Wiki
1st March 2020
Galatos, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Sam Smith.
The last time New York rapper Wiki came to New Zealand it was a somewhat momentous occasion. Not only did he headline the last ever Young, Gifted & Broke show drawing crowds that lined up down the street, but he also played one of the last ever gigs at the Kings Arms during the legendary venue’s final days in February 2018. Now, two years on and Wiki is back, this time promoting his excellent new album Oofie.
Appearing this time around at Galatos, the former RATKING MC has been hovering under the radar within the alternative hip-hop scene for years. He is one of those word of mouth rappers and is part of a new bourgeoning rap scene in New York that also features the likes of Quelle Chris, Your Old Droog, and Lansky Jones.
Wiki’s street credibility and the respect he has garnered as an MC since going solo was a testament to the strong crowd who turned up on Sunday night to see their man spit bars whilst also getting another chance to see some of Aotearoa’s finest rappers in support.
After local favourite PollyHill opened proceedings with a typically engaging and energetic set – she really is ready to take off in 2020 – Grey Lynn duo Eno x Dirty followed up, bringing their usual energy and bravado to the evening. The duo has not done too many shows of late but that did not matter one bit as they bought the banter and bangers in what was one of the best set’s I have ever seen them do.
With the crowd well and truly warmed up for the main event, Wiki then took to the stage, and from bar one he was in top form. From the moment ‘Downfall’ came on the speakers, you could feel the crowd were about to witness a performance high on technicality and world-class flow.
Wiki’s performance was all about the art of rap and the skill of MCing. “I don’t know how to speak I just know how to spit,” he told the crowd and it was very clear from the outset that everything he did on stage was to aid in the delivery of his lyrics. There were no gimmicks or over the top production, that is not what this MC is about. This was about pure rapping delivered by an excellent MC; rapping that included acapella lines throughout the set, something that has become somewhat of a trademark for Wiki in his material.
Drawing mainly on songs from his new album Oofie, including the excellent tracks ‘Pesto’, ‘Grim’ and single ‘Fee Fi Fo Fum’ released in October last year, the effortlessness of the man to deliver his lines cleanly and clearly while keeping a high energy level and stage presence was something to behold, especially as many rappers these days tend to sacrifice one for the other when performing live.
It helped also that you could hear him over the sublime sound-system at Galatos, a venue that is fast becoming a must for hip hop shows in Auckland. The vocals were high up in the mix which is essential for MCs like Wiki and was not too bass-heavy, making for an excellent listening experience allowing the crowd to marvel as the man from New York went to work, bar by bar.
All up, I would say that if you appreciate the art of MCing then this gig would have been for you. Wiki showcased why he is one of the best rappers in the alternative rap world currently with a set that managed to keep the crowd up and hyped, while simultaneously hooking them in with his main craft, which is, as he says, spitting bars.
Already this summer Aotearoa has been blessed with visits from two hip hop artists who put their MCing above everything else, firstly with Earl Sweatshirt and now Wiki, whose crowd I must say was more respectful than Earl’s.
If anything, this proves that the art of rapping is not dead and that there is still room for wordsmiths in a rap world heavily dominated by big production and mumbled lyrics.
Were you there at Galatos for this eloquent hip hop performance? Or have you seen Wiki perform live somewhere else? Tell us about it in the comments below!
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