Drill | Huck
Huck

Drill

Members Only

How the Home Counties took over UK rap

  • The Huck Long Read
  • Music
  • Fred Garratt-Stanley
  • 9 min read

Cristale: “Living in London taught me to be grateful”

What Made Me – In this series, we ask artists and rebels about the forces and experiences that shaped who they are. Today, it’s Brixton-born rapper Cristale.

  • Music
  • Cristale

Queen Millz: “Getting kicked out of school changed my life”

What Made Me — In this series, we ask artists and rebels about the forces and experiences that shaped who they are. Today, it’s leading Leicester wordsmith Queen Millz.

  • Music
  • Queen Millz

Kibo’s compendium of Kwengletarianism

Kwengletaria:Ragamyff — As UK rap’s latest prodigious MC announces his most ambitious project to date, Rob Kazandjian spends time with Kibo in a north London pub to chat about his rise, as well as the inspirations and ideologies underpinning his music.

  • Music
  • Robert Kazandjian

Why is the Met Police using EsDeeKid for ‘copaganda’?

Slop Enforcement — Among the AI slop and ragebait of late-stage social media, newsletter columnist Emma Garland has noticed a jarring trend – London’s police force appropriating criminalised subcultures for engagement purposes.

  • Culture
  • Emma Garland
Black man in striped shirt holding microphone, smiling. Colourful graffiti wall behind. Yellow "WHAT MADE ME" text overlay bottom left.

POZER: “Music was like an anchor”

What Made Me — In this series, we ask artists and rebels about the forces and experiences that shaped who they are. Today, it’s UK Jersey-drill purveyor POZER.

  • Music
  • POZER
Woman in grey athletic wear roller skating on wooden floor in dimly lit venue with other skaters in background.

In London, rollerskating’s revival rumbles with the city’s soundsystem culture

Rink magic — New quad skate events around the capital are being soundtracked by a cocktail of jungle, dancehall, amapiano, UK rap and more, in a uniquely London fusion. Ian McQuaid reports on the hybrid skate-dances, and the growing pains that the scene has faced.

  • Music
  • Ian McQuaid

How one of the UK’s most acclaimed MCs is moving into new genres

As his coming-of-age LP ‘ReBourne’ is released, it’s clear Blanco is unafraid to push his music in directions no one expects.

  • Huck80
  • Isaac Muk

V9 is bringing his larger-than-life personality to drill music

Murk with a Mouth — Following the recent release of his highly-anticipated mixtape, the rapper talks injecting humour and fun into his sound and challenging drill stereotypes.

  • Music
  • Robert Kazandjian

K-Trap: ‘Drill has lost its authenticity’

Return of Trapo — Following the release of his fourth mixtape last month, the 25-year-old talks leaving his past life behind and drill cracking the mainstream.

  • Drill
  • Robert Kazandjian

LD, godfather of drill, speaks out from behind bars

‘I‘m free to fly‘ — To mark the release of his new LP, the frontman of south London group 67 calls from prison to discuss his fraught past, dismantling the Tories and embracing the multitude of ways drill has evolved.

  • Music
  • Dhruva Balram

How police prosecute drill artists with their own music

Lyrics on trial — The police have long seen Black music as synonymous with violence. Now, they're targeting drill artists by monitoring their music and using their lyrics as evidence to link them to crimes.

  • Activism
  • Samir Jeraj

Huck is supported by our readers, subscribers and Club Huck+ members. It is also made possible by sponsorship from:
Black and white O'Neill logo in a bold, stylised font against a black background.
You've read articles this month Thanks for reading

Join Club Huck — it's free!

Valued Huck reader, thank you for engaging with our journalism and taking an interest in our dispatches from the sharp edge of culture, sport, music and rebellion.

We want to offer you the chance to join Club Huck [it's free!] where you will receive exclusive newsletters, including personal takes on the state of pop culture and media from columnist Emma Garland, culture recommendations, interviews and dispatches straight to your inbox.

You'll also get priority access to Huck events, merch discounts, and more fun surprises.

Already part of the club? Enter your email above and we'll get you logged in.