24/02/2022
Like the rappers who shaped the Chicago and English drill scene, 22Gz, Sheff G and their peers used the realities of the criminal cultures around them to create extremely relevant, instinctive music that was deeply connected to their neighborhoods. And just like in Chicago, the whole scene was steeped in the constant conflict and deep animosity inherent in rival gangs.
The only difference was that the beats kept coming in from London. AXL Beats wasn't the only foreign beatmaker who helped shape Brooklyn's new sound: compatriots 808 Melo, Yoz Beats, Swirv and Yamaica also caught fire for supplying those dark but energetic beats to New York rappers.
808 Melo, the London-based producer of one of the big UK-drill hits, Headie One's "Know Better," connected with the Brooklyn scene thanks to Sheff G. Naturally, it happened via YouTube: Melo uploaded an instrumental called "Sheff G type beat" to the site; he heard it, downloaded and recorded the song "Panic Part 3," featuring Sleepy Hallow and Fresh G