Wiki

Wiki's new record, Ancient History, is rooted in the spaces he’s spent the last few years returning to most: New York City parks. Not as symbols or scenery, but as part of everyday life - places to meet friends, write, think, observe people, and briefly step outside the rush of the city without ever really leaving it. The lead single “Park” captures that headspace directly. Over warm, patient production, Wiki paints the park as both refuge and workspace - somewhere to clear his head while staying connected to the pulse of the city around him. “A little cut / Escape from all the rush / Amongst the muck,” he raps. “Caught in a sea of concrete - what these streets are / I need to see some trees even if these trees sparse.” The song finds peace not in escaping New York, but in learning how to exist within it differently.

Ancient History marks Wiki's first solo full-length project since 2019’s Oofie, since then he’s released a slew of collaborative projects with Tony Seltzer (14k Figaro), MIKE & The Alchemist (Faith Is A Rock), Navy Blue (Half God), NAH (Telephone Booth), Subjxct5 (Cold Cuts), and also celebrated the 10th anniversary of his highly influential debut Lil Me last December. It was released on vinyl for the first time, accompanied by the short documentary Old Blocks New Kids, directed by Ryosuke Tanzawa. The album’s artwork was painted by contemporary artist Esteban Jefferson, the New York painter most recently featured in MoMA PS1’s artist survey Greater New York. Jefferson depicts a gnome-like Wiki embedded in park brush, playfully channelling the city’s historic statues. There will also be alternative artwork by the legendary illustrator Barry Blitt, a frequent contributor of iconic covers to the New Yorker magazine since 1992.

Wiki has become a fixture of New York City Hip Hop since founding the boundary-defying group Ratking at 17 years old, whose aggressive style represented a new generation of city kids and artists hungry for innovation and raw energy. Since embarking on a solo career in the mid-2010s, Wiki has made restless efforts to expand his sonic and artistic ambitions. On top of collaborating with Skepta, Ghostface Killah and Earl Sweatshirt, he’s also had a hand in a number of fashion endeavors, including Tommy Hilfiger, Brigade, and Patta. When painting lyrical pictures of New York scenes one gets a sense of Wiki’s skill as a storyteller and visionary. He has solidified his role in carrying the torch for NYC’s master MCs; representing for the freaks, weirdos and underbelly culture.