HIP HOP STYLE

Drill drum patterns.

Sliding 808s, off-grid kicks and stuttering hats over a half-time snare, carried from Chicago to London and Brooklyn.

116 grooves
2010–2022
5 landmarks

The Drill timeline

19 of 19 grooves

2010
Hard in da Paint Open Hard in da Paint in a new tab
Waka Flocka Flame
Root: Lex Luger's brass-and-808 sound and Waka's delivery, both named major influences on early Chicago drill
2011
Bang Open Bang in a new tab
Chief Keef
Title track of Keef's 2011 mixtape; one of the viral YouTube videos that first carried Chicago drill online
2012
Landmark
I Don't Like Open I Don't Like in a new tab
Chief Keef ft. Lil Reese
Young Chop's debut-single beat: ominous synths, heavy 808s and busy, rattling snares that fixed the Chicago drill sound
2012
Kill Shit Open Kill Shit in a new tab
Lil Herb & Lil Bibby
Lil Herb and Lil Bibby's early duet, which NME ranks among the best pioneering Chicago drill tracks
2012
Landmark
Love Sosa Open Love Sosa in a new tab
Chief Keef
Young Chop's synth-brass and bell beat with crashes and busy snares, the classic Chicago kit; often called Keef's signature
2013
Let's Get It Open Let's Get It in a new tab
Stickz
Brixton RocBlock track NME calls arguably one of the first UK drill songs: Chicago drill moved onto London streets
2014
Landmark
Live Corn Open Live Corn in a new tab
67 (LD)
LD's first track under that name; 67 are credited as UK drill's founders, steering the sound toward a homegrown style
2014
Hot N*gga Open Hot N*gga in a new tab
Bobby Shmurda
Jahlil Beats' hard, sparse beat (first used by Lloyd Banks) took Chicago-influenced Brooklyn street rap to the top ten
2016
Suburban Open Suburban in a new tab
22Gz
Credited, with Sheff G's 'No Suburban', with first drawing attention to Brooklyn's own drill scene
2016
Let's Lurk Open Let's Lurk in a new tab
67 ft. Giggs
Road-rap veteran Giggs joins 67 on the track that marked the peak of UK drill's first phase
2017
Landmark
Kennington Where It Started Open Kennington Where It Started in a new tab
Harlem Spartans
Kennington anthem fans credit with taking UK drill mainstream in early 2017
2017
Moscow March Open Moscow March in a new tab
Moscow17
Peckham crew's high-energy 2017 return, a party staple of UK drill's breakout year
2018
Know Better Open Know Better in a new tab
Headie One & RV
Underground hit from The One mixtape that broke Headie One, who went on to UK top-five drill hits
2018
Crazy Story Open Crazy Story in a new tab
King Von
Narrative Chicago drill single that broke beyond the city when the local scene had gone quiet; spawned two sequels
2019
Landmark
Welcome to the Party Open Welcome to the Party in a new tab
Pop Smoke
British producer 808Melo's UK-style drill beat under a Brooklyn voice; credited with bringing drill to the US mainstream
2021
Body Open Body in a new tab
Russ Millions & Tion Wayne
First UK drill single to top the UK Singles Chart, five years after 67's first-phase peak
2021
Heartbroken Open Heartbroken in a new tab
Bandmanrill
Newark pioneer of club drill, setting drill flows over Jersey club's rapid kick patterns
2021
Being Honest Open Being Honest in a new tab
Kay Flock
Bronx drill built on a sample of XXXTentacion's 'Changes'; Pitchfork ranked it among 2021's best rap songs
2022
Munch (Feelin' U)Open Munch (Feelin' U) in a new tab
Ice Spice
RiotUSA's bouncy Bronx drill beat under a 1:44 song; Ice Spice's breakout and a Platinum US hit