30 best drill songs: From Chicago to Brooklyn to UK

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Odds are you’ve discovered your technique to this listing for one in every of two causes.

Both you’re questioning what “drill” — the violent music booming out of your children’ audio system — is and why artists like Pop Smoke and Fivio Overseas are ruling streaming providers. Otherwise you’re a significant fan of the hip-hop subgenre that emerged in Chicago within the late 2000s/early 2010s and are right here to inform me how horrible this listing of the 30 finest drill rap songs is.

Both manner, there’s no denying drill – from its scenes in Chicago to New York to London – has change into the music of the second. And a really controversial one.

Whereas drill has been all the fashion on streaming providers, it’s been denounced by many individuals involved with its typically violent and gang-related facets which have tragically led to the deaths of many drill stars.

And but, drill is evolving into one thing past its heavy-handed origins. It’s now sampling tacky 2000s pop songs that have been as soon as the butt of jokes in “White Women.” Even Cleveland hasn’t been resistant to its personal viral drill hit courtesy of Slim Jesus.

Previous-school hip-hop heads despise it. Politicians assume it’s taking down their cities. However folks hold urgent play on these gritty, nihilistic avenue songs that don’t look like going anyplace, anytime quickly. [Note, the videos the featured below contain explicit lyrics]

30. Nicki Minaj (feat. G-Herbo) – “Chi-Raq” (2014)

With Chief Keef and others bringing drill into the mainstream, it was solely a matter of time earlier than fashionable artists who hadn’t been related to the style joined in. You see that even in the previous few years with the likes of Drake and Kanye West. However Nicki Minaj’s “Chi-Raq” was particularly necessary, not solely in showcasing Chicago drill star G Herbo (then often known as Lil Herb) but in addition proving drill had a mainstream shelf life.

29. Spinabenz, Whoppa Wit Da Choppa, Yungeen Ace, and FastMoney Goon – “Who I Smoke” (2021)

On reflection, “Who I Smoke” ought to have been the second the place drill jumped the shark: A number of the most disrespectful lyrics the style has seen over Vanessa Carlton’s “A Thousand Miles.” No, that’s not a typo. It was the present development of sample-drill in its excessive. It’s both genius or fully ludicrous. And but, it has greater than 40 million views on YouTube.

28. L’A Capone & RondoNumbaNine – “Play for Retains” (2013)

The early sounds of Chicago drill felt like a little bit of managed chaos, at the least in comparison with what was to return. L’A Capone and RondoNumbaNine’s “Play for Keeps” marked a development of younger rappers bringing jarring lyrics about violence to the scene with videos that were truly terrifying. Sadly, the duo lived as much as its sound with Capone being murdered in 2013 and RondoNumbaNine sentenced to 39 years in jail for a separate homicide incident three years later.

27. OFB – “Ambush” (2019)

London trio OFB (made up of Bandokay, Double Lz and SJ) have been considered as the way forward for UK drill because of the underground smash “Ambush” in 2019. The haunting monitor gave the trio a platform to try to transfer UK drill past violence into one thing extra considerate. It stays a necessary minimize within the style’s historical past.

26. Giggs & Waka Flocka Flame – “Lemme Get Dat” (2012)

You can think about Waka Flocka Flame’s head-banging crunk-infused gangsta rap a precursor to drill music. And Waka was out to show it when he joined forces with London’s Giggs for “Lemme Get Dat.” With Giggs’ highway rap type serving as an inspiration for UK drill, “Lemme Get Dat” marked one of many first occasions drill crossed over globally.

25. Jezz Gasoline, Paparazzi Pop, Kj Balla, Elz Tay & Ace NumbaFive – “Massive Opps America” (2017)

While you have a look at the origins of Brooklyn drill, it isn’t lengthy earlier than you get to epic posse cuts like Dah Dah’s “Gang Gang Gang” or one thing much more scathing like “Big Opps America,” a tune so violent it was banned from some radio stations. The monitor, which disses artist 22Gz’s Blicky gang, grew to become the poster boy for politicians and group leaders warning towards drill’s impact on gang violence. However that didn’t cease folks from listening to “Massive Opps America,” which racked up quite a few streams and YouTube views, and stays one of the vital extremely regarded tracks amongst Brooklyn drill purists.

24. FBG Duck – “Slide” (2018)

It’s no exaggeration to say Chicago South Facet rapper FBG Duck was positioned to select up the place Chief Keef left off, particularly after the previous’s breakthrough hit “Slide” arrived in 2018. In the end, FBG Duck’s life got here to embody drill’s affiliation with gang violence. He was murdered by masked shooters in August 2020, which makes most of the combative lyrics on “Slide” eerie to hearken to.

23. 410 – “Mad About Bars” (2018)

You can spend hours debating who has one of the best “Mad About Bars” freestyle from the BBC Radio and “Mixtape Insanity” YouTube sequence that options a few of London’s best. However the crown in all probability goes to 410 members Skengdo and AM whose wordplay throughout Season 2 took issues to new heights.

