Wiki

Wiki playing all-ages NYC show at The Dance in December

Wiki’s last album, 2017’s great No Mountains In Manhattan, was a carefully constructed concept album that channeled the sounds and feelings of Wiki’s home city, serving both as a proper introduction to Wiki as an artist and as a portrait of the madness of New York City. It’s an Illmatic or a good kid, m.A.A.d city kind of album, and like those two albums did for their respective authors, NMIM put Wiki on the map as a force to be reckoned with. Now, two years later, he’s back with a followup album that he only announced last week and only revealed the guests and tracklist for yesterday. It’s out on his own Wikset Enterprise label (NMIM came out on XL), and though it’s peppered with some of the same bodega scenes as NMIM, it’s got less of an overall concept and it’s more just a collection of badass rap songs; more of a DAMN. than a good kid, m.A.A.d city. Once again, he made the album with a handful of fellow New York artists, including frequent collaborator Your Old Droog, Princess Nokia, Lansky Jones of World’s Fair, and R&B singer Duendita, and as you’d probably expect, they all fit perfectly into Wiki’s world. The best guest appearances, though, are the ones from the two non-New Yorkers, Lil Ugly Mane and Denzel Curry, who both appear on album highlight “Grim.” Lil Ugly Mane already formed chemistry with Wiki in their former supergroup, who broke up after group member Antwon was accused of sexual assault, and I don’t think Wiki and Denzel Curry ever did a song together before this one (though Denzel and Lil Ugly Mane have), but I hope this isn’t the last. They’re kindred spirits — both are highly skilled, in-your-face rappers who know how to flirt with the mainstream while remaining distinctly underground — and on “Grim,” they and Lil Ugly Mane all bring out the best of each other.

Wiki‘s great new album OOFIE is out now (that’s an excerpt above of my review in Notable Releases), and as he promised before playing his recent Sultan Room show, he’s now got an all ages NYC show scheduled before the end of 2019. It happens at new venue The Dance on December 5 with Blair. Tickets are on sale now.

Listen to “Grim” with Lil Ugly Mane and Denzel Curry below…