Drill, like the tool?

The development of slang and vulgarity is crucial to the fruition of rap in Chicago, as at some point the songs sound less and less like proper English and more like a different language. This use of slang is great when having a conversation with a close friend, but to an unassuming listener the music itself can come off as indigestible. While rap happens to be a polarizing genre, it doesn't have to be incomprehensible to the average listener. In this article I'm looking to break down some of the variables that make the subgenre so unique, from the vocabulary to the content of the music.

(Chief Keef circa 2012)

"Trap" is a subgenre of rap music that focuses on a lineation of music from Atlanta in the 90s and 00s that took from the slang term "Trap House". The content of the music is usually NSFW, with frequent mentions of illegal operations, the life in the city, and occasional disses and tributes. At surface level most of this music should be shielded from the younger demographic, and while the argument is valid, understanding why people make the music is key to understanding the genre.

(Lud Foe & Lil Durk)

Most rappers, especially out of Chicago are rapping because they've expanded every other opportunity to make money. The glorification of the industry is easily done with the digitalization of music, however listening to the songs in depth usually provide a disturbing realization of the conditions. People usually listen to "Trap" or "Drill" music are not only listening for the catchy productions and rhymes, but the sheer emotion (positive & negative) that manifests itself in a musical production. 

(L'A Capone- "Play For Keeps" A Local Anthem)

Many of these productions are homemade, with local businesses or friends helping with the video. "Play For Keeps" as shown above was a popular song locally during the time of its release in 2012. One line stood out during the barrage of words, reading: "If he can't break bread he fake, I had one more buck on my plate, it was me & bro we was at the store and both of us got fifty cent cakes". One of my favorite quotes of all time, and a recognizable one for most Chicago natives. The line doesn't read too deep but the message is powerful, the hardships of growing up in an underprivileged and underserved community lead to seemingly menial decisions of splitting your last dollar, but these messages resonate with the community. These lyrics mixed with the amateur production and location make for a strong sense of emotion and a very catchy song. 

-D.B

West Side Best Side

 

*DISCLAIMER*: This blog contains sensitive topics, if this makes you uncomfortable please refrain from reading past the second picture

A little bias sure, but when you take a step back to look at where the musical influence originated from, you can't ignore "OutWest". People feel very strongly about where they come from within the city and stark differences between each area of the city helps to perpetuate that notion. To understand how people unofficially classify the city we have to look at the designated community areas (neighborhoods) and how Chicago uniquely classifies which streets line out where you are in the city of 2,600,000 residents.

This is one of the best visual maps I could find that helps to understand the clumping of neighborhoods as the city does very little to label the grouping of communities. Usually in the traditional view the city is split into 3, being the North, South, and West sides which are all divided by the river. This helps to generalize where you are referring to as not everyone knows where all 77 neighborhoods are located. When viewing the city in terms of musical influence the West Side has never been front and center, but consistently produces a wide range of vocal talent from the least publicized side of the city. 

Taking a closer look between the streets we can find artists like Twista, Lucki, Lud Foe, and VonOff1700 as of recently representing the communities they grew up in. Twisa represented the Garfield Park communities heavily throughout the 90s and 2000s after gaining notoriety from his 2004 album "Kamikaze" produced by Kanye West. Twista has the first certified platinum & 2x platinum rap album created by a West Side artist. This influence echoed hard throughout the community, as in the coming years everyone and their sister wanted to be a famous rap artist just like Twista. Being able to relate to an artist is one thing, but knowing them personally skyrockets your interest exponentially. Going to OPRFHS located just blocks west of city limits, I was immersed in the development of the genre over the years, befriending industry names and understanding differences between subgenres. 

  I personally knew 2 artists during my time at school and befriended one before his passing in 2023. Swagg2100, real name CJ was a rapper during the years of 2021-2023 where he released numerous singles, EP's, and albums before he overdosed on pressed percocet pills on august 29th 2023. I considered CJ a personal friend from 2020 and on, and I enjoyed his company and music in the time we knew each other. He still has a impressive listening on Spotify given the lack of releases, and has songs garnering over 200,000 plays over multiple platforms. Swagg left behind a baby girl, who is in good care with her birth mother in his home neighborhood of North Lawndale. In conclusion, not only am I a fan of the genre, but my personal life has found its way into the industry and I feel the need to raise awareness of the unrecognized artists representing for their underrepresented community. 

"Loyalty over love they only love you when you die" - Swagg2100

Check out CJ's music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3u88tAjGNyji0zwdU0Wnjs?si=6YQcYiMCSU-rSuJi0usTew

-DB

The Birth of Rap in Chicago

As divided the city of Chicago has become over the years, one thing has helped to unify the city. Music has always been embedded in Chicago's culture, from raising artists to being a reference point in popular songs, Chicago is a hot spot for musical talent across all generations. During the early 90s names like Twista, Common, and Da Brat were slowly and unknowingly pioneering a billion-dollar industry beneath the streets they grew up on. Aside from Twista's Guinness World Record for fastest rapper in 1992, notoriety was sitting low aside from occasional appearances from Da Brat on kids TV network Nickelodeon. As impressive as this may seem, the collective presence paled compared to the fame of Snoop Dogg, The Notorious & Tupac who were all arguably in their prime. Amid the buzz, a kid from the south side decided to start writing and recording music in his free time, not knowing he would be the greatest single influence in the world of Chicago Hip Hop/R&B.

In 1996, Kanye Omari West of the South Shore neighborhood recorded and published his first song titled "1996 Fat Beats Freestyle". Kanye's first "album" wasn't an album at all, but rather a collection of beats he had produced, as Kanye had taken akin to music production just as much as recording, leading to a unique fusion when he produced his songs. Kanye remained relatively unnoticed in the mainstream until his first studio album and 4x platinum + Grammy-winning "The College Dropout" released in 2004. However, the Rap scene between those years crucially developed to a point that allowed Kanye to take advantage of a perfect storm to fandom ( and eventual controversy ). Artists like Lupe Fiasco and King Louie were gaining local traction selling early mixtapes of their work.

Back in the early 2000s, rap labels were the only way into the game without industry connections. Twista had Atlantic, Da Brat had SoSoDef, but young artists were stuck doing everything by themselves. Artists took to hustling on corners selling prerecorded mixtapes on CDs of their newest work, if you lived in Chicago between 1998-2008 it wasn't uncommon to have people ask you to listen to their rhymes before you entered a store. This only goes as well as the other person's day is going, as usually the music wasn't worth your precious errand time. This was the state that the new generation inherited the industry in, how could an average person make it into the practice without an army surrounding them? 

-DB