How to Make Jersey Club & Drill Beats: Production Guide
Jersey Club and Drill have dominated the sound of Hip-Hop in the last few years.
Jersey Club brings the frenetic energy—bed squeak samples, rapid-fire drums, and infectious vocal chops that make you want to dance. Drill brings the darkness—sliding 808s, menacing melodies, and that unmistakable tempo that defines street music globally.
These genres seem different on the surface, but they share something important: both reward technical precision. The timing, the sample selection, the specific drum patterns—getting these details right separates authentic productions from imitations.
These genres move fast. If you're not studying what's working right now, you're already behind.
Jersey Club Fundamentals
Jersey Club originated in Newark and surrounding areas, growing from Baltimore Club and House influences. The tempo sits around 130-140 BPM—faster than most Hip-Hop, designed for dancing rather than rapping.
The genre's defining element is the "bed squeak"—that rhythmic creaking sound that drives countless tracks. This sample has become so iconic that Jersey Club productions feel incomplete without some version of it. Variations exist, but the concept remains: a rhythmic, almost percussive texture that creates urgency.
Drums in Jersey Club are relentless. Kicks hit in rapid patterns, often every eighth note or faster. Snares create the groove backbone, frequently placed on unconventional beats to create syncopation. Hi-hats fill every available space with rolls and variations.
Vocal chops are essential. Short snippets of vocals—often just a syllable or two—are repeated rhythmically, becoming melodic elements. The chops are usually time-stretched, pitched, and processed heavily. Think of the vocal as another percussion instrument rather than traditional melody.
Creating That Jersey Energy
Start with tempo. 130-140 BPM is the sweet spot. This speed creates natural energy without being overwhelming.
Program your kick pattern first. Jersey Club kicks are busier than typical Hip-Hop. Try kicks on every eighth note with variations—drops, stutters, rolls. The kick drives the energy; everything else reacts to it.
Layer your drums. A single kick sound rarely has enough complexity for Jersey Club. Layer two or three kicks—one for low-end punch, one for mid presence, one for click. Same approach for snares. This layering creates the dense, full drum sound the genre requires.
Find or create your bed squeak. Sample libraries include various versions, or you can synthesize approximations. The sound should be rhythmic, pitched to your key, and mixed prominently. It's as important as your drums.
Chop vocals aggressively. Take any vocal sample—acapellas, songs, spoken word—and slice it into tiny pieces. Time-stretch the syllables, pitch them to your key, and trigger them rhythmically. The result should feel almost percussive.
UK and Brooklyn Drill Essentials
Drill began in Chicago around 2012, then spread to London where it evolved into UK Drill, and to Brooklyn where it merged with local sounds. Each variant has distinct characteristics, but shared DNA connects them all.
Tempo sits lower than Jersey Club—usually 140-150 BPM. But here's the key: drums play in half-time, creating a feel closer to 70 BPM while the hi-hats run at double tempo. This contrast defines the genre's swagger.
Sliding 808s are non-negotiable. The pitch slides between notes create that menacing, slithering bass character. If you're not using slides, you're not making Drill. Understanding 808 programming is essential here.
Quality source sounds matter in drill more than most genres. The PARADISO Sound Kit includes properly tuned 808s with the sustain and character drill demands — ready for pitch automation right out of the box.
Melodies are dark. Minor keys dominate—often using Phrygian mode for extra tension. Piano and strings are common, processed with reverb and delay. The atmospheric approach of Travis Scott production applies here too—create space, build tension.
Drill Drum Programming
The signature Drill pattern: kick on 1, snare on 3 (half-time feel), hi-hats running constantly in triplets or sixteenth notes with frequent rolls and variations. Simple to describe, precise to execute.
Triplet hi-hat patterns define modern Drill. Program your hi-hats in triplet grid, not straight sixteenths. The swing this creates is essential to the groove. Vary velocity constantly—louder accents, softer fills.
Hi-hat rolls and stutters add complexity. Fast 32nd-note rolls into accents, triplet stutters, unexpected patterns—these flourishes separate basic Drill from expert-level production.
The snare needs weight. Layer a clap with your snare, add reverb for space. UK Drill snares often have a longer reverb tail than Brooklyn variations. Both should feel powerful without washing out the mix.
Mixing for These Genres
Jersey Club mixes are bright and energetic. The highs are present—hi-hats and vocal chops cut through clearly. The low end punches but doesn't overwhelm. Everything sounds intentionally busy and exciting.
Drill mixes are darker and more aggressive. Heavy low end from those sliding 808s, menacing midrange from minor-key melodies, controlled highs. The vibe is threatening, not joyful.
Both genres benefit from understanding Hip-Hop mixing fundamentals. Sidechain compression between kick and 808 is essential for Drill. Careful high-frequency management prevents Jersey Club's busy arrangements from becoming harsh.
Current Trends and Evolution
Jersey Club is crossing over into mainstream pop. Artists like Ice Spice brought the sound to wider audiences. The tempo and energy translate well to club contexts, and the genre continues evolving as producers experiment.
