Ratking (often stylized in all caps as RATKING) was an American hip hop group from New York City, which consisted of rappers Wiki and Hak, and producer Sporting Life. A leading force in the

underground Underground most commonly refers to: * Subterranea (geography), the regions beneath the surface of the Earth Underground may also refer to: Places * The Underground (Boston), a music club in the Allston neighborhood of Boston * The Underground (S ...

in the early 2010s, their music has been described as "stridently youthful", and the group themselves have stated they wished to reinvent rap music. On June 22, 2016, Hak announced his departure, citing that the group "didn't see me for me", and self-released his debut solo album ''June''. This led to the group's indefinite hiatus with Wiki and Sporting Life also venturing into further solo works. Around the same time, Wiki had already formed a

supergroup Supergroup or super group may refer to: * Supergroup (music), a music group formed by artists who are already notable or respected in their fields * Supergroup (physics), a generalization of groups, used in the study of supersymmetry * Supergroup ...

with

Lil Ugly Mane Travis Miller (born May 13, 1984) is an American rapper, singer and record producer from Richmond, Virginia. He has recorded under multiple aliases in various genres since his first known released project in 2005, including Lil Ugly Mane, Shawn ...

and Antwon, called Secret Circle, which he recorded with until an unexpected disband in 2018.

History

They released their debut EP ''Wiki93'' in November 2012. It was based on ''1993'', an earlier mixtape which he released in October 2011. ''1993'' was inspired by

Suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...

and Wu-Tang Clan. The group were signed by British label XL Recordings following ''1993'', and they re-released it as ''Wiki93'' through their Hot Charity (HXC) imprint. They released their debut album '' So It Goes'' in 2014. It was produced by Sporting Life and engineered by Young Guru. The album's title was inspired by Kurt Vonnegut's novel '' Slaughterhouse-Five''. The album featured collaborations with King Krule, Salomon Faye, and Princess Nokia. They have performed with

Skepta Chief Joseph Olaitan Adenuga Jr. (born 19 September 1982), known professionally as Skepta, is a British-Nigerian grime MC, rapper and record producer. Alongside his younger brother Jme, he briefly joined Roll Deep before they became founding ...

and toured with Death Grips, and Earl Sweatshirt, as well as

Run the Jewels Run the Jewels, also known by the initials RTJ, is an American hip hop super-duo composed of Brooklyn-based rapper and producer El-P and Atlanta-based rapper Killer Mike. They released their critically acclaimed self-titled debut studio album ...

and Despot. In January 2015 the group announced that their next album ''700 Fill'' would be released in January or February 2015. It was released for free via BitTorrent in March 2015.

Musical style

In addition to being inspired by rap and hip hop, the group has also cited punk rock and "many and diverse influences, from

Animal Collective Animal Collective is an American experimental pop band formed in Baltimore, Maryland. Its members consist of Avey Tare (David Portner), Panda Bear (Noah Lennox), Geologist (Brian Weitz), and Deakin (Josh Dibb). The band's work is characterized ...

" as influences on their

alternative Alternative or alternate may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Alternative (''Kamen Rider''), a character in the Japanese TV series ''Kamen Rider Ryuki'' * ''The Alternative'' (film), a 1978 Australian television film * ''The Alternative ...

style. Wiki's solo EP ''1993'', later re-released as ''Wiki93'', was inspired by Suicide and Wu-Tang Clan.

Discography

Studio albums

Extended plays

Mixtapes

Singles

As lead artist

Members

* Wiki - vocals, rapping (2011−2016) * Hak - vocals, rapping, singing (2011−2016) * Sporting Life - production (2011−2016) ; Additional personnel *Racerra - production (2011−2012) *Ramon - production (2012−2014)

References

External links

* {{Authority control 2011 establishments in New York City American hip hop groups Hip hop groups from New York City Musical groups established in 2011 XL Recordings artists