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. The instinct is to call this tough, unforgiving and concrete-hard music joyless, but in truth it's exuberant in its darkness. With rare exception this music is unmediated and raw and without bright spots, focused on anger and violence. It just is, over and over again." A profile on the scene in The New York Times examined the genre's aggression: It's not even fatalistic, because that would imply a self-consciousness, a moral consideration, that isn't there in the lyrics. I don't really like metaphors or punchlines like that." What Moser wrote that Keef's songs are "lyrically, rhythmically, and emotionally diminished, which is why they sound so airless and claustrophobic. I'd rather just say what's going on right now. And I don't even really use metaphors or punchlines. Chief Keef said that his simplistic flow is a conscious stylistic choice: "I know what I'm doing. Critics have noted drill rappers' lack of concern with metaphor or wordplay.
One of the genre's most prominent musicians, Chief Keef, was 16 when he signed a multi-million dollar record contract with Interscope, and in an extreme example, Lil Wayne co-signed the 13-year-old driller Lil Mouse. Some producers work at double tempo such as 130 to 140 beats per minute.ĭrillers tend to be young many prominent musicians in the scene started getting attention while still in their teens. Though it bears many similarities to trap music the speed of a drill beat is generally slower with a moderate tempo having about 60 to 70 beats per minute.
Drill rappers use a grim, deadpan delivery, often filtered through Auto-Tune, influenced by the "stoned, aimless warbling of Soulja Boy (one of the earliest non-local Keef collaborators) and Lil Wayne before him." Atlanta-based rappers Gucci Mane and Waka Flocka Flame were important influences on the drill scene. ĭrill lyrics typically reflect life on the streets, and tend to be gritty, violent, realistic and nihilistic. The Guardian 's Lucy Stehlik said "nihilistic drill reflects real life where its squeaky-clean hip-hop counterparts have failed." Drill lyrics strongly contrast with the subject matter of earlier Chicago rappers and contemporary mainstream hip hop which at the time of drill's emergence tended to glorify and celebrate a rise to wealth. The lyrics of drill tend to be violent and very gritty. Problems playing this file? See media help. Chief Keef's " Love Sosa" produced by Young Chop typifies the genre's style.