Drill has fragmented into regional variations. Brooklyn Drill differs from UK Drill differs from Chicago's original sound. Each variant has distinct characteristics, but the core elements—sliding 808s, dark melodies, half-time drums—remain consistent.
Fusion happens constantly. Jersey Club energy meets Drill 808s. Drill melodies over Jersey Club drums. The genres influence each other, and producers who understand both have more creative options.
Typical BPM for Jersey Club Music
The typical BPM for Jersey Club music falls between 130 and 140 BPM, with the sweet spot sitting right around 135-140 BPM. This tempo range is what gives Jersey Club its signature frenetic dance energy that separates it from slower Hip-Hop subgenres.
To put this in context: standard Hip-Hop sits around 85-100 BPM. Trap ranges from 130-170 BPM but plays in half-time, effectively feeling like 65-85 BPM. Jersey Club's 130-140 BPM plays at full speed, which is why it generates so much physical energy on the dance floor.
Tracks by DJ Smallz 732, Cookiee Kawaii, and Bandmanrill typically land around 137-140 BPM. Ice Spice tracks, which brought Jersey Club to mainstream audiences, tend to sit closer to 135 BPM, slightly slower to accommodate vocal delivery over the busy drum patterns. Club DJ TikTok edits sometimes push up to 145 BPM for maximum intensity, though this starts to cross into Baltimore Club territory.
When starting a Jersey Club beat, set your DAW to 137 BPM as a default. This tempo creates enough energy for the rapid kick patterns and vocal chops the genre demands while leaving room for an MC to ride the rhythm. If the track feels too frantic, drop to 133 BPM. If it needs more urgency, push to 140 BPM. The Jersey Club tempo range is narrower than most genres, so even small BPM adjustments create noticeable differences in feel.
How to Make Jersey Club Drums
Jersey Club drums are built on three foundational elements: the bed squeak, rapid kick patterns, and rhythmic vocal chops. Getting these right is what separates authentic Jersey Club from generic uptempo Hip-Hop.
The bed squeak is the genre's most distinctive sound. It is a rhythmic creaking sample, typically pitched to match the track's key, that plays a syncopated pattern against the kicks. Source your bed squeak from sample packs specifically designed for Jersey Club, or synthesize one using a short noise burst with a resonant bandpass filter and pitch envelope. Layer it at a volume where it drives the rhythm without overpowering the kicks.
The kick pattern in Jersey Club is relentless. Unlike standard Hip-Hop where kicks land on beats 1 and 3, Jersey Club kicks fire on nearly every eighth note with frequent sixteenth-note fills and stutters. Program a base pattern of eighth-note kicks, then remove select hits to create syncopation. Add sixteenth-note doubles and triples for fills at the end of two-bar and four-bar phrases.
Layer your kicks for fullness. Use one kick for sub-bass punch (low-passed around 150Hz), a second kick for the mid-range knock (bandpassed 150-500Hz), and optionally a third for click presence above 2kHz. This layering creates the dense, full drum sound that defines Jersey Club at high tempos.
Vocal chops function as rhythmic instruments. Take vocal samples, chop them into one-syllable or half-syllable slices, and trigger them in rapid rhythmic patterns. Pitch the chops to your key. Time-stretch aggressively. The vocal chops should lock into the rhythmic grid alongside the kicks and bed squeak, creating a wall of interlocking percussive energy.
For further drum processing guidance, see our Hip-Hop mixing guide, which covers compression and EQ techniques that translate directly to Jersey Club production.
Is UK Drill Rap?
Yes, UK Drill is a subgenre of rap music. It originated as a regional adaptation of Chicago Drill, which itself emerged from the broader Hip-Hop and rap tradition. UK Drill retains rap's core elements: rhythmic vocal delivery over beats, lyrical storytelling, and roots in street culture.
What distinguishes UK Drill from American rap styles is its production and flow patterns. The beats use sliding 808s, minor-key melodies, and the half-time drum feel at 140-150 BPM. UK MCs developed a distinct flow style that emphasizes triplet rhythms and rapid-fire delivery, influenced by Grime as well as American Drill.
Artists like Central Cee, Headie One, and the late Pop Smoke (who brought the UK Drill sound to Brooklyn) demonstrate the genre's range within the broader rap umbrella. The sound has since spread globally, with regional variations emerging in Australia, France, and across Africa, all maintaining the rap foundation while incorporating local musical influences.
For producers, understanding that UK Drill sits within the rap tradition matters because the beats are designed to support vocal delivery. The 808 patterns and drum programming should leave space for MCs, which means the half-time feel at 140-150 BPM creates an effective 70-75 BPM pocket for rappers to flow over.
DRILL 808S. JERSEY PUNCH.
The 808s Slide. The Kicks Hit. Ready to Go.
Your 808 slides hit the right notes first try. Your kicks punch at any tempo. The sounds are ready to go — your drill and jersey club beats sound like they came from a real studio, not a bedroom.
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