From the depths of the Big Apple, the young and fearless members of
RATKING emerged on the scene in early 2012, riding the buzz of their lead MC Wiki’s EP
1993 (it actually dropped under-the-radar in late 2011) and his Creative Control-produced video
“Wikispeaks” that introduced us to his ridiculously raw rap skills, as well as the RATKING aesthetic. Within the year, Wiki (above right) and his RATKING bandmates, producer Sporting Life (above left, who they regularly call by his real name Eric) and MC Hak (above middle, their fourth member disbanded), were signed to British indie label XL Recordings and began doing shows overseas in support of the
re-release of the EP (which was a group effort to begin with). And their fairly overnight success was all well-deserved—RATKING was a breath of fresh air for New York hip-hop, no bullshyt. Their beats were concrete-hard, and their rhymes were so effortlessly dope and authentic, it was virtually impossible for rap fans of any age or persuasion not to be instantly impressed and intrigued on sight.