22. Stickz, “Let’s Get It” (2013)

Stickz’s signature tune sounds prehistoric in comparison with a number of the different cuts on this listing. He was a pioneer of UK drill and his groundbreaking anthem “Let’s Get It” lacks a number of the present manufacturing tendencies of the style. However you may hear the affect of Chicago’s early drill sound, in addition to UK grime in Stickz’s bare-bones banger.

21. B-Lovee – “My All the things” (2021)

B-Lovee’s “My Everything” was an indication of the place drill goes and that’s within the path of ‘90s R&B samples. Producer Money Cobain (now a fixture on the scene) samples Mary J. Blige on “My All the things,” which grew to become a viral hit when it leaked on TikTok. The type was a change of tempo for drill, however one thing youthful followers can’t get sufficient of. Pattern drill has change into the toast of New York.

20. Loski – “Hazards” (2016)

Loski is one in every of Drake’s favourite UK drill artists and one of many causes Drizzy began making tracks within the style himself. It’s simple to see why. Loski is one in every of UK drill’s finest lyricists. As a member of Harlem Spartans, his stature within the scene is ready in stone. However “Hazards” proved how a lot of a drive Loski may very well be on his personal.

19. LD – “Dwell Corn” (2015)

There are a couple of pioneering crews of UK drill (together with 150, now often known as CBG). However in case you’re searching for an act that gave the style its personal distinctive type separate from Chicago – influenced by grime and UK storage — it’s 67. And the crew’s standout member is LD, aka the “godfather of UK drill.” His debut single “Live Corn” is as grandiose a star-making solo flip as you’ll discover within the style.

18. Lil Reese – “Us” (2012)

Lil Reese broke out together with his featured look on Chief Keef’s “I Don’t Like.” However he had his anthems that dominated Chicago’s drill scene, together with “Us,” one in every of Reese’s signature tracks that might earn him a take care of Def Jam. The tune can also be noteworthy for its remix that includes Rick Ross and Drake.

17. King Louie “B.O.N.” (2014)

Earlier than Chief Keef put Chicago’s drill on the map, it was already thriving within the metropolis thanks, in no small half, to King Louie’s whose music was making noise a yr earlier than Keef’s breakthrough (see “Gumbo Monsters”). The height of Louie’s slow-down type, which sounds primal by right now’s drill requirements, is the scary “B.O.N.,” nonetheless among the best trunk rattlers to return out of the style.

16. Fivio Overseas – “Massive Drip” (2020)

Fivio Overseas is the present face of Brooklyn drill and that begins with “Big Drip.” Overseas had stellar tracks earlier than the 2020 anthem. However “Massive Drip” grew to become a drive of nature in golf equipment, automobile audio system and on the charts (particularly with the remix that includes Lil Child and Quavo). You couldn’t escape it and now you may’t escape Overseas after his function on Kanye West’s “Off the Grid” and his debut album “B.I.B.L.E.” turning into a streaming monster.

15. Headie One feat. RV – “Know Higher” (2018)

Few UK drill artists have been extra modern than Headie One. Nevertheless it was the thunderous single “Know Better” from the mixtape “One” that put Headie on the forefront of the UK scene. Even when American followers haven’t heard of him, his sound and magnificence as a result of Drake has borrowed it a time or two.

14. Chief Keef – “Faneto” (2014)

There’s no overstating Chief Keef’s function in making Chicago drill a mainstream hip-hop commodity. “Faneto” could also be his final fan favourite and a contemporary blueprint for the disrespectful nature of drill. Speak about scathing, the monitor dissing New Jersey was banned within the state for sparking riots. For some, there’s nothing extra drill than that.

13. Unknown T – “Homerton B” (2018)

Till “Homerton B,” UK drill was, maybe, probably the most maligned musical style in Europe. However Unknown T’s monitor grew to become the primary monitor from UK drill to make waves on the charts and go silver (200,000 copies bought). Some 27 million views on YouTube later and an infinite variety of fan-made dance movies, and the UK had no alternative however to welcome drill as a mainstream fixture.

12. Sheff G – “No Suburban” (2017)

The meat between crews will at all times be a trademark of drill music. Nevertheless it’s additionally a part of the style’s inventive cloth. 22Gz launched “Suburban” in 2016. The diss tune drew a response from Sheff G, who launched his response “No Suburban.” The 2 tracks would change into an integral a part of Brooklyn drill’s ascension on the finish of the 2010s into New York’s go-to style within the 2020s.

11. 22Gz – “Suburban Pt.2″ (2019)

22Gz’s “Suburban” grew to become one of many first Brooklyn drill songs to make a significant dent within the music scene in 2016. It sparked his beef with Sheff G and likewise led to a second response with “Suburban Pt. 2,” a monitor that took the feud and sound of Brooklyn drill to new heights. Should you wished to elucidate the scene to individuals who haven’t heard it earlier than, the back-and-forth between 22Gz and Sheff G can be a pleasant place to start out.

