{"id":1053270,"date":"2022-05-20T13:02:13","date_gmt":"2022-05-20T10:02:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1053270"},"modified":"2022-05-20T13:02:13","modified_gmt":"2022-05-20T10:02:13","slug":"these-women-rappers-are-busting-up-new-york-drills-boys-club","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1053270","title":{"rendered":"These Women Rappers Are Busting Up New York Drill\u2019s Boys\u2019 Club"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Columns<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

These Women Rappers Are Busting Up New York Drill\u2019s Boys\u2019 Club<\/h1>\n
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Plus more highs and lows from the world of rap this week, including a twerk-ready summer anthem from Glorilla and the stellar new tape from Shaudy Kash, the smoothest rapper in Detroit.<\/div>\n
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By <\/span>Alphonse Pierre<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

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Kenzo B is one of the rappers currently shaking up New York\u2019s drill scene. Graphic by Callum Abbott.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Pitchfork writer Alphonse Pierre\u2019s<\/em>rap column<\/em>covers songs, mixtapes, albums, Instagram freestyles, memes, weird tweets, fashion trends<\/em>\u2014and anything else that catches his attention.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Meet five women breathing new life into New York drill<\/h2>\n

In the early days of Chicago drill, women like Katie Got Bandz, Sasha Go Hard, and Shady were integral to the scene\u2019s rampant growth and a big reason why it felt so alive from the jump. Until recently, though, New York\u2019s iteration of the style has mostly shut women out, instead relying on a handful of the same gruff-voiced dudes. Especially after the death of Pop Smoke, the scene\u2019s irreplaceable creative engine, in 2020, New York drill became too monotonous, even for a longtime fan like me.<\/p>\n

But as the scene has expanded beyond Brooklyn and become less centered around a couple of gatekeeping YouTube channels, it\u2019s opened up considerably. This year, a wave of women have injected life into a regional subgenre that was running low on new ideas. Here are a few to know.<\/p>\n

Kenzo B<\/div>\n
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Kenzo B is a high school senior who grew up freestyling with her brothers\u2014one of whom is the Bronx rapper Bando, known for the Gotye-sampling local hit \u201cTalk Facts.\u201d But even if you didn\u2019t know that backstory, a quick listen to her rapidfire flow makes it clear that she knows her way around an off-the-dome verse. Her breakout single \u201cBump It\u201d has the freewheeling feel of a lunch period battle, with plenty of punchlines that threaten to beat up the girls talking shit in her comments. If there\u2019s anything off about \u201cBump It\u201d it\u2019s the mix\u2014her vocals are somewhat buried under the wonky, surf rock-sampling beat. For a cleaner listen check her out-of-body experience on \u201cThe Realest\u201d or a recent two-hander with Brooklyn\u2019s Young Devyn.<\/p>\n

Jenn Carter<\/div>\n
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New York drill rappers have been plagued by a dubious taste in beats, but that\u2019s not a problem with Jenn Carter. The Brooklyn up-and-comer has an ear for kinetic instrumentals, which serve as perfect backdrops for her fiery attitude and vocal outbursts. \u201cTreeshy\u201d is her most interesting song yet, as she gets flirty atop a jumpy club beat. The Jersey and Philly-rooted trend has yet to really be mastered by anyone from New York, though Jenn has come the closest so far. Her best single to date is \u201cMisconceptions\/Juliet\u201d with Kyle Richh\u2014over the course of four minutes and two different beats, the duo spit out more fast balls than a MLB closer.<\/p>\n

WinterDaBrat<\/div>\n
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At this point I\u2019m usually out on drill songs that employ obvious samples, but I have a soft spot for the beat on WinterDaBrat\u2019s \u201cHottest Youngin.\u201d It reworks Tanto Metro and Devonte\u2019s immortal 1997 dancehall single \u201cEveryone Falls In Love,\u201d which immediately makes me feel like I\u2019m in the midst of a lazy New York summer afternoon. Of course, WinterDaBrat\u2019s take is a lot less sweet. Above the sample, skittering hi-hats, and pulsing 808s, she sounds like a supervillain in Gotham City: Ready to throw hands with your mom and sister when she\u2019s not trying to rumble with a girl who\u2019s pushing her baby\u2019s carriage. Yeah, it\u2019s slightly overboard, but I would be hesitant to say that to her face.<\/p>\n

Shani Boni<\/div>\n
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If Shani Boni were born in another era, she would have probably been the breakout star of a DJ Kay Slay tape. Her verses are sharp, jerky, and dead-focused on finding new ways to say the same things. She\u2019s the type of rapper who I imagine would fit nicely on posse cuts, just clocking in for a 45-second heat check. She may not be super lyrical, but she rarely has dud bars. I\u2019m not sure she has a great song yet\u2014\u201cTalk Facts\u201d comes close\u2014but I find myself captivated anyway. She\u2019s already burning up the freestyle circuit.<\/p>\n

Ice Spice<\/div>\n
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What makes drill such a dominant subgenre is its sonic malleability. One offshoot style that has become increasingly popular is soul drill. These tracks are usually defined by a glum vocal sample a la JAY-Z\u2019s \u201cSong Cry\u201d alongside lyrics that weave together tough talk and painful memories (see: Kay Flock\u2019s \u201cBeing Honest\u201d and Set Da Trend\u2019s \u201cGet Home\u201d). The Bronx\u2019s Ice Spice has made her way into this territory with a pretty great freestyle for On the Radar. Her patient flow and somber voice bring to mind introspective tracks by Brooklyn drill standouts Sheff G and Sleepy Hallow. While she\u2019s still a bit raw as a rapper, Ice Spice knows how to create a mood.<\/p>\n

