What Is Drill Music? History & How To Make It
Nov 27, 2023
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Tero Potila
Imagine a hip-hop beat stripped down to its simplest, most menacing elements, paired with raw, unfiltered storytelling that gives an unvarnished look at street life. That is the essence of drill music.
Over the last decade, this unique subgenre has grown from a local movement in Chicago into a dominant global force in modern rap.
I would bet money you’ve heard the unmistakable sound of drill on hit records or while scrolling through social media.
It’s characterized by its ominous atmospheres, rapid-fire hi-hats, and heavy, sliding 808 basslines. Drill prioritizes mood and authentic intensity over traditional hip-hop tropes.
Throughout my career as a music producer, I’ve watched drill evolve across different cities and continents.
What makes it so compelling is its uncompromising realism. Drill artists typically speak directly and unapologetically about real-world conflicts, local environments, and lived experiences rather than relying on heavy metaphors or aspirational braggadocio.
Where Is Drill Music From?
Born in Chicago
Drill music was born on the South Side of Chicago around 2010-2012, developing in neighborhoods like Woodlawn during a time of significant social tension and shifting dynamics.
The slang term drill originally referred to fighting or retaliating, and a rapper named Pacman from Dro City is widely credited with first applying it to music on his 2010 track “It’s a Drill”.
The music grew rapidly through a grassroots digital movement. Young artists bypassed traditional music industry gatekeepers by using YouTube and other social media platforms to upload raw music videos shot in their neighborhoods.
This direct-to-audience pipeline allowed the subgenre to spread quickly through local high schools, parties, and online networks.
Early Chicago drill took the heavy foundations of Atlanta trap music and stripped them down into something far darker, colder, and more immediate.
Rather than focusing on club anthems or luxury lifestyles, drill lyrics reflected gritty street realities and personal survival.
Who Were the Early Drill Music Creators?
Chief Keef became the primary architect of the genre when his independent music videos went viral in 2011 and 2012. Tracks like “I Don’t Like”, “Love Sosa”, and “Bang” captured mainstream attention, leading to a major, multimillion-dollar record deal with Interscope Records when he was just 16 years old.
Other foundational Chicago voices emerged alongside him, including Lil Durk, King Louie, Lil Reese, Fredo Santana, G Herbo, and Lil Bibby.
Behind the mixing board, producer Young Chop crafted the signature sonic blueprint, drawing early influence from trap producers like Lex Luger, Shawty Redd, and Zaytoven.
He combined icy synthesizer brass hits, menacing bell melodies, and aggressive snare patterns to create a claustrophobic, intense backdrop that perfectly matched the vocal delivery.
Going Mainstream
While the music drew massive audiences, digital creators like DJ Akademiks brought the drill scene to wider mainstream attention, accumulating tens of millions of views on his early YouTube channel documenting the movement.
Female rappers like Sasha Go Hard and Katie Got Bandz also developed drill’s feminine style during this foundational era, carving out their own space in a heavily male-dominated scene.
What Are the Production Characteristics of Early Drill?
If you want to understand the musical framework of early Chicago drill, it helps to look at the specific production choices that defined it:
- Tempo: Early drill beats are often tracked at a slower, deliberate tempo around 60 to 70 beats per minute, or felt in a double-time rhythm around 120 to 140 beats per minute. This creates a heavy, marching feel.
- Melodies: Melodic lines are kept intentionally simple and repetitive, relying on minor scales to evoke an ominous, haunting atmosphere. Dark piano keys, synthetic brass stabs, and eerie bells are standard choices.
- Vocal Delivery: Rappers typically utilize a deadpan, monotone delivery to convey a detached, gritty perspective. This raw vocal style is sometimes processed through heavy Auto-Tune to contrast with the cold instrumental tracks.
The UK Transformation and the Power of the Glide
As drill music caught the attention of the wider hip-hop world, Kanye West released a star-studded remix of Chief Keef’s “I Don’t Like” on the 2012 G.O.O.D. Music compilation Cruel Summer, before heavily channeling drill’s industrial aggression and featuring Keef himself on his 2013 album Yeezus.
