Hip-hop was born in the Bronx, but much of the action had left the city by the late ‘90s. Then came drill, a sound that combined dark Chicago beats with UK grime before Brooklyn claimed it as its own, thanks to artists like Pop Smoke, Sheff G, 22Gz, and then-rising star Fivio Foreign whose bold 2019 anthem “Big Drip” signaled that hip-hop was back in New York. Growing up in East Flatbush, Foreign (born Maxie Lee Ryles III in 1990) began rapping as a kid, whipping up rhymes with an older cousin. In his teens, he picked up the name Lite Fivio, which evolved into Fivio Foreign, and started making a name for himself assisting on other rapper's songs. His breakthrough moment came on his own, though, with the song "Big Drip," an AXL BEATS-produced party drill banger. He built on his success with more singles, the four-song EP Pain and Love, and a major record deal with Columbia. Foreign is a hustler, constantly working on new projects including collaborations with some of the biggest names in 2020 rap including Drake, Meek Mill, and Lil Baby. He released his first full-length mixtape, 800 BC, in April of 2020, led by “Wetty,” a single meant to be blasted from car stereos. The world will certainly be watching what the new vanguard of Brooklyn drill does next.