10. Pop Smoke – “Dior” (2020)

Produced by East London’s 808Melo, “Dior” is actually a membership anthem that, for purists, doesn’t adhere to the core rules of drill music. And but, it doesn’t matter. Pop Smoke tracks simply hit in a different way and “Dior” was the end result of drill going mainstream. There was no stopping it at this level with Pop Smoke on the verge of not simply turning into the largest star within the style’s historical past however one in every of music’s largest stars generally.

9. 67 (feat. Giggs) – “Lets Lurk” (2016)

“Let’s Lurk” was a key second in UK drill historical past. As Chicago drill’s preliminary surge started to gradual, UK drill grew to become a focus for followers of the style. 67 had established itself as a pioneering group. However “Let’s Lurk” noticed them becoming a member of forces with UK legend Giggs for an anthem that might mark a seminal second in UK rap historical past.

8. G Herbo & Lil Bibby – “Kill S*** (2012)

Lil Herb (now G Herbo) and Lil Bibby have moved previous the drill style (Herbo’s sound particularly is extra entice now). Nevertheless it wasn’t earlier than they gave the style one in every of its best songs. “Kill S***” is a ferocious monitor from two younger artists laying down rhymes that ought to have been past their years: “Know a pair n****s that’s all the way down to trip for a murder/When it’s drama time/Run up on a n***a with the llamas flyin.’” Arriving so early in the course of the rise of Chicago drill, “Kill S***” stood as an indication of what was to return.

7. Lil Durk – “Dis Ain’t What U Need” (2013)

For some time there, “Dis Ain’t What U Need” was the anthem for Chicago drill. All the things about Lil Durk’s type represented such a excessive ceiling for the style. And whereas his friends have been centered on uncooked aggression, Durk was bringing melody to the style, foreshadowing the present state of drill practically a decade earlier than it got here to fruition.

6. King Von – “Loopy Story” (2018)

For a lot of the 2010s, it was simple to dismiss drill music as yet one more hip-hip style letting folks know what’s happening within the violent avenue. That’s what made King Von’s “Loopy Story” so stunning. Von gave the scene cinematic storytelling over the signature drill sound. It was as inventive because it was affecting. Von had been round drill through associations with Chief Keef and Lil Durk since its early days. However he was simply coming into his personal as an artist when he was killed in 2020.

5. Harlem Spartans – “Kennington The place It Began” (2017)

Should you’re searching for the signature UK drill sound, Harlem Spartans’ iconic anthem is the place it’s at. The hard-hitting Chicago sound remained, however “Kennington Where It Started” sounded cleaner with exact lyricism that might give UK drill its blueprint transferring ahead. The tune established Harlem Spartans as one of many main crews inside the scene (together with 67) and moved the style into its subsequent chapter.

4. Rowdy Insurgent that includes Bobby Shmurda – “Computer systems” (2014)

Bobby Shmurda took the rap world by storm in 2014 with the viral hit “Scorching N***a.” And but, his most influential transfer that yr might have been guesting on Rowdy Insurgent’s groundbreaking tune “Computers.” Relying on what style you think about “Scorching N***a” to be (I’ll go together with entice), “Computer systems” marked the start of New York drill as a thriving drive with its horror film chords.

3. 1011 – “Subsequent Up Pt. 1″ (2017)

1011′s “Next Up Pt. 1″ arrived on the thirteenth version of the “Mixtape Insanity” sequence and exploded. The crew (now often known as CGM) placed on a lyrical show that wowed UK hip hop followers to the tune of 1 million views and placement on Spotify’s UK rap playlist. Each listener knew it was a landmark second in UK hip hop and a drill tune that had reached a degree past something that had come earlier than it.

2. Pop Smoke – “Welcome to the Celebration” (2019)

Drill’s final a-star-is-born second. Pop Smoke’s debut single arrived in spring 2019 and shortly made him the most popular factor to return out of New York since 50 Cent. From an affect standpoint, “Welcome to the Celebration” was the second New York drill really established its signature sound that may very well be pushed out to the mainstream. From a reputation standpoint, the monitor made Pop Smoke an unstoppable drive till his homicide in 2020. All advised, he spent two years because the king of New York, pushing drill to its highest level but.

1. Chief Keef (feat. Lil Reese) – “I Don’t Like” (2012)

An apparent alternative and the proper one. “I Don’t Like” didn’t simply elevate drill to new heights, it modified the panorama of fashionable music. And it couldn’t be easier. Chief Keef lists a bunch of issues he dislikes. Nevertheless it was sufficient to get a co-sign from hometown icon Kanye West. From there, drill was off and operating with the Chicago sound serving to form the way forward for entice, emo rap, SoundCloud and extra. Heck, even Ariana Grande was incorporated into the drill scene. And all of it begins with “I Don’t Like,” one of the vital influential moments in music in the course of the 2010s, whether or not you prefer it or not.