“Fuck the System”: Doing Research with My Bredrins, Black Men who are Unsigned Musicians in the UK Drill Scene in London

Fuck the system is a phrase people use to call out systems such as the education system, the housing system and the criminal justice system. UK Drill, a widely recognised form of Hip-Hop that originated in London in 2012, has received intense public scrutiny for bringing fuck the system into the spotlight, where it cannot be silenced or dismissed. In this research, I work alongside 51 Black men who are unsigned musicians in the UK Drill scene in London, and together we chant fuck the system to demonstrate our refusal to accept anything less than the freedom to thrive on our terms. It matters that I am a Black man living in London, and that those I spoke with are bredrins (friends) I have known well before this PhD in Media and Communication began in January 2021. I take part in this research both as a participant and as a contributor to its direction and scope. The personal nature of this research means that I do not position myself as neutral or objective.

What drives this research with me and my bredrins is our demand for respect at a time when London continues to change, denying Black men like us the right to belong. From February 2021 to August 2021, me and my bredrins met regularly for reasoning sessions, reflecting on how our experiences and realities have been systemically undervalued. This prompted us to take action and address the conditions affecting our lives. From September 2021 to March 2025, me and my bredrins were out here being active and visible nearly every day. Me and my bredrins: (a) shared stories about gentrification hitting our ends; (b) produced UK Drill music wherever we could; (c) stepped on stages in front of packed crowds; (d) spoke about how mainstream traditional media and social media are used as weapons to manipulate and distort perceptions of Black masculinity. Following this, from April 2025 to May 2026, me and my bredrins focused on putting our thoughts into writing, making sense of what could not be ignored and ensuring all voices were heard in their fullness. The central message emerging from this research is that me and my bredrins push back against the forces that attempt to contain Black cultural expressions, using our power to carve out space in any environment we choose.