Ten Essential Ratking Tracks

Ratking are one of New York City's hottest acts, combining alternative hip hop with the classic style that put the Big Apple on the map so many years ago. The trio consists of MCs Wiki and Hak along with producer/MC Sporting Life. They've released a successful album last year in So It Goes, and Wiki just released his debut solo album titled Lil Me. It's safe to say that these dudes aren't going away any time soon.

Having toured with Death Grips, Earl Sweatshirt, and Run the Jewels, Ratking has been grinding to build up a steady fanbase since starting in 2011. They've released their music on XL Recordings, a British label best known for releasing Adele, Radiohead, Vampire Weekend, Tyler The Creator, and more, along with the much smaller, Bronx-based label HXC Recordings. Today we shine light on their ten essential tracks. 

Both Ratking and King Krule are very intriguing figures. Krule is a British artist who fits somewhere between indie, electronica, and hip hop, while Ratking are an unlikely success story of NYC hip hop. Together, they create some of the better alternative rap music to be released this decade. 

"Canal" 

If you're waiting for New York City's response to the Atlanta trap sound, it may be in the form of "Canal." The track is hard as nails, but totally different from the popular style that the dirty south is currently championing.  

There's a couple of young crews comin' up in the rap world right now, and they hail from London and New York City respectively. Check Wiki out as he leaps onto the US Remix of Skepta's massive grime single "That's Not Me."

The title track from their debut LP is a mess of melodic soul samples, rapping and trap beats. It works out and sounds unlike anything else out there, a true characteristic of the Ratking sound.

Ratking may seem like a bit of a novelty at face value, but there's no denying their skills on the mics and production. Wiki seriously crushes this one...

"Cute kid, tooth-ed
Lose it now I'm putrid
Truth is, toothless
Zooted
Care, who could give two shits
Usually used with
Used to be muted
Eh eh, it made me tight, gave me a mic
Now I'm hype to use it"

Ratking comes out with some details about their days just grinding to be heard...

"We would rap at West 4th
For weed dealers, who could see clearer, that we realer
Offer to hustle for 'em, rather just bust it for em
Is selling swell? Do you earn well?"

Fresh off Wiki's solo album Lil Me, "Livin' With My Moms" is probably something we can all relate to, at least a little bit. As he invites Nasty Nigel along for a verse, the duo prove that they are amongst NYC's elite up-and-comers.

Here's another cut off the brand new solo album by Wiki. This time, he enlists Ratking member Sporting Life and grime all-star Skepta for a tasteful cut.

Even before the budget was there, these dudes were keeping it artsy with the videos. Here they collab with Dutch photographer and filmmaker Ari Marcopoulos for a short film set to the track "Piece of Shit."

Wiki speaks...don't sleep.