Abstract
The drill music subgenre in the United Kingdom has been criminalised due to its violent content and image. British authorities believe that UK drill music glorifies, encourages, and contributes to crime and violence (Ilan, 2020; Kleinberg & Farlane, 2020; Debo-Aina, 2021; Schwarze & Fatsis, 2022; Fatsis, 2023). While this genre indeed involves violent themes, one can argue that it is questionable if artists intend to glamourise or encourage those themes.A literature review revealed that no prior research has explored artists' motivations, meanings, and experiences in creating UK drill music and its ongoing criminalisation. This exploratory qualitative study aims to humanise rappers by portraying them as equal human beings. The main objective of this study is to better understand what UK drill music is and to question dominant discourses about its criminal image, by exploring the motivations, meanings, and experiences of these artists themselves. By conducting in-depth interviews, I address the main research question of this study: What motivates young UK drill artists to make this type of music, and which meanings do they attribute to their music, the subgenre, and its criminalisation?
Empirical findings show that many UK drill artists are inspired by experiences in their cultural lifeworld and by people in the music industry. Many artists started with UK drill as a hobby and to express their struggles. Others were motivated to improve their own lives and those of others; as a way out of specific lifestyles and to seek financial stability. The subgenre can be seen as a contraculture as it includes controversial themes and opposes dominant societal norms and values. The commercialisation aspect and the introduction of cappers affected the authentic and passionate nature of the subgenre. The more outrageous one raps; the more attention and profit one can get. Although, likely, these cappers will not face legal consequences for their extremely violent lyrics, authentic artists who use the UK drill platform to express themselves do get more negative attention. All respondents in this study mentioned that they do not intend to glorify violence or crime. Many rather aim to spread hope and resilience. They face content removal, cancelled concerts, and legal issues due to the criminalisation. Drill artists are frequently portrayed as perpetrators when in reality they are often victims of (gang) violence and marginalisation. Some mention that the criminalisation is a symptom of larger societal issues and that authorities envy drill artists (often people of colour) and prevent them from improving their lives.
| Date of Award | 3 Jul 2024 |
|---|---|
| Original language | English |
| Supervisor | Abdelilah Ljamai (Supervisor) & A. C. (Caroline) Suransky (Supervisor) |