The Bills (or Yankees ) were a youth subculture active in Léopoldville, Belgian Congo (now Kinshasa) in the late 1950s, basing their entire image and outlook on the cowboys of American Western movies. The name itself was taken directly from the iconic American frontier figure Buffalo Bill.

The aesthetic emerged from segregated African neighborhoods where high unemployment and limited education beyond the primary level created a generation of disenfranchised youth. This culture became a subversive, street-level counterpart to the formal anti-colonial struggle being waged by the educated elite, and the Bills were instrumental in the 1959 riots that preceded Congo’s independence.

The Bills were active in a hyper-masculine environment and were both loved and feared in the capital's communes, acting as both "protectors and predators."

The subculture's significance is cemented by its political role. Between January 4–6, 1959, the Bills were at the forefront of riots that broke out in Léopoldville, fighting for independence. They notably destroyed many of the symbols of Belgian colonialization and nobility. Their aggressive, highly visible actions, often utilizing the same fighting bravado they borrowed from their on-screen idols, are widely credited as being responsible for the first major insurrection in the capital, accelerating the Belgian government's decision to grant independence in 1960.

In the post-colonial period, the subculture gradually declined, though many former Bills went on to hold high-profile jobs, particularly within the music industry. The cowboy uniform continues to signify respect and acknowledgement for these individuals.

The sartorial choices of the Bills were not merely cosmetic but represented a deliberate reconstruction of the American Western /cowboy archetype using available resources. As the local market often lacked specific Western goods, the aesthetic was curated through international networks.

Members utilized connections with family or acquaintances in Belgium to import authentic items that were unavailable locally. Key elements of the wardrobe included wide-brimmed Stetson hats, high-heeled leather boots, and checkered scarves or kerchiefs worn around the neck. Plaid shirts and denim were standard, often worn with a deliberate ruggedness to emulate the dusty trail-worn look of their film idols. To complement this attire, physical fitness was paramount; bodybuilding became an essential part of the daily regime to achieve the imposing, hyper-masculine physique associated with the American frontier hero.

The subculture adopted a complex system of symbols and rituals that blended Hollywood mythology with local traditions. Members renounced their given names in favor of monikers drawn directly from cinema credits, with titles such as Django, John Wayne, and Sherif becoming coveted identifiers that members would fight to claim. This adoption of a new persona was often completed through physical rituals designed to fortify the body for conflict.

These practices included kamon, a local custom where the skin was cut and rubbed with the ash of dead animals to ostensibly harden the flesh. Other reports describe members swallowing needles in a quest for inner strength and invulnerability. This synthesis created a hybrid identity where the visual aestgetic of the American West served as a vessel for indigenous concepts of spiritual and physical power.