Trap Dancehall & Dancehall Drill Songs: 15 Picks

Trap dancehall is Jamaican dancehall vocals, from rapid patois flows to sung hooks, laid over trap production: rolling 808 bass, fast hi-hats and dark minor-key synths. Dancehall drill pushes further, borrowing the sliding bass notes and skittering snares of UK and New York drill. Essential tracks include Skillibeng’s “Crocodile Teeth”, Skeng and Nicki Minaj’s “Likkle Miss (Remix)” and drill-leaning duets such as Stalk Ashley and MXSSIVH’s “Therapy”.

Below are 15 songs from 2019 to 2025 that show where the sound came from and where it is going. Every credit and year was checked against official releases and music press, and every link goes to an official video or stream.

What this sound is

DancehallMag credits artists such as Squash, from St James, and Rygin King with popularising trap dancehall in the late 2010s, after Chicago’s drill scene showed how street rap and Jamaican flows could meet. Its defining traits:

Drums and bass: 808 sub-bass, staccato hi-hat rolls and minor-key synths replace the bright, bouncy riddims of classic dancehall.
The drill twist: drill production adds sliding 808 notes and off-beat, skittering snares, a style that travelled from Chicago to London and back to Brooklyn.
Delivery: deejays often ride the beat with the flatter, clipped cadences of drill rappers, while singers add melodic hooks on top.
Mood: moodier and more nocturnal than party dancehall. The newer “sexy drill” offshoot keeps the drums but swaps menace for R&B melody and romance.

The style has always drawn debate. In 2020 veterans including Bounty Killer and Beenie Man argued it was not a separate genre at all, and some critics objected to its themes. In October 2022 Jamaica’s Broadcasting Commission directed broadcasters not to air material that promotes illegal activity, including the illegal use of guns, whatever the genre. This playlist is about the sound, and it leaves out records known mainly for violent lyrical content.

The trap dancehall foundation

1. Dela Move – Chronixx (2020)

Proof that the production is not tied to one kind of message. DancehallMag noted the trap elements under this Chronixx single, which was released in March 2020 and deals with Rastafari spirituality rather than the street.

2. Crocodile Teeth – Skillibeng (2020)

A haunting beat and Skillibeng’s rapid-fire, monotone flow made this his signature hit, and a 2021 remix brought in Nicki Minaj. DancehallMag calls him one of the clearest examples of trap dancehall at its most synthesized.

3. C.A.L (Cut All Losses) – Valiant (2022)

Billboard lists this among the 2022 singles that established Valiant’s melodic take on trap dancehall. Over trap drums, he sings about the moment he realised a partner was only using him.

4. Likkle Miss (Remix) – Skeng & Nicki Minaj (2022)

Skeng’s single became an international moment when Nicki Minaj jumped on the remix, which reached No. 18 on Billboard’s Digital Song Sales chart. His hard-edged patois against her playful verse is the whole appeal.

5. Lick – Shenseea & Megan Thee Stallion (2022)

The lead single from Shenseea’s debut album Alpha, co-produced by Murda Beatz. It flips Pupa Nas T and Denise Belfon’s “Work” into a hip-hop beat built for a rap verse and a dancehall hook.

The drill blueprint

To hear what Jamaican artists borrowed, start with three drill landmarks from New York and London.

6. Dior – Pop Smoke (2019)

Pop Smoke’s signature song, produced by 808Melo, carried Brooklyn drill into the mainstream and was nominated for Best Rap Performance at the Grammys. Lyrically it is about flirting and designer clothes.

7. Body – Russ Millions & Tion Wayne (2021)

The first UK drill song to top the UK Singles Chart, helped by a TikTok dance challenge. The Evening Standard described it as a boast about wealth over rapid, clattering beats.

8. Munch (Feelin’ U) – Ice Spice (2022)

The Bronx drill scene leans on samples rather than synths. Produced by RiotUSA, this track trended on TikTok and showed how much room the drill beat leaves for a bold, playful personality.

