Short Series: UK Drill Part 2 - UK Drillers of the 2010s -
As promised last time, starting with this installment, I will introduce the UK Drillers you should know, categorized by the 2010s and 2020s, along with their representative and recommended songs. This time, we will focus on UK Drillers who were active in the 2010s. Please note that while some of the songs listed were released after 2020, they are categorized under Drillers whose peak activity was in the 2010s.
67
One of the most active groups during the dawn of UK Drill. Their edgy sound quickly garnered attention, and UK Drill began to replace Grime as the music that spoke for the streets.
Their representative song is undoubtedly "Lets Lurk".
Lets Lurk / 67 ft Giggs
It is a UK Drill anthem that features Giggs, a pioneer of Road Rap, and is essentially a remake of "Lurk," which was released earlier by 86 (an allied gang of 67). Thanks to the success of this song, UK Drill rose to mainstream music status all at once.
By the way, "Man's Not Hot" (a single released in 2017 by UK comedian and rapper Big Shaq), which was a huge hit here in Japan as well, was a track where Shaq beat-jacked the instrumental of "Lets Lurk".
Other popular 67 tracks include their early hits "Live Corn" and "Take It There".
Live Corn / 67 LD
Take It There / 67 (Monkey, LD, Dimzy & Asap)
Although 67 made a name for themselves as a notorious gang, they themselves do not seem to want 67 to be called a gang, explaining that 67 is a company and a family.
Loski
A member of Harlem Spartans, his father, Ty Nizzy, was one of the founders of Road Rap. He was also a key figure who energized the early UK Drill scene. The album "Call Me Loose," released in 2018, is famous for having influenced Drake's "Scorpion."
He possesses a versatile side, with hard-hitting songs like "Hazards," which taunted their rivals 150, as well as catchy tracks like "Forrest Gump."
Hazards / Loski
Forrest Gump / Loski
DJ Khaled / Loski X MizOrMac
150
Originally, they were a large gang called GAS Gang, but after their leader was imprisoned, internal divisions occurred, and the 150 faction was formed in that process. They are in a hostile relationship with 67 and Harlem Spartans.
Their music, which is mostly dark in tone, can truly be called the symbol of the 2010s UK Drill sound.
Hella Kwengins / Stickzodt X S Wavey X Ard Adz X Jboy X Sho Shallow X Mdargg
Look Like You / GR1ZZY x M Dargg
We Don’t Dance / M24 x Stickz
Headie One
A member of OFB, he is the most notable driller who possesses popularity, talent, and charisma, and is often called the GOAT of UK Drill. After the collaborative mixtape "Drillers & Trappers" with RV, he turned to a solo career. "Know Better," included in his 1st solo mixtape "TheOne," became a huge hit and an anthem for UK Drill.
Know Better / Headie One X RV
Having built his career steadily with constant releases, Headie released his long-awaited debut album "EDNA" (the name of Headie's late mother) in 2020.
This work, which includes the collaboration with Drake "Only You Freestyle" and "Ain't It Different" which reached number 2 on the singles chart, debuted at number 1 on the UK Albums Chart. It solidified Headie's popularity.
Only You Freestyle / Headie One x Drake
Ain't It Different / Headie One ft AJ Tracey & Stormzy
Skengdo & AM
A popular duo belonging to 410, an allied gang of 150. Skengdo & AM, who performed on "Mad About Bars," a freestyle project by Mixtape Madness that introduces notable UK drillers early on, racked up 3-4 times more views than other drillers' videos, demonstrating their high level of popularity.
Mad About Bars / Skengdo & AM
Macaroni / Skengdo X AM
Crash / Skengdo X AM
Unknown T
Among the Homerton drill collective based in Hackney, which includes popular drillers like KO and V9, Unknown T boasts exceptional popularity. His first single, "Homerton B," released in 2018, became an instant hit and eventually earned a silver disc.
Homerton B / Unknown T
SL
Born in Peckham and raised in Croydon. It is said he was previously active under the name Slimz, but he began his career as SL with the 2017 release of "Gentleman." This debut single was a massive hit.
Gentleman / SL
However, what solidified his popularity was "Tropical," also released in 2017. Thanks to the success of this track, which featured a chill sound not previously heard in UK Drill, SL's music came to be described as Tropical Drill.
Tropical / SL
Abra Cadabra
Abra Cadabra, a member of OFB, won the Best Song award at the MOBO Awards due to the massive success of "Robbery," released in 2016.
Robbery Remix / Abra Cadabra ft. Krept & Konan
By the way, Brooklyn driller Jezz Gasoline beat-jacked this track and released it under the title "Big Opps," which became a local hit. Since I got into drill through NY Drill, I actually knew Big Opps first and discovered Robbery later (lol).
I also like the remix of "On Deck" which features the members of OFB. This song can also be called one of Abra Cadabra's signature tracks.
On Deck Remix / Abra Cadabra Ft. RV x Kush x Double Lz x Bandokay x Lowkey x Dezzie
Krept & Konan
While there is some doubt as to whether they should be classified as Drillers, given that they were active before Drill was imported to the UK (2010), I decided to introduce them because the release of "Ban Drill" in 2019 had a significant impact on the UK Drill scene.
Ban Drill (Short Film) / Krept & Konan
The music video for this song is a short film that tells the story of the protagonist, Jaden, who is arrested for drug dealing and discovers his talent for rap while in prison. After being released, Jaden pours his passion into rap. However, the song he uploads to YouTube gets banned, and disappointed by this, Jaden turns to gang activity, ultimately meeting a shocking end when he is stabbed to death.
In fact, before this song was released, UK Drill was in a state of crisis.
・May 2018
The Metropolitan Police Service requested that YouTube remove 50-60 videos, claiming they contained violent imagery or encouraged violence, and 30 of them were taken down.
・June 2018
A gang team called 1011 was prohibited from incorporating lyrics that suggest violence or death into their music, and they were further required to notify the police within 24 hours of releasing a music video, as well as 48 hours before performing live or recording.
・January 2019
Skengdo & AM were sentenced to nine months in prison for performing the song "Attempted 1.0" at a London concert.
"Ban Drill" was produced in response to this series of events. Krept & Konan later warned that criminalizing drill music risked driving Drillers back into a life of crime. They also launched a petition to stop police suppression of drill music and took action to gain public understanding of the genre.
They have also shown a proactive stance toward the prosperity of drill music, such as by releasing "I Spy (Remix)" featuring SL, Abra Cadabra, and others.
I Spy (Remix) / Krept & Konan ft. Bugzy Malone, SL, Morrisson, Abra Cadabra, RV, Snap Capone
DigDat
Affiliated with 814. The song "Air Force," released in 2018, ranked 96th on the UK Drill chart. A remix featuring K-Trap and others was subsequently released, peaking at number 20. It is now famous as a UK Drill classic.
Air Force (Remix) / DigDat ft. K Trap, Krept & Konan
The following year, he released "No Cap" featuring Loski, which ranked 51st on the UK Singles Chart. He has currently released two albums, and his momentum is only accelerating.
No Cap / DigDat x Loski
DJ MoB
Twitter https://twitter.com/djmob_tb
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/djmob_tyoblue/