Etnik – “Unclassified” (Feat. Mykki Blanco) (Stereogum Premiere)
Behold, one of those genius rapper-producer pairings that just plain works. On “Unclassified,” the title track from young German producer Etnik’s new OWSLA EP, Mykki Blanco absolutely goes off. The talented art-damaged pioneer exudes charmingly down-to-earth charisma, sounding like an absolute boss while spinning lines like “I just took a Midol cause I thought the shit was ecstasy/ Now I’m crampin’ worse than the pregnant woman next to me.” (Also, I can’t tell if the refrain is, “For real man, dude’s a little creepy” or “Pharrell man, dude’s a little creepy.”) Blanco unfurls those appealing bars over top of increasingly bombastic aggro-gurgles that sound like “Clique” if Kanye had saved it for Yeezus. It’s a partnership as potent as Danny Brown and Rustie, and it’s right there for your audible enjoyment below.
Unclassified is out 10/20 via OWSLA/Bitclap. Pre-order it here. Here’s hoping Etnik’s next project is a whole EP with Blanco.