Drill has always been a tale of two cities: Chicago and London. After its explosion at the hands of Chi-town innovators like
Chief Keef and
Young Chop, the genre found reinvention overseas, where groups like 150 pulled its components in new directions. The result was two distinct scenes, drawn from the same thread yet diverse in their sonics. Enter Brooklyn. Typically known in rap circles as the birthplace of legends, the borough formed its own variant of drill in the late 2010s. Divided into two main allegiances, Woo and Cho, the scene has developed a stacked roster of standout performers --
Sheff G, Aladdin Xantander, and Dah Dah, among others -- yet remained firmly in the underground. That is, until
Pop Smoke, whose single "Welcome to the Party" racked up millions of views on video streaming platforms in just a few weeks. As the first Brooklyn driller to break the mainstream,
Smoke has become the scene's unofficial ambassador, the face of the genre to a wider public.
The success of "Welcome to the Party" rides on synthesis; tapping from both Chicago and London, the song holds a distinctive Brooklyn character while retaining the genre's roots. This neat balance is evident across
Meet the Woo, the driller's first full-length project. Most notably, we see this on standout track "Hawk Em," where
Smoke invokes U.K. drill's typical delayed start for the battle cry of "It's big 092MLBOA," before merging a set of signature U.K. flows with his own. The same can be said of opener "Meet the Woo," which sees
Smoke pair Brooklyn slang with references to
Chief Keef and a U.K.-inspired beat from 808Melo. The success of these tracks lies in their balancing; through carefully blending his unique vocals with the genre's history,
Smoke creates an unforgettable opening run.
As the face of Brooklyn drill,
Smoke lets his own work do the talking, featuring no other vocalists over the album's nine-track run. Production comes at the hands of the U.K.'s 808Melo, who adds a much-needed homage to drill's history through London-inspired production. This, when combined with
Smoke's slushy, resonant voice, creates a blend of drill that is couched in both the genre's past and future. Whether it be the haunted cathedral sonics of "Scenario," the shifting bounce of "Dior," or the booming vocals of "Hawk Em," fans of the Brooklyn drill scene are sure to find something to like here. ~ David Crone