Honestly you should just press play if you wanna hear some crazy ass shit. Read below if you want.
This is my new series, YouTube Relics! Real music heads are of course on Spotify (Apple Music is trash!), but also are well-aware that some of the best bangers exist only on YouTube. RATKING – Piece Of Shit is one of the best music videos ever in my not so humble opinion, and yes, it only lives on YouTube, so without further ado, it’s time for YOUTUBE RELICS!!!
If you don’t know who RATKING is, you’re either young or you weren’t into rap in the 2010’s. RATKING is Anthony Fantano’s wet dream as they serve up his favorite genre of rap (alt-rap), but also will satisfy traditional hip-hop fans as they are undeniably talented and aggressive lyricists. Composed of Wiki, Hak, and producer Sporting Life, they began to take over New York’s underground rap scene when they were just kids in the early 2010’s. Continuing with the Fantano trend, they even opened for Fantano favorite Death Grips on tour. It fits really well though, as they both brought a similar vibe to rap. Raw and energy filled raps with spastic yet dope beats.
I discovered them I think from Wiki’s scene-stealing guest verse on Earl Sweatshirt’s classic album IDLSIDGO in 2015, or perhaps shortly before that, so even I slept on them a bit. Not every track they made was great, but when it clicked, it was magic.
The YouTube version I love above is a live recording (I believe) in this grimy ass basement, as it sounds nothing like version on the EP, and surprisingly sounds way better. Wiki spits like it’s his last words on earth… and the beat matches his aggression. I can’t not mention Hak, as his chorus is haunting in the best way possible. Flawless track. Not for pussies though.
One of my favorite tracks in the history of man. Long live RATKING! Also Wiki has been tearing it up since they split up in 2016, so tap into Wiki. His 2023 album made it onto my year-end list, it was great. He’s got tons of classic solo projects. I don’t throw around the word classic lightly. Comment if you want recco’s.
About
The Author
I wrote this blog for a few reasons. One is because nobody in my circle of friends ever puts me on to music or things that are dope that I haven't heard about (step your game up friends!) as few people nerd out as hard as me on the dumb things I focus on. The other and main reason is because I am so tired of The NeedleDrop and Pitchfork, from the way Fantano talks about music, to the way that Pitchfork writes about it. Both cause me physical pain to read or watch, yet I for some reason occasionally check their review scores, because they are the only sites I know that do stay on top of music (to a degree), and they focus on genres that I'm not tapped into, so occasionally I find something good. Is it worth the pain? No. So let me save you the pain, by only sharing with you my favorites, and maybe you'll find a new favorite. Oh and I also love talking shit, so I'll do that too, but this blog is about showing love to great art.
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