Once upon a time, I saw the super raw NYC trio Ratking open for the swoon-god King Krule in the middle of nowhere in Connecticut. Both groups were incredible in their own right, as expected, but perhaps what got me most hype about the show was the connection between the two. Ratking opened the show with encrypted rhythms and overflowing energy, smacking mics against temples while the crowd’s stomachs vibrated. King Krule followed with one of the tightest (slang and not slang implication here) sets I’ve ever seen; casually flawless. The love between the two seemed profound even in the casual encounters between sets.
If you really dig the Krule, then you probably dig his hip-hop thangs too. If you can put two and two to make four, then you can dream of a collaboration that has recently manifested in a new collab track, “So Sick Stories”. The young Archy himself flows like fine wine on a super smooth chorus that feels very right. The ever explosive Wiki tears up verses naturally, popping in and out at his own volition. Hak comes in with a fluid and honest flow, speaking out of intellect and truth, very reminiscent of a young Andre 3000 in the scene if you feel me.
• Ratking: http://www.xlrecordings.com/ratking
• King Krule: http://kingkrule.co.uk
• XL Recordings: http://www.xlrecordings.com