Pitchfork Challenge: So It Goes by RATKING

05.30.20

200. RATKING: So It Goes

Listening to this album made me realize that I should not have low expectations for any album on Pitchfork's list, regardless of the number. RATKING's So It Goes is a work of art. So It Goes is the perfect mix of widespread musical influence, inner-city noise, and youthful dreams. In So It Goes, RATKING's ambition translates into an intense lyrical push- one that isn't angry but holds their aggressive city sound. RATKING's rappers are wiry and weary, with an open-eye acceptance of life's pros and cons. In "Remove Ya" Wiki and Hak rap about the experiences of inner-city youth with policemen on wicked power trips. "Puerto Rican Judo" gives a sunny cast to sleepy, youthful relationships. 

As a whole, So It Goes shows Harlem life with a clarity that only an insider could provide. The rappers define youth in a big city, with options and hype, but the sad moments are there as well. The rap style is reminiscent of older rappers (Wu-Tang's influence is evident but they truly make it their own) who spit long lines of disdainful lyrics at crowds in dirty, crowded rooms. The beats are occasionally dreamy, especially in "So It Goes", but above all, the album is full of masterful sound-effect manipulation. 

What I love most about this album is how well the music describes life in New York. You can tell that the rappers are New Yorkers and proud. The lyrics, beats, and delivery all contribute to a listening experience that brings me back to New York streets, the intensity of its atmosphere, and even the sleepy feel of afternoons in Central Park. I've never heard another album that embodied New York's style so well as this one. 

My Top 3 Songs:

1. Remove Ya
2. So Sick Stories 
3. So It Goes

Challenge Thought:

If this is #200, I can't wait to see what comes next. 

-Isabel