Chicago native and rapper Lucki came into 2024 with a new EP titled “2 Faced”. The 27-year-old, who was once an underground rapper, made his way to mainstream fame but, his success wasn’t overnight.
Lucki Carmel Jr. was born in 1996 in Chicago, Illinois. He started rapping in high school with friends and dropped out when he was 16 to pursue music full-time.
Lucki released his first full album in 2013 titled “Alternative Trap” at age 17, which kicked off his musical journey.
He continued to drop albums unique to his style and unlike the generic trap music many of his peers produced. In 2016 he took a step back from music while battling substance abuse. In 2017 he came back, releasing “Watch My Back”, which dives into his personal life and struggles.
Just a few years later, he signed to label Empire to help with distribution and media.
This was just before he released “Days B4 III”, an album which featured hit songs like 4 The Betta and Randomly.
In 2022, his album “FLAWLESS LIKE ME” cemented his mainstream fame reaching 12 on Billboard Top 200. The album had features from Future and Babyface Ray bringing new fans to his music.
Even though 2 Faced received positive reactions online, I wanted to ask students at Kilbourne to see what they thought about it and Lucki in general. I first turned to Junior Eric Bolyard who has been a long time listener of Lucki and also saw him perform live.
His reaction to the new EP was that “I thought it was okay, but I liked Lucki’s old discography better.” Even thought Bolyard wasn’t ecstatic about “2 Faced” he did mention that “Paidnfull was definitely my favorite song of the two.”
Bolyard wanted to see “another album like ‘Watch My Back’ in the future.” “Watch My Back” featured vivid lyrics over intricate beats which immersed the listener in his shoes battling personal struggles.
To get another opinion, I interviewed sophomore Evan Schutte about the new EP. “I liked 2 Faced a lot and my favorite song was definitely Paidnfull,” said Schutte. I then asked Schutte if Lucki was in his top five favorite artists at the moment. “He is just outside my top five maybe six or seven” responded Schutte.
Schutte said “I like his voice and the beats that are produced for him which makes to form a good sound”. Notable producers for Lucki include both Bhristo and Brent Rambo. Bhristo is an American producer from Los Angeles and has worked with popular artists like Destroy Lonely and Yeat. Brent Rambo is from Chicago and has worked on many of Lucki’s projects.
Looking in the future Schutte wanted to see “more collaborations with the artists Veeze.”
Lastly, I asked Zach Wolford, who is a Junior at Kilbourne, about his thoughts on 2 Faced. “I think that it is a good EP which shows how much he has evolved over the years” said Wolford.
Lucki’s journey from underground to mainstream is a testament to his authenticity. “2 Faced” serves as the latest chapter in his evolving musical journey and showcases his unique style.
