By Noah Sanders, Founder of The Newark Chronicle
Newark invented Jersey club. Bandmanrill took it, strapped drill to it, and made the whole world listen.
Siril Pettus — Bandmanrill — was born and raised in Newark's South Ward, one of 11 children. Before rap, he was a boxer. Then COVID hit in March 2020, the gym closed, and he was stuck at home with his home studio. He recorded "Heartbroken" while he was sick — built on T2's 2007 club hit of the same name — and the day after he got better, it blew up on TikTok.
That was the start. "I Am Newark" followed in 2021, the song that says his name and his city in the same breath. In October 2022 he dropped his debut project, Club Godfather, on Warner Records — 13 tracks, with NLE Choppa, Lay Bankz, Sha EK, and his go-to producer Mcvertt, also from Newark, on seven of them. The record landed on Stereogum's best rap albums of 2022.
Then came the collaborations that took it further: Defiant Presents: Jiggy in Jersey with Sha EK and MCVERTT in August 2023 — 28 tracks, with A$AP Ferg, Sexyy Red, and Trippie Redd — and a stage at Hot 97's Summer Jam.
And he hasn't slowed down. His new project, BillionaireManRill, dropped November 15, 2025 — seven tracks, seventeen minutes, all club rap. And this week he was back on Instagram previewing new music.
The sound: Jersey club is Newark's own — high-BPM club music born in this city. Bandmanrill raps over it fast, loud, and unbothered. Drill's edge, club's heartbeat. Nobody else sounds like Newark the way he does.
What to play first:
• "I Am Newark" — the one that says it all
• "Heartbroken" — the breakout
• "Who You Touch" (with Sha EK) — his most streamed
• "IDK¿" — off the new BillionaireManRill
Follow him: @bandmanrill on Instagram.
The Newark Chronicle covers Newark news, housing help, jobs, culture, and community. Got a story or a tip? Email thenewarkchronicle@gmail.com.
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