NYC rap group Ratking have officially bid farewell to the warm summer, and are preparing for their winter hibernation with their latest video for the song Arnold Palmer. The song, off their latest jaunt 700 Fill released via Bitorrent, talks extensively about the summertime and bittersweetly reminisces on the days spent outside soaking up the sun.
The video depicts the Ratking crew outside mixing up lemonade in the warmer summer months. The group itself consists of MC’s Wiki and Hak, as well as producer Sporting Life. The group manages to capture that elusive punk/hip hop mix perfectly encapsulated by early OFWGKTA work, where the goofy elements blend perfectly with the DIY nature of their music. As they dance around, drinking Lipton’s ice tea with a bunch of their skater friends, the most important thing about the video seems to be that they are having fun.
The beat isn’t perfect, neither are the lyrics, or the production, but there are very few groups that are convincing in the fact that they are enjoying themselves, and when done right, it’s completely infectious.
The mish-mash collection of stoner/skater ideas from Wiki, with the clinical and analytical nature of the production from Sporting Life, as well as the pseudo-academic and philosophical maturity of Hak all blend together into one goddamn entertaining summer jam that represents everything right about DIY music. And while America transitions into winter, in Australia I look forward to alienating my non-hip-hop-loving friends by playing this song at an obnoxious volume while the sweltering sun burns us to a crisp.