Where drill meets dancehall

9. Forward From Trini – Nicki Minaj feat. Skillibeng & Skeng (2023)

A Caribbean-pride cut from Pink Friday 2, produced by Emelio Lynch and Bas Beats. DancehallMag noted its crowd noise and chants lifted from vintage Jamaican riddims, with verses from two of trap dancehall’s leading voices.

10. Really Like U – Stalk Ashley & Skillibeng (2024)

Billboard heard the skittering snares of New York drill under a stripped-back dancehall beat on this duet, which started with an Instagram DM and was nominated for Dancehall Collaboration of the Year at the 2025 Caribbean Music Awards. See every Stalk Ashley and Skillibeng collaboration. If you like this, try “Crocodile Teeth” for more of Skillibeng’s drill-style cadence.

11. Bad Gyal Remix – 450 & NLE Choppa (2024)

Released in June 2024, the remix adds the Memphis rapper NLE Choppa to 450’s melodic dancehall single, a direct line between American trap rap and Jamaica’s new school.

12. Senseless – Stalk Ashley, Skeng & Kraff Gad (2024)

Billboard described this July 2024 single as drill-indebted dancehall. Jaxx and KingBNJMN built the gritty production, Stalk Ashley takes the hook, and Kraff Gad’s flow switches stand out. It also appears on her debut album Stalky the Bratt. More on the Skeng and Kraff Gad collaboration. If you like this, try “Forward From Trini”, which also features Skeng.

13. Ravin’ – Najeeriii & MXSSIVH (2024)

The lead single from Montego Bay producer MXSSIVH’s planned album Live Fast, released through VP Records in December 2024. MXSSIVH has said trap beats first pulled him into production, and his work moves between dancehall and trap, which is why he suits this list.

Sexy drill: the softer side

14. Fisherrr – Cash Cobain & Bay Swag (2024)

Cash Cobain is the name most tied to New York’s sexy drill sound, which keeps drill’s hi-hats and clipped flows but adds R&B melodies and Auto-Tuned rap-singing. A dance challenge made this a viral hit, and Ice Spice joined the remix.

15. Therapy – Stalk Ashley & MXSSIVH (2025)

Released on VP Records on 27 June 2025, “Therapy” brings the sexy drill sound to dancehall, pairing fluttering hi-hats and moody melodies with Stalk Ashley’s sultry vocal. MXSSIVH is the sole producer. Read the story behind Therapy or see all her MXSSIVH collaborations. If you like this, try “Fisherrr”, a New York sexy drill hit.

Build the playlist

For a smooth run, start with “Dela Move” and “Crocodile Teeth”, move through the drill landmarks, then finish on the sexy drill pair of “Fisherrr” and “Therapy”. All three Stalk Ashley tracks are on her Spotify artist page, and her full catalogue is on our music page. Want something warmer? Try our R&B dancehall songs or the afro dancehall playlist.

Frequently asked questions

What is trap dancehall?

Trap dancehall sets Jamaican dancehall vocals over trap production, with 808 bass, fast hi-hats and dark minor-key synths. DancehallMag credits artists such as Squash and Rygin King with popularising it in the late 2010s.

What is dancehall drill?

Dancehall drill borrows the sliding 808s and skittering snares of UK and New York drill and pairs them with patois deejaying or dancehall hooks. Billboard described Stalk Ashley, Skeng and Kraff Gad’s “Senseless” as drill-indebted dancehall.

What is sexy drill music?

Sexy drill is a New York offshoot of drill that keeps the genre’s hi-hats and clipped flows but adds R&B melodies, sung hooks and romantic themes. Cash Cobain and Bay Swag’s viral “Fisherrr” (2024) is a good place to start.

Which Stalk Ashley songs have a drill sound?

“Therapy” with MXSSIVH (2025) draws on New York sexy drill, “Senseless” with Skeng and Kraff Gad (2024) is drill-indebted dancehall, and Billboard heard New York drill snares on “Really Like U” with Skillibeng (2024).

Is drill music banned in Jamaica?

No genre is banned. In October 2022 the Broadcasting Commission of Jamaica directed broadcasters not to air material that promotes illegal activity, such as scamming or the illegal use of guns, and that rule applies to any song regardless of style.

Trap Dancehall and Jamaican Drill Songs: 15-Track Playlist