No​ ​Mountains​ ​In​ ​ManhattanBiography“On an island trying to peep the horizon from the highest peak in the sky andPuerto Rico, Ireland, Manhattan chimed in by him every place i beenGive you a taste of the pace on this Island, little giant, little defiantReally a riot spew the saliva lived with the jews man a Upper West SiderMixed in the stew and he tired” - IslanderIn 2009 Patrick “Wiki” Morales, a Puerto Rican-Irish mutt teenager, was looking to explore beyond hisborn neighborhood of the intellectually rich, culturally diverse area of the Upper West Side ofManhattan. And like every kid his age, Wiki was itching to explore the underbelly of the island -downtown Manhattan. It’s a migration that’s cultivated the 23-year-old young rapper we know today:an authentic New York City analyst who has become the voice of a generation, making Wiki one in amillion.“the ravers outthe skaters outthe haters outthe haters getting truck slappedkids all about the paper routeif you a werido put your hands upif you got an ego just stand up man up. causeI know you shook shitSticking to the book bitch.I don’t give a fuck bout y’all.Cause I got my whole crew coming sonEvery one of themIt's like every night of the tunnel in one” - Pretty​ ​BullOut of the dark, damp basements and hot crowded galleries of downtown Manhattan, is whereRatking defied the odds and began to sprout. Through the guidance of downtown creatives AaronBondaroff and Ari Marcopoulos and like-minded outsiders, Wiki, Sporting Life, Hak formed Ratkingsoon releasing Wiki93 (2012) and So It Goes (2014). Released to rave reviews, Ratking catapultedinto a world of local underground success, proving to a new generation of hip hop listeners that therules of the past can be broken albeit with respect. Out of Ratking grew new genres of hip hop, aresurgence in DIY production and a shrewd lyricist in Wiki, whose youthful observations ofManhattan’s chaotic ecosystem were extraordinary.“Y’all can’t check mate the kidI got a check that say I’m litI gotta cash thatTurn it to a fat sack face that shitit’s basicI’m made for thismade for this” - Made​ ​For​ ​ThisNo longer under the protective shelter of adolescence, Wiki accepted his destiny and stepped out onhis own. Using the lessons of his collective efforts with Ratking, Wiki took on adulthood andindependence within Lil Me, his 2015 mixtape on Letter Racer. Tackling issues of life on the road,coming of age in Manhattan, first loves, bad blood, and all the emotional reckoning in between thetwo extremes. Bringing on board old friends - producer Alex Epton, Sporting Life, King Krule - andexperimenting with some new ones too - Skepta, Kaytranada, Black Mack - Wiki stepped out and upon Lil Me turning to himself, instead of Manhattan, to be the protagonist of his first solo effort.“Made my own nationout imaginationimagine making everything you wanted out of patience” -​ ​Leppi​ ​CoquiIn 2015 Wiki retreated to XL Recordings downtown Manhattan studio to start work on his first, officialalbum No Mountains In Manhattan. During the year and a half process, Wiki worked with pastcontributors and the team naturally around him, to focus on creating a new sound for his beloved city.To drive at the intended goal, Wik consciously called upon three generations of New York MCs inGhostface Killa, Your Old Droog, Slicky Boy and ACAB as the only guest verses. To correlate withthe perspectives of the city, Tony Seltzer, KAYTRANADA, Sporting Life, Earl Sweatshirt, Alex Eptonand others worked along with Wiki to provide a variety of sounds that speak to the chaoticatmosphere of the city itself.“I’ve seen the seas the snowthe heat the colddreams untoldsometimes swear man I seen it allthe schemes unfold with these kidsreminisce playing ball with a stick “ -​ ​StickballNo Mountains In Manhattan is Patrick “Wiki” Morales thesis on present day Manhattan. Provided byhis studies of the streets of his city. Illuminated by the hyperbole of his imagination. A bibliographyfilled with names from the community that nurtured him. Bringing to life the sounds of his city that givepulse to the cast of characters that give Manhattan it’s soul, No Mountains In Manhattandemonstrates that Wiki is the city’s bard, telling the stories of now to be heard by generations tocome.“How you gonna say ain't no mountains in manhattan?When I been right on top of one mackingfor the past 20 years past 23 yearstook a couple years just to get passed the piersWik’s off the liqs pass the beerYo A damn Slick been off the shits the past year"what he gonna do man?”stuck up in the stew” - NMIM