Shawny and Friends: Queens rappers take over sample drill scene with unique flow

Shawny Binladen

Many fans of New York drill music may be familiar with Shawny Binladen, a Queens native from Woodhull Avenue who raps with a grim and gravelly flow over drill beats that sample almost any kind of music. The beats he’s rapped over have sampled anything from Playboi Carti’s “Broke Boi” to Lauryn Hill’s “Nice for What”. However, have you heard of his friends big GLTAOW and Big Yaya? 

GLTAOW is known for his signature adlib, “Gltaow '' which he often yells to add emphasis after creative bars. One of my favorite lines from him is, “slide in the benz with the GLTAOW in the V, no check gang I swerve on the D’s.” Another is, “me and my gltaow connected like wifi, catch me an opp now his mama say bye-bye.” My recent favorite from GLTAOW is “Bentley '' which samples the beat from the song “Thirty” by Lil Xelly, a Maryland rapper and soundcloud legend. These New York natives often collaborate with Maryland natives like Ttm dawg as well as Atlanta natives like k$upreme. 

Big Yaya raps with a more relaxed flow that still packs a punch while saying “ya-ya” to make sure whoever is listening knows that it’s him. He pays homage to his native Queens in songs such as “Sutphin”, with lines like “I already made it, I made it off Sutphin,” referring to Sutphin boulevard, or “trying to move ma to Jamaica Estates'' meaning he wants to buying a property for his mother in the wealthier area of Queens.

One of my favorite things about these artists is that they consistently drop music videos to pair as visuals for their songs. I think a good video can help a listener appreciate the music even more. If you’re looking for a trippy, yet aggressive sound, their music is definitely for you.

Big GLTAOW himself

Big Yaya