Interestingly, the genre’s next major evolution happened across the Atlantic; UK drill emerged in South London between 2012 and 2014, centered heavily in areas like Brixton.
British artists did not just copy the Chicago sound; they infused it with their own unique musical heritage, drawing from UK garage, grime, and electronic club music. This fusion resulted in a distinctly British variant that was faster, more syncopated, and highly experimental.
The production style in the UK shifted toward a tempo of 138-142 beats per minute.
London producers introduced complex, skippy hi-hat patterns and a completely revolutionized approach to the low end. Instead of static sub-bass hits, they began utilizing deep bass glides and pitch bends, creating the signature sliding 808 sound that has since defined the entire global genre.
Lyrically, UK drill adapted to reflect London street culture and local slang, often addressing regional social issues like knife crime.
Early South London collectives like 150, 410, 67, and Harlem Spartans pioneered the initial wave, while West London’s CGM (formerly 1011) revolutionized the sound during its next viral evolution in 2017.
Over time, UK drill broadened its sonic palette by incorporating elements of Afrobeat, dancehall, and haunting flute melodies, which provided an eerie, memorable layer to the tracks.
The scene achieved massive commercial success, exemplified by artists like Digga D, Central Cee, and Headie One, whose album EDNA topped the UK charts in late 2020.
Brooklyn Drill and the Global Phenomenon
By the late 2010s, the evolution of drill came full circle as the UK production style made its way back to New York, sparking the rise of Brooklyn drill.
Who Was Pop Smoke, the King of Brooklyn Drill?
While the underground scene was initially forged in the mid-2010s by Brooklyn pioneers like 22Gz (with “Suburban” in 2016) and Sheff G (with “No Suburban” in 2017) rapping over imported UK beats, the movement’s definitive breakout star was Pop Smoke.
Connecting with London-based producer 808Melo in 2019, Pop Smoke’s deep, raspy vocal delivery over sliding UK beats created a groundbreaking sonic wave. Tracks like “Welcome to the Party” and “Dior” expanded the thematic boundaries of drill, shifting the focus away from purely localized conflicts toward a high-energy, swagger-filled celebration.
Following Pop Smoke’s tragic passing in 2020, the Brooklyn scene continued to flourish globally with major chart-topping artists like Fivio Foreign and Sleepy Hallow keeping the momentum alive.
Where Does Drill Music Stand Today?
Drill is now widely recognized as a global youth phenomenon. Platforms like TikTok have accelerated the mainstream acceptance, turning underground freestyles into global viral trends.
Distinct local scenes have sprouted on every continent, with artists adapting the core blueprint to their native languages and street cultures:
- The Netherlands: Crews like 73 De Pijp and rappers like 3robi deliver fast-paced Dutch lyrics over heavy UK-style production.
- Ireland: Groups like A92 and artists like Offica achieved viral global success, blending small-town perspectives with sharp wordplay.
- Australia: The Sydney-based group Onefour pioneered Australian drill, gaining massive popularity despite intense scrutiny from local regulators and police.
- Ghana: The Kumerica movement, featuring artists like ChicoGod and Jay Bahd, blended local language and themes with heavy influences from Pop Smoke.
- Sweden, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Poland have also developed highly active drill communities, while African countries like Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa continue to embrace the sound enthusiastically.
Global Controversy
This global expansion has not come without friction. Due to its raw subject matter, drill music faces ongoing tension with law enforcement worldwide.
Authorities in the UK, Australia, and parts of the US have removed music videos from digital platforms, placed performance bans on artists, and even used lyrics as evidence in courtrooms. In the UK, police have heavily restricted certain performances, and artists like Digga D have faced unique requirements to submit lyrics to legal counsel prior to release.
Yet, the genre’s commercial and creative momentum remains unstoppable.
In 2021, Tion Wayne and Russ Millions scored a historic UK number one hit with their track “Body”, proving that drill has firmly cemented its place in mainstream pop culture and continues to heavily influence modern pop and R&B production.
How to Make a Drill Beat in 6 Steps
1. Set Your Tempo and Key
To start, open a new project in your DAW of choice and set your BPM.
For a modern UK or Brooklyn drill style, aim for a tempo between 140 and 150 beats per minute. This fast tempo provides the perfect grid for energetic drum programming while maintaining a heavy, deliberate half-time feel.
