The artists below have a significant tie to Chicago Drill. They are all from Chicago from parts of the city which have been deemed “ghetto” because of the high altitude of criminal activity and gang violence. A lot of the motivation for their music and videos comes from the experiences of living within the violent atmosphere of Chicago’s underdeveloped regions. There music is a prime example of what defines Drill.

Chief Keef

Keith Cozart, better known by his stage name Chief Keef, is an American rapper from Chicago, Illinois. During his teenage years and while under house arrest, Keef’s music videos were met with acclaim from local high school students. Keef was one of the major contributors to the increasing popularity of Drill music, especially after signing major records. Ultimately, Keef signed a major record deal with Interscope Records and later signed with 1017 Brick Squad. Keef also became the CEO of his own record label, Glory Boyz Entertainment, which later developed into Glo Gang. Keef’s music is a prime example of the dark and violent lyrical content that Drill is known for.

Beware: Explicit Language in the video!!!

 

Young Chop
Tyree Pittman, a.k.a. Young Chop was another rapper from the Chicago, Illinois. As a major figure within the Chicago Drill scene, Young Chop has many affiliations with other young artists like Chief Keef. His music is another great example of the violent representation of the Drill background. In 2012, he gained widespread recognition within the American hip hop community for producing Chief Keef’s hits “I Don’t Like”, “Love Sosa” and “3Hunna”. Through his entrepreneurship a multitude of tracks were produced and increased the popularity of trap across the States.

Beware: Explicit language in video!!!

 

Lil’ Herb

Lil’ Herb is another one of the artists with an upbringing in Chicago, he is from the east side which is known as Terror Town. Herb is constantly compared to the hip-hop style of Chief Keef, and praised for having a higher lyrical inclination than Keef. His music is another prime example of what defines drill music and the influences that make it what it is today.

Beware: Explicit language in video!!!