In the last few years, we have seen the dramatic rise of Drill Rap music. The rap artists in New York City have taken the genre that was started in Chicago about a decade ago and adopted it for their own. And part of that is the violent imagery and actual violence that sometimes accompanies the music.
All Drill Rap is not violent-oriented, and often times that is part of the problem. Perception drives reality in a lot of instances. With this genre, we have seen how social media, algorithms, real-life poverty, violence, and technology all collide in one volatile explosion.
New York City’s Mayor Eric Adams made headlines last month when he decided that Drill Rap should be banned from the radio and social media. Also, DJ Drewski of Hot 97 (who helped break Pop Smoke) proclaimed he would no longer play drill wraps that involved dissing other artists or gangs in order to prevent more deaths. This garnered quick pushback from artists, fans, and others that said these moves were distractions from the reality of the streets. Maino lead the charge with a meeting attended by Fivio Foreign and the Mayor too.
Journalist Lisa Evers and her Fox5 NYC show “Street Soldiers” delves deep into this topic with a myriad of people to discuss the problem and the solutions as well.
PART 1: Drill Rap, Gangs & Guns
PART 2: Drill Music: Content & Controversy