Next, select a minor key for your project. Minor scales are crucial for capturing that signature dark, ominous vibe.
Common choices for drill production include D minor, F minor, and G minor.
2. Program Your Drum Foundation
If you’re working in Soundtrap Studio, open the Patterns Beatmaker track to start building your rhythm section.
Begin with a hard-hitting kick drum and a sharp snare. While classic trap loops a simple one-bar pattern with the snare sitting strictly on the third beat, modern UK and Brooklyn drill relies on a two-bar phrase to create its iconic, syncopated bounce.
To get this signature feel, place your first snare on the third beat of the first bar, and push your second snare to the fourth beat of the second bar (or beat 8 if counting continuously). This off-kilter spacing is exactly what gives drill its driving, skippy momentum.
Next, focus on your hi-hats. Drill hi-hats are known for their high energy and complexity. Instead of a straightforward trap pattern, introduce triplets, rapid rolls, and varying velocity shifts.
You can also experiment with panning your hi-hat rolls slightly to the left or right to create an immersive stereo field.
Add claps, snaps, or crisp crash cymbals to drive the groove.
3. Dial In the Sliding 808 Bassline
The defining characteristic of modern drill is the low-end movement.
In Soundtrap, load up the 808 with the Glide virtual instrument. Lay down a bassline that follows the root notes of your chosen minor scale.
To get that signature drill sound, program pitch bends and slides between notes that sit at different octaves.
Pay close attention to how your bass notes glide up and down; this requires precise placement so that the slides hit perfectly in time with your kick drum, creating a powerful, cohesive bounce.
4. Layer Ominous Melodies
Once your rhythm section and bassline are hitting hard, it is time to build the atmosphere.
Use pianos or ambient lead synths to write a simple, looping melody using your minor scale. Keep the arrangement sparse so the vocals have room to breathe.
Since eerie flutes are a staple of UK drill, consider adding a flute track.
Experiment with pitch modulation, short note lengths, and velocity variations to give the flute an organic, haunting quality.
5. Leverage Built-In Drill Loops
In Soundtrap Studio, open the Loops tab and search for UK Drill. You can preview various melodic layers, percussion loops, and sound effects like sirens or gunshots to add tension to your track.
Soundtrap will automatically stretch and shift these loops to match your project’s current BPM and key.
For a fantastic starting point, check out some of these Drill Sound Packs in Soundtrap Studio packed with authentic drill samples and one-shots:
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Branché Jersey Drill Sound Pack
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Desert by Jay Cactus UK Drill Sound Pack
Soundtrap
6. Mix and Arrange Your Track
With all your elements in place, arrange your beat into a standard song structure.
Pro Tip: Start with an atmospheric intro that builds anticipation, followed by a hard-hitting verse section where the full drum pattern enters.
Then move into an energetic chorus, incorporating a stripped-back bridge for contrast, and conclude with a gradual outro that winds the beat down.
When mixing, use EQ to balance your frequencies; the trick with drill is to ensure your sliding 808 bass has plenty of room without muddying the kick drum.
Apply compression to give your drums maximum punch, and use subtle reverb and delay to wrap melodies in a spacious, chilling atmosphere.
When you’re ready to export, Soundtrap offers an Auto-Mastering option that instantly polishes your final mix for a professional, streaming-ready sound.
Conclusion
From its raw beginnings on the streets of Chicago to its massive global footprint today, drill music has completely redefined the sound of modern hip-hop production.
The ultimate draw of making this style of music is that it values atmosphere, raw energy, and sonic experimentation over polished technical perfection.
I’ve found that working on drill beats is a great way to sharpen your production skills, forcing you to think creatively about rhythm, bass manipulation, and spatial arrangement.
The best part about modern production is how perfectly it aligns with drill’s independent roots. All it takes is a vision and a basic setup to command this global sound, utilizing powerful pitch-bent basslines, complex drum machines, and haunting loops.
About the author
Tero Potila is a professional music composer and producer. His career combining knowledge and experience from music, TV, film, ad, and game industries gives him a unique perspective that he shares through posts on teropotila.com.
