- A gripping look into the darkest side of UK drill.
- DigDat's breakout single "AirForce" rode the crest of an exciting wave of UK drill in 2018. The 22-year-old Deptford rapper, real name Darren Diggs, has since become known for fast, intricate flows, bright wordplay and beats that lean on ominous synths and sliding 808s. His first project since January 2020's Ei8ht Mile lacks the clean finish and big-name features of the previous mixtape, but it's still a fierce, snappy return that channels the dark energy of early UK drill.
Against the skippy hi-hat triplets and heavy sub bass of Pain Built's "Intro," he barks, "DigDat live what he's chattin' / Rap with a hundred grand on his wrist." Bars about cash, jewellery and clothes might seem a little clichéd, but when you look at DigDat's past, you can see why he's celebrating his present. He spent time in jail aged just 13, and he's open about the disorienting effects of teenage imprisonment. On "VV," he spits, "PO said I'm not serious, need experience, search for jobs / But I don't wanna stack no shelves / OT's only time I'm setting up shop," a nod to his experiences of "out-of-town" crime.
Both tracks feature synths and beefy basslines that strike with the fierceness of formative early UK drill anthems like 67's "PCD." And Pain Built's links to the mid-'10s UK drill blueprint don't end there. While artists like Tion Wayne and Arddee have built a huge mainstream audience by developing a lighter, more commercial drill sound, DigDat sticks to the dark melodies and violent lyrical content pioneered by the likes of Carns Hill, 67 and Harlem Spartans. His lyricism might not carry the weight of elite storytellers like LD, but DigDat still cuts sharply through this menacing backdrop with skippy, pun-driven bars like "Bullet boy, I'm Ashley / I can't let her hold on mine / Sometimes I feel like Skrapz / Why? I can't stop rolling with Nines."
DigDat's songwriting still often feels like a work in progress. While other leading lights of the scene, like Digga D or Tion Wayne, have mastered the art of catchy hooks, neat verse structures and simplistic flows, this mixtape plays more like a succession of two or three minute freestyles. Diggs' lyrical finesse is showcased in tracks like "VV" and "How High," but the more intensely uptempo and less polished parts of Pain Built can dull his incisive delivery a little. Overall it's a snappy mixtape loaded with clever wordplay and moody instrumentals paying homage to some of the early titans of UK drill. Pain Built might not hit the highest highs of Diggs' previous work, but he remains a seriously undervalued member of the UK drill scene. The young rapper is still honing his craft, and in returning to the sound's roots he offers a strong counterpoint to the lighter drill sound that has infiltrated the UK mainstream.
Tracklist01. Intro
02. Die A G
03. Blue SVR
04. Dottys Cost Jeans
05. Side Of Da 9 Gotta Star
06. VV
07. Assassin Creed
08. Don't Slip
09. Dig Dat
10. How High