Wiki drops pensive LP Half God
PRODUCED BY NAVY BLUE, OUT NOW
ACCLAIM FOR WIKI No Mountains In Manhattan Pitchfork 8.1 OOFIE FBi Radio Album of the Week “The gap-toothed New York rapper behind one of the year’s most innovative and exciting albums” Wonderland “A gifted storyteller above all” The New Yorker “Rap’s Realist” Hypebeast “Tight, diaristic raps and vignettes and grimy production” Pitchfork “Underrated” NME “He doesn’t sound like anyone else” Stereogum |
Following feverish anticipation, Wiki has dropped his latest album Half God, out now via his own imprint Wikset Enterprise. LISTEN HERE.
Half God offers a reflective glimpse into Wiki‘s psyche, who first made waves as one half of viral group RATKING. Pushing the sonic boundaries is producer Navy Blue, one of the most refreshing young, acclaimed rapper/producers to break out in recent years, for a project that pushes each of their talents to new heights. He offers pandora’s box by way of production, transposing Wiki‘s signature voice against classic rock riffs and soulful jazz samples, pushing every sonic corner possible, to create the perfect canvas for Wiki’s storytelling, to appear as vivid as ever.
Together with the young OG, they capture the raw essence and energy of life in the Big Apple – Wiki‘s forever muse. Across examinations of his own coloured journey to success, he reflects on second chances through the rich tapestry of New York’s past against the realities of the present. The result is a homecoming of sorts, not to place or community, but for Wiki‘s own artistic resurrection. Reinvigorated and more laser-focused than ever, Half God galvanises Wiki‘s position amongst the trailblazers before him who too wore the City on their sleeve.
Joining the recently released ‘Can’t Do This Alone ft. Navy Blue‘, ‘Promised ft. MIKE‘, ‘Remarkably‘ and ‘Roof‘, are new collaborations with Earl Sweatshirt, Jesse James Solomon, Remy Banks and duendita. With the release comes Wiki‘s customised merch collaboration with the brand Warrior Shanghai, including sneakers, jerseys, t-shirts, and caps. The Warrior brand brings a classic, everyday life, hard-souled sense of style and functionality to the table in a way that connects with Wiki‘s art, and upbringing. His collaboration with the brand is intended to pay homage to these characteristics, calling on the rapper to utilise an art project that began as a visual identity in the Ratking days: the Wiki Flag. The green and orange are derived from his mother’s Irish heritage, while set in the shape of the Puerto Rican flag to honour his paternal roots; two ancestries that, like Chinese, are vital to New York City culture and history.
Wiki has become a fixture of New York City Hip Hop since 17 years old, when he founded the boundary-defying group RATKING, whose aggressive style represented a new generation of city kids and artists, hungry for innovation and raw energy. The epicentre of the group as well as Wiki‘s artistic expression through music and style was Chinatown, downtown NYC. RATKING‘s breakout single was called ‘Canal‘ named after the iconic, bustling Chinatown street. Coming of age in the neighbourhood, living there for years while creating his solo albums, inevitably laced his music with the culture that permeates the singularly New York, Chinese neighbourhood. His song ‘Chinatown Swing‘ off his first LP No Mountains in Manhattan paints a picture of walking through the streets and the feelings and sites one encounters. When painting lyrical pictures of New York scenes one gets a sense of Wiki’s skill as a storyteller and visionary, alongside appearances on tracks with Skepta, Madlib, King Krule, Earl Sweatshirt, Run The Jewels, Blood Orange, Princess Nokia, A$AP Ferg, ZelooperZ and many more. Today, Wiki carries the torch for NYC’s master MCs; representing the freaks, weirdos and underbelly culture.
Half God LP is out now via Wikset Enterprise, buy/stream it here.
TRACKLIST
Not Today (Intro)
Roof
Remarkably
Can’t Do This Alone (ft. Navy Blue)
Never Fall Off
Drug Supplier (ft. Jesse James Solomon)
Wik Tha God
Ego Death
The Business
Home
All I Need (ft. Earl Sweatshirt)
Gas Face (ft. Remy Banks)
Promised (ft. MIKE)
New Truths
Still Here (ft. duendita)
Grape Soda
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