That's what makes Ratking the most New York sounding group to come out in quite some time. Of course they're grimy (what else would you expect from a group with that name), but they're varying subjects and sonic jungle reaches new levels on their second proper LP, So It Goes. Running with Death Grips' abrasiveness, Ratking offers a profane update on their careers and their city's twisted streets: "My city view's subdued by duded in uniforms of blue/ Conforming to their or you will get turn in two" they trade off the the police critiquing "Remove Ya", a song that could serve as a 2014 take on the NWA classic "Fuck the Police".
As far as I'm aware, Ratking only has one other notable EP, and this time it feels like they have a much better grasp what sound they plan to build their carriers on. While the four members expressed generally stereotypical teen male angst on Wiki93 EP they're learning to not necessarily embrace their lifestyles, but turn them into genuinely interesting stories instead of simply complaining. "Everything you publishing is fake/ Back to the Ox the pain up in my stomach that it gave/ Made me nauseous when i'd eat, vomit when I'd speak/ In school, it made me cautious when I'd sleep," Wiki raps on the low tempo drug tale "Eat". On the same track he reminisces on finding certain records and thinks about how differently his life would've turned out had it not been for the music. Even on the album's worst track "Puerto Rican Judo" (Sorry, but Wavy Spice ruins that thing), Ratking showcases their versatility. So It Goes does a great job of keeping the tracks from blending together, but the album is generally at a very high intensity, which is what makes "Puerto Rican Judo" stick out so much. Sure, it's the weak link, but their willingness to throw in a love song on this type of record screams audacity.
That audacity carries So It Goes for the most part. There's moments on here where all I can do is ask if they seriously just did that. The hooks are good, but one of the most memorable moments is where they just yell "daaaaayyyum" in place of a chorus. Why? Because why the fuck not. It goes with the flow of the eleven tracks. But enough of me blabbering about how great the instrumentals, I'll give you an example: "Snow Beach" is an absolute monster of a track that I could talk about for paragraphs on end. After a brief, but trippy instrumental with Wiki yelling the same phrases multiple times (he's even singing in the background), it comes to an immediate halt before sounds of a beach are overrun by a saxophone. That fucking saxophone. It sounds great and makes for one of the most successful musical juxtapositions I've heard all year. The replay value on this thing is magnificent as well. There's simply no way your brain can fully comprehend the myriad of sounds being thrown at you without multiple focused listens. And in terms on "sounds being thrown at you", the single "Canal" takes the cake. The run back of sounds give it an almost surreal feeling and Wiki's double time rapping takes some time to really digest, but its a truly remarkable song if you give it the time it rightfully demands. The video goes along perfectly with it as well.
"So Sick Stories" brilliantly slows down the tempo without losing an edge thanks to the wordy King Krule assisted hook. That's another sign of their artistic growth, but perhaps the most encouraging aspect is their chemistry as a group, with Hak also greatly improving his technical abilities. He doesn't make nearly as many appearances as Wiki, but his over the top verse on "Bug Fights" really made me wish he did. Another one of the more interesting verses comes from guest Saloman Faye, who appears on the last track "Take". The first half of the song is actually one of the weaker moments on the album, but after a quick moment of silence (I'm not sure if its supposed to be a hidden track, or they just really didn't want to have twelve songs), it morphs into a completely different song and actually turns out to be one of the groups best songs, thanks to the previously mentioned Saloman Faye. Fittingly enough, the song that best embodies this album is the title track "So It Goes". The song finds itself starting over a seemingly out of place, but ultimately welcome chipmunk sample (that's a reoccurring theme), as Wiki's unorthodox flow verges on abstraction, only to develop into one of the stronger hooks on the album describing the hardships on New York street life over a depressingly dark backdrop. That last sentence is what this album is all about.
The cover of So It Goes is fitting. They're proud of their city, but the darkness shows the obvious stagnation and lack of motivation to be innovative, but of course there's still light. That light being the forward music of Ratking ready to gain attention. Yeah, its backpacker music, (it's no surprises that the group sees Kanye as one of their heros) but its progressive backpacker (that's one hell of an oxymoron) hip hop. At the end of the day, though, there's really no point in arguing what form of New York rap will guide the future generation. They both have their fair share of greatness, it's better to just take it all in.
Rating: 4/5