Ranking the many sides of LUCKI.
A closer look at the backpack rapper-turned-trapper who underwent the artistic evolution of a lifetime.
artwork by Tanaya Vohra.
Although lauded by fans, popular trap artists such as NBA Youngboy and Polo G have been jabbed for their oversaturated levels of musical output. In the midst of this subgenre that is suffering at large from one-note releases and a lack of dynamic artistry, Lucki (stylized LUCKI) has become a beacon of hope. From his underground Chicago roots to his more recent mainstream breakthroughs, he has managed to maintain a similar level of output and quality to his peers while also constantly renewing his sound and keeping it fresh. Though select anthems from Lucki may appear at first to be more fodder in an already crowded space, a dive into the history of this deviant artist reveals a discography with robust stylistic evolution that has set him apart from his colleagues.
5. The End of Lucki Eck$ (2015)
Major releases: X, Freewave
A short but voluminous period in Lucki’s career, 2015 saw the artist’s first attempts at experimentation beyond the staple Chicago underground sound at the time. Making a dramatic shift from a mellower, frat-rap profile to one of trap drums and effortless (or sometimes just low-effort) delivery, Lucki fittingly put his former moniker Lucki Eck$ to rest during this time.
The cockier, less delicate lyricism on X provided a window into the mind of a scatterbrained Lucki as his cult fanbase, along with his ego, began to expand. Though the execution of these projects may have been a little bit clumsy (including the quiet cancellation of the @ Midnight EP), they set the groundwork for Lucki to fully realize his persona and sound.
4. Low Point Lucki (2016 - 2018)
Major releases: Son of Sam, Freewave II, Watch My Back, Days B4 II
Swept up in depression and heavy substance addiction, Lucki made some of his most unsettling, intimate projects to date. Lucki has always been one to contribute laid-back vocal performances, but he takes even more of a backseat than usual on Son of Sam, seeming as if he is barely present––though for many, this simply added to the allure of Lucki’s troubled character.
The faster-paced Freewave II provides a welcome intermission from the jarring, mania of the surrounding projects, despite the first two Freewave entries appearing hastily put together. Watch My Back isn’t as upbeat, but it is a palpable fan favorite, with promotional single “Sunset” netting Lucki his first bit of mainstream attention. The hollow, ghostly nature of Lucki throughout this period lead to a slew of passable (or better) tracks, but also plenty that are only worth listening to once––either due to their lack of fully-formed material or the unease they can cause.
3. Trap Lucki (2019-2021)
Major releases: Freewave 3, Days Before III, Almost There, WAKE UP LUCKI
Despite receiving props from Justin Timberlake and Pharrell Williams early in his career, it was only around his major-label debut DAYS B4 III that Lucki began to pick up traction from those outside his niche following. In a sense, the period surrounding this record was a golden age for the artist––general audiences and hardcore fans alike agreed that no style had ever fit him better. The production shined on hits like “Randomly” and “Out My Way,” while deeper cuts spanning this sequence of projects showcased just how broad-minded Lucki was willing to be in terms of sampling (see the assumedly amateur recorder player being looped on “Runnin With”). There was no denying that, even after years of reinvention, greatness was still just on the horizon for Lucki.
However, this era’s merits are diminished by the lackluster project that was WAKE UP LUCKI, a collaboration with frequent Playboi Carti producer F1lthy. Though at times ineffective, the project’s creative leisures speak to Lucki’s momentum and willingness for change; this was far from the indicators of dormancy that plague plenty of “safer” artists around a decade into their shelf-lives.
2. Modern Lucki (2022 - Present)
Major releases: Flawless Like Me, s*x m*ney dr*gs
As Lucki solidified his industry presence with his first Billboard-charting album, his sound adapted yet again. FLAWLESS LIKE ME opens with the line: “We’d like to congratulate drugs, for winning the war on drugs.” This is a testament to his shift away from his past grappling with drug use, instead accepting and submitting to his lasting addiction. Brought on by this defeat, the victory of Lucki’s fame seeps into the energetic production and high-brow flexing present in these projects––but not without the melancholy undertones lurking in odd lines like “I’m on roxy, she make it toxic for you and me” from 2023’s “Gemini Love.”
Lucki’s current direction has left some long-time fans disappointed, in part due to bloated tracklisting (especially on FLAWLESS LIKE ME) and a waning emphasis on lyricism. The sheer volume of new listeners only continues to feed into the superstar’s new musical practices and old vices. Still, it’s a better time than ever for frequent releases from Lucki, now informed by ‘20s music culture. s*x m*ney dr*gs’ forward-thinking production with a touch of synthy nostalgia once more sees him headed in a promising direction sonically.
1. Backpack Lucki (2013 - 2014)
Major releases: Alternative Trap, Body High
Sure, the fact that Lucki is an ever-changing artistic force is integral to this ranking, but even then, early Lucki may as well have been a different artist entirely. It’s hard to imagine Lucki without his hallmark scratchy voice, taking pages out of the books of Lil B and early Chance the Rapper instead of the cloud rap he would later adapt. These projects capture a bittersweet nostalgia of the early-2010s underground that is both unrivaled and unreplicable. Long-time collaborator Plu2o Nash’s spacey, yet punchy production shines just as much as Lucki’s playfully disturbing lyricism––a songwriting prime he hasn’t recaptured since.
Body High accomplishes a sonic portrayal of drug-induced euphoria and the real-world strings attached to dependency. Eerily, Lucki’s worries in this regard went on to become his future, giving the album an almost prophetic undertone. Not only that, but Body High’s stripped-down predecessor Alternative Trap is all the better for it––there are no albums, in Lucki’s discography or otherwise, quite like it. The project is a masterclass in its depictions of paranoia and loss of innocence, prodigious feats for the then-17-year-old rapper. Alternative Trap showed a young, bright-eyed Lucki’s knack for immense emotional depth, à la other less-overlooked classics like 1999 by Joey Bada$$ and XXXTentacion’s 17.
Listen to some of the highlights of Lucki’s incremental transformation in the playlist below:
edited by Anant Dhingra.
cover art by Tanaya Vohra.
album artwork believed to belong to either the publisher of the work or the artist.
