Drill rap’s heir apparent, Fivio Foreign, released his debut album, B.I.B.L.E., over the weekend, enjoying a positive response after months of buildup. However, fans of New York’s underground rap scene might have wondered why he didn’t feature any of the other members of the drill rap movement such as Sheff G, Kay Flock, Rah Swish, or Sleepy Hallow. Instead, the album contains guest appearances from big names like Alicia Keys, ASAP Rocky, Kanye West, and Quavo. In a new interview with Complex, the 32-year-old newcomer explained why he left off his peers in favor of big stars.
“Right now, I’m elevated,” he said. “For sure, I want to help people and put people on… But I wanted to have elevated, lit songs. I was thinking about going viral.” However, that doesn’t mean he wasn’t thinking about his immediate cohort when crafting the album. “I got a couple [drill] n****s on the deluxe.”
Fivio isn’t the only drill artist to receive criticism for seemingly leaving his fellows in the rearview on his major debut. Pop Smoke, Fivi’s predecessor to occupy the drill rap throne before being gunned down in early 2020, also featured big names like Quavo on his own debut rather than drill rap compatriots. However, like Fivi, Pop Smoke apparently wanted to prove himself a more expansive artist with Shoot For The Stars, Aim For The Moon, and eventually did release a deluxe version that introduced listeners to more drill artists like Dread Woo and Dafi Woo, as well as featuring frequent collaborator Fivio Foreign.