove he’s in a gang?”.{{cite web | last=Murray | first=Jessica | title=‘I need to get out there’: wrongfully identified in drill music video and jailed, he now wants to study law | website=the Guardian | date=2025-05-01 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/law/2025/may/01/ade-adedeji-manchester-release-conviction-quashed-drill-music-video | access-date=2025-05-20}}

• Brooklyn drill
• Detroit drill
• Drill music
• Project Alpha (police)
• List of music considered the worst

{{Reflist}}

Category:Hip-hop genres

Category:British hip-hop

Category:English styles of music

Category:Drill music