UK drill pioneer PS Hitsquad on his solo debut: “I feel like I’ve spent my whole life on license”

Looking back, the dark, claustrophobic brand of UK drill pioneered by Peckham collective Zone 2 in the late 2010s is miles away from the more sanitised and commercial offshoots of the genre that have blown up in the years since. With members facing prison sentences, others fading into obscurity, and the likes of Kwengface and PS Hitsquad only recently finding success with solo pursuits, the group burned bright and fast; but their role in pushing UK drill into the mainstream is undeniable. “I see our influence in a lot of places, and it’s truly humbling,” PS tells NME over video call following the release of his debut album ‘Life on License’ earlier this month. “Right now there’s hella subgenres of drill, but you’ve gotta evolve with the times, and that’s what post-drill is about. There’s a bit of everything in there.” Post-drill, a rough conceptual label that’s been attached to PS Hitsquad’s recent creations, takes centre stage on the 26-year-old’s debut. It weaves in the suffocating menace that defined early beats by pioneering UK drill producer Carns Hill, adds bumpy percussive club elements that align with artists like UK jersey drill artist Pozer, and at times lightens things w...