Rat Boy

 

After making waves with his debut album SCUM and the seven-track CIVIL DISORDER, RAT BOY has teamed up with Tim Armstrong to produce his new album titled INTERNATIONALLY UNKNOWN. RAT BOY first found Armstrong’s Punk/Hip-Hop band Transplants in his father’s record collection, and subsequently delved into his back catalog with Rancid and Operation Ivy. RAT BOY had repeatedly mentioned his admiration of Armstrong in interviews, which led to the L.A. Punk veteran discovering the young Essex upstart. Separated by 30 years of age and the Atlantic Ocean, RAT BOY and Armstrong sound like the very definition of an odd couple. But they immediately connected on their first phone call, through a shared love for mixing the visceral energy of Punk with Hip-Hop beats. In many ways, it’s hardly surprising: both musicians share similar influences and often reflect on their upbringing in their lyrics. The pair met in Los Angeles at Armstrong’s Shiprec Studios where he had just finished producing The Interrupters latest album and immediately captured three demos on their first day together, with members of The Interrupters backing them on bass and drums. Not only did they have chemistry but they had a wealth of unorthodox creative ideas, such as chopping up live drums before filtering them through an old tape machine or RAT BOY playing Armstrong’s left-handed guitar upside down. The momentum was such that the project was entirely written and recorded during three visits, which amounted to a total of two months’ work. RAT BOY’s live band joined him in Los Angeles, while other collaborators include former Aggrolites bassist J Bonner and The Interrupters’ vocalist Aimee Interrupter. John King of The Dust Brothers (Beastie Boys, Beck) also contributed production.

“I wanted to do this completely differently because ‘SCUM’ took so long, and I was learning the whole way through making it,” says RAT BOY. “I wanted to make something more personal and raw, which reflected me more. I was trying to find that sweet spot between Hip-Hop and Punk, and Tim really understands that stuff. I’ve never really spoken to anyone else who love Hip-Hop and Punk like I do.”

The result is twelve tracks which amplify RAT ROY’s rabble-rousing riot act to a new level. He’s drawing on diverse influences which echo, at various points, The Clash, Beastie Boys, The Prodigy, Rebel MC, Green Day and Run DMC.

The Mixtape (2014)

01 - Sportswear
02 - Carry On
03 - Journey
04 - Laughter
05 - Hanging Round

Get Over It EP (2016)

01 - Intro
02 - Get Over It
03 - Kicked Out Tape
04 - Cash In Hand
05 - Good Bye

Scum (2017)

01 - Turn Round M8
02 - Revolution
03 - Laidback
04 - Move
05 - Boiling Point
06 - Fake ID
07 - Sportswear
08 - Left 4 Dead
09 - Sign On
10 - Knock Knock Knock
11 - Scum
12 - Ill Be Waiting
13 - Kicked Outta School

Scum (Deluxe) (2017)

01 - Welcome To My World
02 - Turn Round M8
03 - Revolution
04 - Stevies First Wife Interlude
05 - Laidback
06 - Ill Be Waiting
07 - Big Fucka Burgers Interlude
08 - Move
09 - Boiling Point
10 - Fake ID
11 - Breaking Newz Interlude
12 - Get Over It
13 - Knock Knock Knock
14 - Sportswear
15 - Trumptowers Interlude
16 - Left 4 Dead
17 - Sign On
18 - Shadows Interlude
19 - Everyday
20 - Sirenz Interlude
21 - Scum
22 - Post Scum Interlude
23 - Sad Sad (Feat. Mallory Merk)
24 - End Of The Road Interlude
25 - Kicked Outta School

Civil Disorder (2018)

01 - Teenage Tearaway (Feat. Clams Casino)
02 - Be My Anime
03 - Knock Knock, Pt. II (Feat. Lord Apex)
04 - Slave To The System
05 - Public Identity
06 - Reactions
07 - Oh No

Internationally Unknown (2018)

01 - Chip On My Shoulder
02 - My Name Is Rat Boy
03 - Don't Hesitate
04 - I Wanna Skate
05 - Follow Your Heart
06 - Internationally Unknown
07 - So What
08 - No Peace No Justice (Feat. Tim Timebomb)
09 - Flies
10 - Night Creature (Feat. Aimee Interrupter)
11 - Dad’s Crashed Car
12 - Silverlake

Government Vacation EP (2020)

01 - Victim Of A System
02 - Time On My Mind
03 - Truth Of The Youth
04 - Rewind
05 - Bumpy Road
06 - Government Vacation

Payday (2022)

01 - Sometimes

02 - Elon

03 - Feel It Again

04 - Payday

05 - American Dreamer

06 - Fucked Up

07 - Afterglow

08 - Laugh Like

09 - Shotgun

10 - Street Justice

11 - Sirens

12 - Merry Go

13 - Skate Store

14 - Run For The Money

Suburbia Calling (2024)

01 - Mob Mentality

02 - Rudy's World

03 - One In A Million

04 - Best Is Yet To Come

05 - Every Little Helps

06 - Suburbia Calling

07 - Badman

08 - She's The One

09 - Essex Land

10 - Handbags At Dawn

11 - Day Trip To London

12 - Boy Wonder

13 - Take My Place

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