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Glorilla\u2019s early summer anthem contender<\/h2>\n
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The tables have turned. All the dudes who brag about their trifling ways get their just due with Memphis rapper Glorilla\u2019s inevitable summertime anthem \u201cFNF (Let\u2019s Go).\u201d The message is: I\u2019m done with your cheating ass and I\u2019m going to go party with my friends instead. \u201cI\u2019m F-R-E-E, fuck nigga free,\u201d goes the hook, so catchy that even the guys who have been dropped will sing along. In the video, Glorilla and her girls whip donuts in the parking lot, shake some ass, and jump around like their lotto numbers just hit\u2014and there\u2019s not a man in sight.<\/p>\n

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Sideshow: \u201cHenrik Clarke Kent\u201d<\/h2>\n
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Listening to Sideshow rap feels like flipping through a dusty photo album as he gives you a vivid anecdote to go with every picture. The Ethiopia-born rapper, who relocated to D.C. when he was 8, makes extremely personal music; I feel like I know him a little bit better with every verse.<\/p>\n

Last year, his breakout moment came when he went toe-to-toe with Boldy James on the Alchemist\u2019s warm and fuzzy-sounding EP cut \u201cTV Dinners.\u201d He carries that momentum into his latest project Wegahta Tapes Vol. 1<\/em>. The one I\u2019ve replayed the most is \u201cHenrik Clarke Kent,\u201d where, over a familiar yet soothing Evidence beat, Sideshow mixes clear-eyed reflections with words of advice from his close circle: \u201cMy brother from the land where they talkin\u2019 in all clicks\/Told me, \u2018Life hard don\u2019t trip over small shit\/And pick your words wise, don\u2019t speak all that nonsense.\u2019\u201d His lowkey delivery contributes to the intimate feel. It\u2019s a comforting slice-of-life portrait.<\/p>\n

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Mixtape of the week: Shaudy Kash and Topside\u2019s On the Yeah Side<\/em><\/h2>\n
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Shaudy Kash might be the smoothest rapper in Detroit. That says a lot. On the Yeah Side<\/em> is a peek at his day-to-day, full of blowing dope, hanging out in the city, making money every now and then, and womanizing. He lives like Eddie Murphy in Boomerang<\/em>, picking up women, building a connection, then telling them to hit the road when they catch feelings: \u201cLil bitch I ain\u2019t yo\u2019 man, don\u2019t be out here postin\u2019 me,\u201d he raps on \u201cTopside Freestyle.\u201d It\u2019s player rap, emphasized by a selection of Topside beats on the chiller side, less New Orleans funk and more Wiz and Curren$y-style breeziness.<\/p>\n

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EBK Young Joc: \u201cTikTok\u201d<\/h2>\n
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Stockton, California\u2019s rap scene is scorching, and a major reason for that is the EBK crew. EBK Young Joc, the collective\u2019s 23-year-old storyteller, has been laying down hard-boiled block tales for a minute. What makes his music interesting is the tonal dissonance, especially on a standout track like \u201cTikTok.\u201d His gloomy raps centered on local disarray are fundamentally at odds with the track\u2019s upbeat production. Over pummeling drums and hypnotizing vocal samples, he illustrates his mother\u2019s worry over his safety: \u201cMy mama told me, \u2018Baby watch how you do what you doin\u2019.\u201d She knows what he gets into, but she can\u2019t stop him. It\u2019s unsettling that lyrics this ominous are set to such a buoyant backdrop.<\/p>\n

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Chicken P: \u201cAll Dawgs Go To Heaven\u201d<\/h2>\n
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There\u2019s an argument to be made that the<\/em> artist of this current wave of Milwaukee street rap is Chicken P. Back when he was going by Lil Chicken, his Auto-Tune-soaked singles like 2016\u2019s \u201cGoin\u2019 Crazy Wit Them Racks\u201d and 2019\u2019s Jigg-assisted \u201cFast Cash Babies\u201d introduced outsiders, like me, to the entire scene. Years later, he\u2019s still a worthy entry point, constantly popping up on singles from lesser known rappers in the area and growing an expansive mixtape catalog.<\/p>\n

Lately though, I\u2019ve preferred the songs where he gives the Auto-Tune a rest and just slides over funk-infused Midwest grooves. \u201cAll Dawgs Go to Heaven\u201d is a standout from his new tape BussaBrick Vol.1: Deep in the Pot<\/em> (yeah, it\u2019s a mouthful). Over computer-generated chimes, bells, and a thick bassline, he smoothly rattles off tales of trust issues and the minute details of getting fast money. Usually his songs are rougher and a bit more manic, so this new one is a fresh twist. It\u2019s these slight stylistic shifts that make Chicken P a Milwaukee rap stalwart.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n

Source URL: https:\/\/pitchfork.com\/thepitch\/new-york-drill-rap-women\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Columns These Women Rappers Are Busting Up New York Drill\u2019s Boys\u2019 Club Plus more highs and lows from the world of rap this week, including a twerk-ready summer anthem from Glorilla and the stellar new tape from Shaudy Kash, the smoothest rapper in Detroit. By Alphonse Pierre May 20, 2022 Kenzo B is one of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[54],"class_list":["post-1053270","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-pitchfork-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1053270","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1053270"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1053270\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1053270"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1053270"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1053270"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}