It must be difficult to become a local hero. Balance the needs of reputation, recognition, community, and internal drive. The unlikely combination of ambitious ambition and ground humility. No rapper can embody this native heroism like New York City's local son Wiki (born Patrick Morales), and his widely acclaimed lyric style has won him international recognition and local reputation. While some rappers collate their credentials in New York like a rap watch, Wiki's documentary stares at the rotating narrative network, turning Manhattan into a lyrical playground, a layered terrain full of personal history, buried stratum unearthed by Cadence. ("Keep on telling/bad or good/everything I have experienced/so you don’t have to/experience the same mistakes as Wik.")

Wiki's third album "Half God" (released on October 1st) is an inner exploration of the Manhattan-born rapper's psychology. This record was made entirely by Sage Elsesser (aka Navy Blue), a creative polymath — model, skater, artist, producer, rapper and iD cover star — he and Earl Sweatshirt and Mike et al. In 2020, he told us: "I have been sorry for this reality and the suffering of this generation since I was a child. I am grateful that my dear grandparents taught us the struggles we face as black people." It is this understanding of history and A treasure trove of personal and family creativity, Sage has created exciting lo-fi beats, constantly referencing and sampling affectionate pioneers like Calvin Keys Jr. and Johnnie Wilder, drawing a straight line between history and the future.

On an unusually warm autumn day in Lower Manhattan, we met with Wiki and Sage, where they discussed freestyle, skating, Supreme, fame, freedom, and upcoming tours.

It's nice to see you guys making an album together. It feels like New York hip-hop music is once again a communityist, just like it was in the 90s. Wiki: This is its spirit, not music. This is a revival in the 90s. Like you said, public. 

How did you and Sage connect? Wiki: We have known each other for a minute. We met crazy a long time ago. Maybe nine or ten years ago. We knew each other when we were around. in the city. Everything is too late, do you know?

Sage, when did you start making music? Sage: Really young. I must be about 10 years old. My father bought me a drum machine for Christmas. I will put it in my backpack to go to school. My father is a musician. I remember he showed me a song by J Dilla and I thought,'Oh, buddy. This is the best thing I have ever heard'. He just showed me the formula. For the first song my dad and I made, we sampled [Nina Simone's] "Four Woman". I just like making beats. That was the first time I felt controlled, just like skating. I grew up playing football. I remember one day when I was practicing, I saw these children skating in the park. I thought, "Damn it, this looks interesting."

Wiki: How old are you?

Sage: It may be 12 or 11 years old. I decided to skate on that weekend. I remember when I started skating again. Independence is great.

Wiki: Did you skate before but did it again?

Sage: I grew up in skating. I always have a board of directors. But I remember I thought I wanted to return to it. Once the light in my brain is on, I feel that independence.

Sage: Yes. When I entered boarding school, I had a lot of time for myself. I will go home to finish my homework and do the beat. I made the beat for a long time.

Pat, what is your origin story? I remember seeing you rap at a Brooklyn party when I was 16 or 17, and I just thought,'Yo, who is this guy? Wiki: Yes, I think I know you. I always wanted to rap. I don't think I can do it. I thought,'Who am I? I am just a kid from the Upper West Side. But when I was in high school, I went out and met all kinds of people at those parties. Everyone in a city of our age was in a certain warehouse. Everyone can dance, and we just freestyle. It's so ridiculous. The lunatics are just freestyle swimming in the corner! But I will always be the loudest. I'm so fucking young, but I only speak loudly. I can project. I can rap. This is something I have always been attracted to. This is just a way for me to release my confidence and express myself. This is what I am good at. This is a type of New York.

Sage, it sounds like your father really supports you. Wiki, are you the same? Do your parents support it? Wiki: My mother really likes creative ideas. She wants me to take piano lessons or something. I also have an older brother who is from academia. So it makes me a younger and more creative person. I can really play that role in the family and they support it. They want me to go to college, but I want to take a year off and try to figure it out. My father is from Puerto Rico. He went to Yale. He values ​​education. My father is always 100% supported, but I don’t know if he has the same support. Now I think he understands.

How do you balance artistic creation and public acceptance of the art? Sage: Well, Pat has been doing this for so long. Even if only in such a password. I can never do something like that. I am so self-aware! Even when I started rap, when I first started making something navy-put it on Soundcloud-I was always on YouTube and found a clip of this weird video or this guy's rap. I want to make it weird.

Wiki: You want to make it mysterious. Have a foresight.

Sage: Exactly. The navy blue was born when I was frustrated in my first year in college.

Wiki: Alone in your room?

Sage: Yes. I used to sit on this little chair, in this crib. I live with this girl who went to high school with me. I just started to make a lot of money from skating, so I can pay the rent. I say this because I never intended to make this a thing. I hope it is something anonymous. Then I remembered Earl Sweatshirt telling me that we were going to release the song "The Mint". I thought, "Fuck, I don't know..." He told me, "The cover is your photo."

Wiki: This is an introduction to the world.

Sage: Yes. I am very ambitious, I like skating, but music does nourish my spirit in a way that skating is not necessarily true.

In today's music industry, what does success look like to you? When I grew up, everyone wanted to be a big label. I'm not sure it is still that way. Sage: I just signed a fucking professional. I don't want to stop my blessing. Nothing really changes. I miss that. Just like Supreme. It became a billion-dollar company, but James still runs it the way he founded it. Nothing will change. I have a little more bread in my pocket. More exposure. I am not really afraid.

Wiki: Right now this is not about professionalism. This is about the nuances of the way you do things. No matter what agreement you sign now, it is not the type they signed 20 years ago. It's all about being smart about how you do it. For me, what our young people have are nuances and understanding, things are not so black and white. You can explore your own path and create your own path to success. It doesn't need to look like a way. I always want to keep my feet on the ground. If you focus too much on what is happening there, you will lose contact.

Sage: I never wanted the reputation of not being able to take the train!

Wiki: Exactly! You don't want to lose contact. Because then you can no longer rap to the train! So, what is "success"? Through rap, you may think that you want to be your favorite rapper, and then realize that you don't want to be that guy.

Sage: But when you feel comfortable, it's good. Because a lot of life is driven by fear. One of the most important things as a person is that we can all identify with fear. You are afraid of success and failure. at the same time. This is a strange thing. You want to stay in that comfortable place and don't want to push yourself too tightly, but then I might be uncomfortable. Music is easy.

Wiki: I know what you mean. I feel most comfortable when I do what I want to do. When I'm not making music, I think "what the hell am I doing?" But then I was like'Yo, let's go into the studio. To some extent, this will not work. Whether in your room or in Al’s studio [The Alchemist]. You can create space where you feel comfortable. You and I made a song there, but heard the music playing there and woke up to hear Al talking-all of these are very important. This brings connection. you saw it. People come in and out, and you feel that you are part of your peers. You get that kind of love. We are all part of the same thing. It's like some shit in the Marvel universe. You may be a small character, but you are still a part of it.

Sage: I love Al. I used to be in his studio. He would say,'Oh, play me. For example, how does he know that I made a beat? He told me the other day,'You have the potential to really do this. I want you to challenge yourself. Sing more. damn it. Get rid of this thing we are in. Just try it, be younger and have fun.

So what's next for you two? Wiki: I'm making a bunch of music, as Sage said just now, having a great time. I think this is always good. Be creative. I have many different ideas. I just don't want to do anything in a hurry, but keep going. I am trying to play a show. I haven't been crazy for a long time. We made this record together. It will be very good energy. I am very happy to be able to rap live.

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