RATKING exist as New York’s next great band. Like the Beastie Boys and Yeah Yeah Yeahs – local bands that came together as punks before developing into any sound they want – RATKING manage to mix youthful hardcore energy with pure, NY beats and rhymes in a post-hip-hop crew that could only exist in 2012.

Wiki, RATKING’s 18-year old frontman, grew up in Manhattan, playing Germs covers in his school music room (he has their motto NOGOD tattooed across his chest) in a band called the Homo-Thugs.

At 13 he was spotted in the audience by Wu Tang’s GZA and invited to come up onstage and perform, as GZA proclaimed “Wu-Tang is for the babies”. A star was born.

RATKING’s debut EP wiki93 (produced entirely by Sporting Life) will be released 19 October via Hot Charity/XL Recordings/Rhythmethod..