A Guide To R&Drill — The Latest R&B Fusion Genre
A introduction to R&Drill (also known as RnDrill, R&D, or R’N’Drill), with a playlist of some of my favourite tracks within this new fusion genre.
Many fusion genres of R&B have emerged over the years — R&G (R&B + grime), R&Baile (R&B + Baile funk), crunk&B (R&B + Crunk), and so on. It’s almost inevitable for a popular rap or electronic subgenre to get someone singing R&B-esque vocals on it at some point.
Their lasting impact and influence varies of course — some would perceive these fusions to be a novelty or ‘gimmickey’. However, from another perspective, these fusions can add something new and interesting to genres that typically eschew from the stereotypical elements of R&B (such as singing, softer instrumentation, lighter topics such as love and relationships, etc).
In recent years, drill music — often defined by its violent lyricism, gang imagery, and real-world deaths associated with the genre — has been the popular zeitgeist amongst UK and New York rap music. Spearheaded by artists such as Pop Smoke, Fivio Foreign, Smoove’L in New York, and OFB, 67, Digga D, and Central Cee in the UK — the genre originated in Chicago around 2011, yet has since spread widely outwards across Europe, Australia, and has even made in-roads into Asia and South America. The lyrics in drill are typically negative, violent, with a dark underlying melody within the production.
And yet its this violent genre that is the latest to have an R&B fusion genre of its own. The dark production and melodies remain, but the violent lyrics are replaced with your standard R&B lyricism — love, parties, good vibes, and so on come to dominate R&Drill’s topics. Rapping, if it is included at all, is watered down, and violence tapered off so as to make it more accessible to a wider audience. Some drill fans would probably be hesitant to call it “drill” because of this, preferring instead the authentic violence they’ve come to expect from the genre, but you can’t deny the production is firmly within a drill soundscape.
In some respects, it shares similarities with trap-based R&B music, but the instrumentation is generally darker. And so, below, is a small selection of my favourite R&Drill songs — where Drill music meets R&B
#5 MayLee — Run It Up
MayLee’s song “Run It Up” was one of the first R&Drill songs I encountered. Released in 2020, the song is produced by McMemzy and features all your standard drill elements in the production — sliding 808s, trap snares, fast hi-hats, sliding 808’s all over the place, a dark melody flowing throughout the beat.
Unlike most drill music however, the rapper is replaced with a R&B vocals, and the violent lyricism is replaced with lighter topics such as frustrations with a relationship. This is a solid introduction to the fusion genre and a great R&B song in its own right.
#4 Nija — Ease My Mind (Come Over)
Most R&Drill songs are by British artists, however, that’s not to say nobody outside the UK has experimented with the genre. Nija is one such artist to jump on the wave — hailing from New Jersey (NJ), which hosts a drill scene of its own and is relatively close to the NY drill scene, Nija released “Ease My Mind” earlier this year in August 2021.
Rhythmic vocals and a hard hitting drill beat, the song is all about asking a special person to help you de-stress from whatever in on her mind in the moment.
#3 Isong — Pull Up
Isong was one of the first artists to make R&Drill, and was arguably the first to make a big tune with the sound.
#2 Cxrtis, NIBZMUSIC, Sophielou — 2am
“2am” was released in August 2020, another early entrance into the fusion genre. Vocalled by Sophielou (from Wolverhampton, England), “2am” has a dark soundscape accompanied by slow, haunting vocals.
#1 H33RA — My Baby
“My Baby”, by British singer H33RA, is a recent addition to the fusion genre RnDrill. The instrumental is lighter than some of the others on this list, with R&B melodies entwined with the drill sliding 808s, snares, fast hi-hats, and kicks.
The song itself is all about love and about that special person in your life.
If you’re interested in checking out some more R&Drill, check out the R&Drill playlist here!
