Brooklyn Drill

[luka]

The other thing to speculate about is how gentrification and immigration is impacting New York rap music.

 

[luka]

And how that compares to London.

 

[luka]

The change in what it means to be black and British from a relatively homogenous West Indian identity to a much more disparate and fractured one which also encompasses all of Africa.

Of course American rap was never solely African American but I do wonder if there are parallels there with eg the Haitians or the West Indian background of the Brooklyn lot or things like this

 

[luka]

If Crowley hadn't turned on us we could have quizzed him but maybe wild, ignorant and unsupported speculation is more fun I dunno

 

[sadmanbarty]

I did want to mention that pop smoke is half Jamaican (unified field theory of tresillo), but it’s too much of a stretch

 

[luka]

In both cities there's been a huge wrench from tradition. A break in continuity. And I'm wondering if immigration and gentrification are the primary cause.

 

[luka]

I did want to mention that pop smoke is half Jamaican (unified field theory of tresillo), but it’s too much of a stretch

I don't think so. The West Indian-ness of Brooklyn and the backgrounds of their drill artists is always mentioned anytime this music is talked about. No one has failed to notice it.

 

[luka]

"It was '76 to 1980
The dreads in Brooklyn was crazy
You couldn't bring out your set with no hip-hop
Cos the pistols would go..."

 

[DannyL]

The change in what it means to be black and British from a relatively homogenous West Indian identity to a much more disparate and fractured one which also encompasses all of Africa.

]

More wild unsupported speculation ahoy, but might this have something to do with lack of reggae influence in drill? Proving a negative is always hard I guess. And the guys making this music must be two generations removed from reggae's heyday, so it might just be time...

 

[DannyL]

I thought I heard that kinda thing in Loski's MCing which was why I liked him. Was his Dad a rapper or something?

 

[luka]

Bartys unified field theory of tresillio says there is a strong dancehall influence in drill but even taking that into account I think that's right and it's been that way for almost 20 years now.

 

[luka]

I thought I heard that kinda thing in Loski's MCing which was why I liked him. Was his Dad a rapper or something?

Yeah in PDC. A very early 'gang moving into rap' thing from Brixton.

 

[luka]

 

[luka]

Mark Duggan's son is a rapper in OFB

 

[DannyL]

"It was '76 to 1980
The dreads in Brooklyn was crazy
You couldn't bring out your set with no hip-hop
Cos the pistols would go..."

To digress a second, would guess this was a reference to yardies? Don't know if you've read much about them but whew.... not aiming for longevity might be one way to put it.

 

[luka]

I remember londons yardie panic in the 90s. The evening standard got a lot of mileage out of it!

 

[luka]

Duggan was affiliated with North Star who again were another of these early gangs pushing into music in the '00s.

 

[DannyL]

Revisited some of it after reading "A Brief History of Seven Killings" - it's backbone is effectively a history of yardies. It culminates with one yardie character shooting up a crackhouse which was based on a real incident.

 

[luka]

 

[luka]

Is it safe to go outside today btw? I'm hungry but it looks scary out there. Have any of you been out yet?