In early 2022, the Brownsville trio 41—rappers Kyle Richh, Jenn Carter, and TaTa, all just a couple years removed from high school—relaunched a Brooklyn drill scene that had been decimated by jail and death. It’s hard to point to one specific breakout moment, but it’s probably their first On the Radar cypher from May 2022, which had a volcanic, anything-could-happen energy not far off from old DJ Clue radio freestyles. No surprise that it’s the most watched episode of the series, beating out viral sessions by the likes of Ice Spice and Drake.
Their profile rose in the fall after they released “Notti Bop,” a low, attention-seeking song and dance mocking the death of Harlem rapper Notti Osama, the 14-year-old younger brother of DD Osama. As if it never happened, they then made a sharp pivot to party anthems, infusing the no-holds barred spirit of drill with the breakneck rhythms of Jersey club. Others in New York had tried to do this, but none leaned as far as 41, and new doors opened up to them: They’ve started to play local shows (a rarity for drill stars, given the intensity of police surveillance), and broken through to gatekeepers like Funk Flex and Angie Martinez at a time when corporatized NYC radio has kept its distance from the subgenre.
Now they’ve got their first project, 41 World: Not the Album. (For some reason, they decided not to just call it 41 World: The Mixtape). It’s a formal introduction to the crew, complete with all the expected extras—solo tracks, singing, a major name remix of their biggest hit—none of which are necessary, because they sound the best when it’s just the three of them going at full speed. Like on “Run That!,” which gives M.O.P.’s buckwild classic “Ante Up” the club treatment with throbbing drums and gun clicks. It’s a real headbanger: Jenn delivers the hook with the intensity of Gunnery Sergeant Hartman, TaTa chants “Go get that nigga” like he’s in a football huddle, and KR screams “Brownsville, we got the motion” like he’s about to combust into flames. Another highlight is “Stomp Stomp,” the trio’s drill spin on “Crank That.” Yeah, I know. Get your eyerolls out of the way now. But from KR’s rowdy opening bars (“In the party I’m not havin’ fun/Like, thinkin’ ’bout usin’ my gun”) they breathe new life into what could have easily been nothing but nostalgia bait.
At times, they take the well-traveled route of drill stars trying to shed the “drill” label by breaking out the melodies and just throwing some AutoTune on their voice. I understand why—opportunities for drill rappers are slim—but they have been doing just fine. It wouldn’t be that much of a problem if the singing was any good, though, which it’s not. Like on Jenn Carter’s lovey-dovey solo track “Problems,” the verses are OK, but the sung hook is brutal—it belongs on a bad J.I the Prince of NY album. TaTa’s swings are similarly a tough listen; whatever XXX or Juice WRLD inspiration he’s absorbed on “Too Far Gone” doesn’t cut it. Actually, of the three solo songs, Kyle Richh’s “Goodbye” is the only noteworthy one, a dreamy therapy session that adds some depth without making him seem like an entirely different rapper.
But there’s nothing on 41 World comparable to lead single “Bent,” one of the best New York rap songs of the year. Co-produced by L.A. journeyman Synthetic and MCVertt, one of the architects of the club rap revival in Newark, it has the contagious, house party-ready bounce and homegrown soul missing from so many trend-chasing club and drill fusions. Throughout the nearly three-minute track, 41 are connected at the hip, and the energy never lets up. And, of course, at the end of the tape there’s a remix with Sexyy Red tacked on that I’ll probably never listen to again willingly. It gets in the way of the best thing Brooklyn drill has to offer right now: Kyle Richh, Jenn Carter, and TaTa just hot potatoing the mic around.
