YoungstaCPT & RAF DON Drop New Joint Project, ‘You Know The Drill’

Cape Town-bred Hip-Hop artists, YoungstaCPT and RAF DON have dropped a new joint project titled ‘You Know The Drill’.  

The project, born out of a shared vision and musical chemistry, promises to redefine the landscape of South African Drill music.

The start of this collaboration can be traced back to the breakout success of their track "TEKKY?" in 2022. Inspired by the overwhelming positive response, YoungstaCPT and RAF DON recognized the potential for further musical exploration together. With the guidance of executive producer Shaney Jay, the duo embarked on a creative journey that resulted in the creation of ‘You Know The Drill’.

Describing the project, YoungstaCPT shares, "It's a drill project, so it's quite uptempo and hard-hitting. I would say only one song is really radio-friendly, whereas the others are more for fans of the drill sub-genre that's currently trending in hip-hop. It's not commercial, but I would say it's very current."

In contrast, RAF DON offers insight into the emotional depth of the project, stating, "This project takes you on an emotional rollercoaster. We tried to sonically and intentionally add a nostalgic feel and element to drill. That's why there are elements of sampling and interpolation on certain records on the project. We tried to cover street anthems, love songs, conscious drill, just giving the listeners an experience they've never gotten before on drill while staying true to the genre."

Reflecting on their favourite tracks from the project, YoungstaCPT states:

“I’d say ‘Bon Appetit’ would be my favourite song. It’s catchy, it was fun to make and it’s about food. Don’t think I’ve really heard a song that cool about eating and the making of it was enjoyable, so it’s always nice to make music you enjoy creating and listening to the finished product withm pride, just like a process of creating a meal for yourself and then liking the taste of it just as much.”

“That’s a tough question because depending on what mood I’m in, if I feel like a lover boy on that day I will lean more towards French kiss , if I feel like I’m in a party mood I’ll lean more to Bon appetit, all the songs has a unique feel and mood but if I could only pick one I’ll say xenophobia because of the message and the subject matter. I don’t think nobody has made a conscious drill song which speaks on a real and sensitive topic such as xenophobia.”, RAF DON states.

One notable track from the project, "Pagans", sees the artists adopting a British accent, a stylistic choice that pays homage to the origins of drill music. YoungstaCPT explains:

"As with my other songs like TEKKY and Benni McCarthy, drill grime music was popularised in the UK, and for that reason, it's our way of paying tribute to the originators of the sound."

RAF DON further elaborates, stating, "We wanted to tap into the essence of drill. It's more than just the accent but the lingo and slang too. And we've noticed that our listeners love that element of surprise. Like the title of the song itself is self-explanatory, 'pagans' is a drill slang."

In closing, RAF DON encourages listeners to immerse themselves in the project.

“Just go into this project and enjoy the music , learn new lingos/ slangs, expect to hear different flows, and melodies. Shout out to ShaneyJay who executive produced this project and we’ve been orchestrating this drill sound since 2020 as much as we are inspired by the Chicago & UK sound we always wanted to add our own flavour to it at the same time not staying away from the essence. Also shout to Verbb who’s been programming and engineering the music and sound since 2019.”

Stream ‘You Know The Drill’ below: