Posh UK drill and the myth of the respectful parodist

Bibliographic Data

ID4304255
AuthorsJamie Johnson (0009-0007-2887-2256, University of West, corresponding author)
Year2025
Volume44
Issue2
Pages1-7
Publication date2025-09-30
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePopular Music (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0261-1430 • E-ISSN: 1474-0095
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s0261143025101098
OpenAlexW4414620917
LanguageEN
References cited9

In recent years, the genre of UK drill has become the target of a range of 'posh' musical parodies. These parodies come in various forms, from private school students making TikToks under the hashtag #privateschool that use the genre's reputation to illustrate their own privilege (Hall 2020; Complex UK 2023), to folky YouTube covers of drill songs that play off the musical differences between the two styles. Some of these parodies juxtapose UK drill's reputation as a working class and Black British artform with upper class and white stereotypes, providing a sharp reminder of the issues that can arise through unnecessary socio-cultural comparison. In addition, many creators of these parodies appear to hide behind a veil of self-reflexive acknowledgement to mask the various ethical quandaries that arise in their work, often passing harmful content off as self-deprecating fun

Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies · Linguistic Variation and Morphology

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