Frequently mislabeled and painfully slept on, Chicago rapper Lucki is doing something really unique. Between lean sips and eye flickers, he is crafting incredibly witty bars that can take dozens of listens to catch. This is for a reason, too - no other rapper has challenged their listeners to train themselves to uncover dexterous lyrics across polyrhythmic flows, while sounding like their on the verge of a Percocet overdose. Lucki’s 2016 cut "Syrup Talk" is a watery ballad of reflections about the ways that lean has affected his notion of home. Over off-beat hi-hats and inversely compressed synths, Lucki sounds like he can barely form a sentence. Somehow, he mutters clever MF DOOM references and brutally honest insights about how critics view him. While “I pop another one watching the critics reload” implies that journalists give him shit for his drug addiction, this critic sees something much deeper going on; Lucki is a prime example of an atrocity exhibition. This means that his convoluted, ugly relationship with prescription drugs has been put on display for his audience to enjoy. He experiences the downsides of his vices, while his listeners don’t have to. On Danny Brown’s 2016 masterpiece, “Atrocity Exhibition,” the Detroit rapper reflects on being misunderstood: over the years, many people have treated his music like substance-praising rave soundtracks, but the whole time he has been detailing the ugliness of addiction and crying for help. Unlike Brown, Lucki appears comfortable in his habits, often laughing off people’s suggestions of sobriety. He know’s exactly what he’s doing. Lucki’s confidence shines as bright on reverse-looped atmospheric cuts like “BPrint,” as on 160BPM F1lthy beats like “FUCK EVERYBODY.” The latter features some of the hardest bars I have heard in a while: “Should’a OD’d I need a halo, a halo / Scary Sight dream pourin’ fuegos with Fredo / Baby let’s build I got legos for fake hoes / Brody, he a snake he ‘a sip his own Karo.” Lucki’s pendulous flow, razor-sharp wit, and dualistic personality have contributed to his first-place spot in a lane of his own.