M24 interview - drill uk

M24, the emerging UK drill phenomenon.

We want to launch the first episode of our new special feature dedicated to the UK Hip Hop scene, introducing one of the most exciting talents coming from Brixton, the notorious borough of London. M24 is young, ambitious and he embodies the main traits of the UK drill wave that has also recently invaded New York.

The Uk Drill scene “exploit”

2020 is, without any doubt, the year of the definitive blow-up of the Drill movement, not only for what concerns the United Kingdom and the London boroughs, but internationally. In fact, for a couple of years this sound has been taking over even the Rap scene of New York, once considered the Mecca of Hip Hop, where the musical influences were generated and not imported.

We could define the Drill genre as a sub branch of the Hip Hop music, influenced by Chicago’s drill-trap movement, with its 808 drums machines, a contradistinctive bassline, mixed with some of the characteristic UK Grime’s sounds and flows. A wave that has reached its peak in the UK streets in the recent years. One of the most exciting London’s drill rising stars is M24, a South London native, who is now expanding beyond national borders, conquering the rest of Europe.

M24, the young lion of Brixton.

Raised in Brixton, M24 has started his music career being part of the “150crew, who ,thanks to the music videos of  “‘Do it & crash’ and “Smokey Things”, generated an important buzz around the crew’s name

But the single that has definitely launched M24 solo career is “We Don’t Dance”, with the iconic UK drill pioneer, Stickz, permitting to the young Brixton artist to be noticed and to collaborate with some of the most established rappers within the scene, as for example Yungen, Tion Wayne and Unknown T.

So, this summer, M24 was able to release his first official project called “Drip’n’Drill”, a mixtape filled with several hits and important guests, showing both his drill trademark sound and his versatility as a rapper.

His latest single, “Nikeys” , released this October and produced by the legendary London producer Leka Beats, is a street anthem dedicated to the iconic sneakers brand ( precisely to the “Air Force One” model ) and a metaphor of the street life that forces you to run away from the problems and the violence of the hood, but it could crease a sneaker that should be kept intact.

Now, we got a chance to have a quick chat with M24 to introduce his music to our international audience.

To our question to introduce himself he immediately proudly underlines his Brixton belongings and he honestly admits “I’m a 22 years old guy who has been doing music just for three years and , actually, It’s only in 2019 when I started to take music seriously” .

Despite his young age, he has a clear perception about what his artistry is about and, at the end, what he has brought to our table is permeated by a strictly Hip Hop mentality:

I wouldn’t specifically said I’m going to do drill music… I just started making music around the life I live and my life experiences… so the category that it fit in was drill… And I believe I was influenced through the music background that my family has, also the music I used to listen to when i was young… I believe that all had a part to play”.

M24 , also, knows exactly where his talent and potential can take him and it would be a chance that not many kids trapped in their hood life can dream about: “In terms of what I would like to achieve, I want to become a worldwide artist… I want to inspire people with similar backgrounds to me, to kinda show them that anything is possible”. 

We can say he already demonstrates a good clue of the rap game too , as he knows quite well, that an immediate and quick rising success is not a guarantee for a solid music career. It’s like a “marathon”, as Nipsey Hussle preached. In fact, asking him about his career goals, M24 states:  “…lastly I believe in being a longevity artist”. But every growth starts from the soil and for growing up correctly, you firstly must know your roots.

So we asked M24 about his notorious borough, located in the South London area, called Brixton, and how it has influenced his music: Brixton is a very well known area for many things…such being an iconic tourist attraction, its culture, its people diversities. The other side to that is the bad stigma that it holds through previous crime that’s happened: well known gangs have come from Brixton and I will say it is different from a lot of areas”.

Now the so-called Drill sound exploded worldwide, but, actually, in the words of M24,  “Brixton was the first area that in fact started drill music in England”.  So then it went globally mainstream, also, thanks to the New York Drill star Pop Smoke (R.i.P), prematurely died this year, or Fivio Foreign with whom, M24 says, he would like to collaborate.We firmly believe that M24 is on the right path to fulfill his dream and without a doubt he is one of the finest drill artists emerging from the London UK drill scene and you should definitely check him out!!!

 

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