drill
/drɪl/
Very CommonA subgenre of rap with dark, sparse beats and street-reality lyrics, originating in Chicago and spreading globally.
The word also acts as a verb in street slang meaning to attack, which has cultural weight in the music. Using it casually without that awareness can be tone-deaf.
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | UK drill really took the Chicago template and made it its own thing. | British producers and artists adapted the original sound into a distinct style. | reddit, 2022 |
| 02 | Chief Keef basically invented the sound that became drill. None of this exists without him. | Chief Keef's early 2010s Chicago recordings created the template for the whole genre. | x, 2023 |
| 03 | Pop Smoke put Brooklyn drill on the map globally. | Pop Smoke's music introduced New York's version of drill to international audiences. | instagram, 2021 |
| 04 | The way that 808 slides on a drill beat hits different at 2am. | The specific bass pattern in drill production has a particular emotional quality at night. | x, 2024 |
| 05 | Even pop artists are rapping on drill beats now. The sound is fully mainstream. | Drill production has crossed over from underground rap into pop music. | reddit, 2023 |
Use it when
- Referring to the musical genre or its sound aesthetic.
- Describing music with dark, minimal production and street lyrical content.
- Distinguishing between Chicago drill, UK drill, and Brooklyn drill.
Do not use it when
- Using the verb meaning loosely without understanding its street context.
Variations and related forms
Drill vs trap
drill
Drill is darker, slower, more minimal, with heavy street-reality lyrical focus.
trap
Trap is broader, faster hi-hats, and spans more moods from party to introspective.
Origin and context
Emerged from Chicago's South Side around 2010-2012, associated with artists like Chief Keef, Lil Durk, and G Herbo. The name references street slang for conflict. UK artists adapted the sound into a distinct variant by the mid-2010s. Brooklyn drill followed with Pop Smoke's rise around 2018-2019.
- First seen
- 2012
- Confidence
- high
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/drill