Drill rappers Fivio Foreign, Maino, and several others, met with New York City Mayor Eric Adams Tuesday evening after he suggested banning some music videos from social media. Drill is a style of rap originating in the south side of Chicago in the 2010s. Since then, the subgenre has become a phenomenon in places like Seoul, New York, and Dublin. It’s characterized by heavy trap beats and often dark lyrics, usually talking about violent or other illicit activities.
We pulled Trump off Twitter … yet we are allowing music displaying of guns, violence.”
“We pulled Trump off Twitter … yet we are allowing music displaying of guns, violence.”
— NYC Mayor Eric Adams (D), after his son sent him drill rap videos, says he will try to get the videos banned from social media. pic.twitter.com/ATGmhpi4Bo
— The Recount (@therecount) February 11, 2022
In a 42-second video posted to Instagram, Maino along with a dozen other rappers, met with the mayor to come to an understanding about the genre. “There’s been a lot of talk about drill rap, drill music in New York City, connecting violence with the culture,” said Maino. “I just wanted to create a conversation with the mayor.” New York City has seen an increase in crime since the pandemic started. Among these crimes, are last month’s murders of Drill rappers Chii Wittz and Tdott Woo in Brooklyn.
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Rap Music and Violence
The implication that rap music sparks violence, is far from new. In the 1990s, groups like N.W.A elicited the same response. People protested and insisted radio stations stop playing rap that encourages violent behavior. The current reaction to drill rappers is similar. However, others argue that the music itself isn’t causing violence. The primary attribute of the subgenre existing is storytelling. Specifically, the purpose is to tell the stories of disenfranchised communities.
In the Instagram clip, Mayor Adams said he and the drill artists he met with, would “roll out something together soon.”
