Canal Street is cloaked in a layer of smog, hanging hazy in the air like mist from a river bubbling through a canyon of limestone buildings. For those who grew up in New York City, the skyline’s occasional yellow-gray tint is just another facet of a complex, often exhausting, but deeply beloved home. For Wiki, the former Ratking MC, this city is the primary protagonist of his life and his music. On his latest record, Ancient History, Wiki—born Patrick Morales—revisits the geography of his youth and the emotional landscape of his twenties, finding a newfound sense of peace within his complicated love-hate relationship with the city.
A Return to Roots
The release of Ancient History was celebrated at Market Gallery, an apartment-turned-studio space in Chinatown that once served as Wiki’s home. It was here that he crafted his early solo works, including 2015’s Lil Me and 2017’s No Mountains In Manhattan. The space, filled with the work of multimedia artist Esteban Jefferson, serves as a physical manifestation of the album’s themes: memory, transition, and the persistence of history in a rapidly changing urban environment.
“It was the first place I lived outside my mom’s,” Wiki reflects, noting that the apartment is a touchstone for his creative development. As he navigates the rooftop of the building, the sounds of the city—the rumble of the Manhattan Bridge trains—provide a rhythmic backdrop to his thoughts. These interruptions are fitting, especially when discussing tracks like “IHNY,” where his frustration with the city’s relentless pace and gentrification is palpable. Yet, as he notes, the sentiment is universal. “So many people were hitting me up from Melbourne and Sydney and shit, and they were like ‘We love ‘IHNY,’ this is how we feel about Sydney!’”
The Evolution of a Collaborator
Wiki’s approach to music has always been communal, a trait honed in the grimy, DIY venues of the 2010s like 285 Kent. These spaces, where genre lines blurred and rappers shared stages with hardcore bands, were the crucible for his artistic identity. On Ancient History, he leans into this collaborative spirit, enlisting a wide array of peers including MIKE, Your Old Droog, and duendita. “It’s some comic book shit,” Wiki says of the assembly. “Like when you see Spiderman and the Fantastic Four linking up.”
This maturity is reflected in the album’s vulnerability. Addressing his past struggles with alcohol and depression on the track “Bourbon,” Wiki emphasizes that the rawness was essential to the project’s integrity. “The more vulnerable it is, the more I’m like ‘Put that shit on the album,’” he explains. By documenting his journey from age 18 to the present, he has found a way to move forward, burying old hatchets and focusing on the joy of the creative process itself.
Finding Joy in the Process
Ultimately, Ancient History is a testament to the resilience of the artist and the city. Whether it is the serendipitous timing of the album’s release coinciding with the Knicks’ historic championship run or his daily routine in Seward Park, Wiki remains deeply embedded in the fabric of New York. As he looks toward the future, his focus remains on the work. “Find the joy in the process,” he advises. “You think you’re gonna get it from other people, but you’re gonna get it from yourself from just making it.”
