Origins of Drill Music: Chicago Drill
Drill was born in the 2010s in Chicago, Illinois. At that time, the word “drill” was used as slang for killing or severely injuring someone — specifically by shooting (referring to the “drilling” motion of rapid gunfire). The South Side was rife with gang violence, which was reflected in the lyrics of the first drill rappers’ tracks.
Trap was invented well before drill, but precisely in the 2010s it found its dark transformation, influenced by the criminal realities of Chicago hoods. And if pure trap was and is mostly a commercial sound, the first drill didn’t pretend to be of that kind:
- 60–70 bpm, half-time feel but slower and more deliberate;
- booming, aggressive 808s with heavy distortion;
- hi-hats are sparse and staggered, higher-velocity rolls;
- busy, rapid snare patterns with crashes, more militaristic and offset (not always on 3), creating a “stop-start” unpredictability;
- melodies are minimalistic and stripped-down, heavy on distorted synth brass, ominous piano/strings, or bells.
As I see it, trap was a kind of music for parties, polished and lacquered, whereas drill offered a more aggressive, dirty underground-type sound for hoods. I think precisely because of these differences, Chicago drill is more alive and natural. And it’s for sure not just a simple coincidence that pioneers and legends of the Chicago drill scene are real OGs.
Chicago Drill Classics
The Golden Era of Chicago Drill is over — that’s true for sure. The godfather of this music is Chief Keef. I believe my Russian-speaking audience has heard at least one of his songs, “Love Sosa”. I remember how we were chilling with buddies when this song played. Back then, I wasn’t rapping and knew nothing about drill.
The first commercial success of Chicago Drill is tied to Chief Keef’s viral hit “I Don’t Like” (with Lil Reese). If you play the track now, you’ll understand why — the song is as hot as hell, even after 13 years. Then came the album, “Finally Rich”, full of hits. The evolution of vibrant trap was a sensation; Chicago drill gave birth to all its transformations, becoming a distinct genre.
For example, you can compare Chicago Drill from first Chief Keef’s album with today’s UK Hoodtrap. The similarity is so clear that even a deaf person would recognize it.
It’s hard to understand the basics of Chicago Drill without knowledge of Chicago gang wars (esp. between Black Disciples and Gangster Disciples). I strongly recommend watching some videos (links provided in this article*) about the history of this music. In short: Chicago Drill emerged in a climate of criminal violence, where if you weren’t shot at 15, you’d be shot at 16. The sound of this music reflected the harsh reality of that time, with lyrics referencing real-life crimes. Thanks to social media, Chicago Drill artists’ tracks gained widespread attention. The music has always had its share of critics, with police and others believing that drill was glorifying violence.
Chief Keef, Lil Reese, Lil Durk, King Von, Lil Jojo, FBG Duck, Fredo Santana, RondoNumbaNine are names you should know along with their music. Only one of them, Chief Keef, is still alive and not in prison at the same time. These rappers are pioneers of Chicago Drill, but their lives are scarred by crime.
To explore the roots, here are some classic Chicago Drill releases from Chief Keef’s Golden Era:
- Chief Keef — Finally Rich (Album, 2012)
- Lil Durk — Signed to the Streets (Mixtape, 2013)
- Fredo Santana — Trappin’ Ain’t Dead (Album, 2013)
- Lil Reese — Don’t Like ’Em (Mixtape, 2012)
- King Louie — The Chiraq Drillinois (Mixtape, 2011)
- Young Pappy — 2 Cups: Part 1 (Mixtape, 2015)
- FBG Duck — Look at Me (Mixtape, 2013)
New Generation
The Golden Era is gone, but it may not be gone forever. Chicago Drill is still alive, and the genre is constantly evolving. Nowadays, Chicago has slightly lost its individuality as it has given birth to new subgenres, such as UK Drill. Subgenres are mixing a lot, but the main feature of Chicago Drill remains unchanged — a tight connection with trap music, distinct from the more aggressive, brain-drilling sound of NY or UK Drill. Moreover, modern Chicago Drill rappers often rap on different beats, not only drill, so there are no pure Chicago Drill rappers nowadays.
VonOff1700 (some of whose beats I bought one day, by the way), BabyChiefDoit, STAR BANDZ, Mello Buckzz, Chuckyy, FendiDaRappa, D2X and Bloodhound Lil Jeff (R.I.P.) are new names in the Chicago Drill scene.
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Unlike UK Drill, Chicago hasn’t evolved in many directions, remaining a monolithic foundation for its subgenres. There’s no clear division of Chicago Drill into Hoodtrap, Sexy Drill, and so on, which can’t be said for UK Drill, for example. It’s noteworthy that the modern Chicago drill scene features many female voices. Many artists making music in this genre are young people who actively use social media. The city of Chicago is still steeped in violence, as are most Chicago drill lyrics.
To be honest, in my opinion, Chicago Drill is now weak, has no identity, and often is nothing more than just a pale shadow of UK Hoodtrap. But it deserves its respect for sure.
*some links to the videos about history of Chicago Drill:
- Gangs of Chicago — BDs v GDs (Trap Lore Ross)
- The Chicago Gang War, Mapped (Uncovering)
- Everyone Around Him Died, But He Survived: Chiraq’s Chief Keef (Hood Archives);
- LIL REESE: PRINCE OF THE CALUMET BUILDING (THE FULL DOCUMENTARY) (KLIFF WORLD TV)
- The Story of Lil JoJo (BrickSquad) (ScenesOfficial)
- The Many Murders of Lil Durk (Trap Lore Ross)
- The Murder of FBG Duck (Trap Lore Ross)
- The Dissapointing Downfall of RondoNumbaNine [39 Year Sentence] (Trap Lore Clips)
- Fredo Santana’s Final Days: The Truth Behind His Rise and Tragic Fall (Drillers247)
- NBA Vs OTF: The Beef That Got King Von Killed (JohnAnthonyHD)
- VonOff1700: Real Killer or Fake Gangster (Trap More Ross)
- BabyChiefDoIt On Bringing Back Old Chicago Drill Sound, Not Wanting To Being Famous, Animals Only (DGB Media)
- The Rapper Who Killed 11 People (Bloodhound Lil Jeff) (Louaista)
- Chicago Drill Is Officially Back (New School Stories)
Chicago Drill is a classic, it has to be known. Yo, listen to good music
