The Women Of Drill: Shaybo [@shaybomusic], TeeZandos [@teezandos], and Lavida Loca [@kinglavidaloca]

Drill is a genre that has been buzzing, but it’s taken a while for the women to make noise in it.

We all know about Drill at this point, but what about its women? Drill is everywhere and it’s here to stay, even mainstream media picked up on it. One thing that we haven’t seen, or at least not that much of, is women taking the spotlight in it. It has been a genre dominated by men. Maybe that’s because its background and birthing were from elements of street culture where you are more likely to find men than women. Luckily though things are changing on the music side, and there are three women that are at the forefront of this.

Shaybo, TeeZandos, and Lavida Loca are all cold, that is undeniable. But it has likely been the case that they have had to prove that more than their male counterparts because, well because unfortunately, fans seem to just make it harder for female rappers in general. Whether it’s fans inability to get over the female voice or idea of what being a woman is, the road for female rappers is particularly tough. Add in that they will be more than likely pigeonholed by the industry and it’s no wonder there aren’t more female rappers as prominent as there are male ones.

Luckily the three above have seemingly broken those rules on the most controversial genre the UK has had in a while. They haven’t watered themselves down, and they equally haven’t tried to make the genre any more watered down to appease anyone. These three are unapologetically themselves and bring much needed diversity to the scene. But they are more than just diversity, their talent is clear to be seen – they are up there with the best of the genre, women or not.

TeeZandos

TeeZandos brings that crud every time. Now as a Homerton resident that’s no real surprise as the area is responsible for not only some of the darkest Drill artists but some of the best. Despite only having 3 tracks out now to date, she has already brought huge attention to her. She’s even featured on Kenny Allstar‘s Voice of the Streets platform as well as Drills new home of freestyles Who’s Got Bars? presented by Walkz. It is still early days for her, but her potential and work rate look like they will pay off big time.

Shaybo

Shaybo is not new to this by any margin. Shaybo is the self-proclaimed ‘Queen of the South’, so you already know where she’s from. Her run in the game hasn’t been the smoothest, as she’s almost coming up to having been doing music on and off for 9 years now but it is finally paying off. She has spent her time in the game constantly improving and it seems like on drill she’s found her comfort zone. Blending the genre with her Yoruba heritage allows for a versatile sound that doesn’t get repetitive and leaves room for her to grow even further should she choose to.

Lavida Loca

Last but not least is Lavida Loca. Born in Malawi and raised in Nottingham, she moved to South London the birthplace of the UK’s Drill scene. She is an interesting one to say the least, and although she’s here as one of the women in Drill she could easily be on a Rap list. She is comfortable across both genres and if she continues with the way she’s been delivering she will be around for a long time. Similar to TeeZandos, despite her short track record so far she’s already caught the attention of tastemakers like Kenny Allstar which is always a good sign.