9.7.2021

Video: BONES – “WhiteBoyRick”

The Underground Phenom Pays Homage to One of Detroit’s Most Complicated Characters in the Latest from His Recent InLovingMemory Project

Critical Praise:

“The Michigan-born rapper was one of the earliest and most influential artists to rise through the SoundCloud ranks in the early 2010s thanks to a truly unique aesthetic, an aura of mystery and a sound that would go on to be mimicked by his genre for years to come.” – HYPEBEAST

‘Already one of the most influential artists in rap and the SoundCloud underground, Bones shows no signs of slowing down.” – HYPEBEAST

“O’Connor’s short tracks, creepy videos, and one-word tweets rack up millions of social media interactions from a cult following that helped him sell out shows in 25 cities on a recent tour. The hip-hop elite is taking notice.” – The FADER

“Elmo Kennedy O’Connor was in pre-school when he became obsessed with the Southern artists of No Limit and Cash Money. Later in life, he would adopt the rap moniker Bones and amass a significant cult following. His gothic lyrical style, allergy to songs longer than two and a half minutes, and lo-fi visual aesthetic have convinced a quarter million people to subscribe to the SoundCloud page of his rap collective, TeamSESH.” – HotNewHipHop

The Video:

With over 20 albums full of clever and cryptic references, BONES always finds a way to be creative. Today he’s breathing new life into the story of Detroit’s infamous informant turned bad boy, White Boy Rick. Often hiding his face with effects and distortion, BONES changes it up and steps directly into the light in the video for “WhiteBoyRick,” the latest video to be released off his album InLovingMemory. After robbing a liquor store of all of its Backwoods, BONES and his crew post up outside to smoke blunts, talk smack, and vibe out to the eerie Question Mark produced beat. BONES then cruises through a fiery parking lot in a tricked out lowrider, sending warning shots to those asking – “BONES, why you kill em all the time with the rhymes? / Too clean with it, mean with it, wanna let em lie / Look into the sky, I’m the one you ask ‘why?’ / I’m the one that let em live, I’m the one that let em die.”

Released in June, InLovingMemory captivated listeners as BONES offered an unfiltered glimpse into his elusive psyche. On tracks like “AnyLastWords,” BONES spits paranoid rhymes over a dark trap beat derived from ’90s Memphis rap, while on songs like “BrandNewExpectations,” the Michigan native bares his soul over spindly guitar hooks inspired by Midwest Emo. Ever the experimenter, BONES saves his biggest swing for last, setting his sights on the dancefloor with the moody “TwasTheDarkestNight,” which mixes a driving 4/4 beat with expansive synths and even a horn section. Featuring production from TeamSESH beatmaker Lyson and many others, InLovingMemory is available everywhere via EMPIRE

InLovingMemory is the prolific rapper’s third album of 2021. It immediately follows March’s PushingUpDaisies, a full-length collaborative album produced by TeamSESH producer Deergod. Featuring the single “PopRocks,” which earned praise from Stereogum, the album thrives on the impeccable chemistry between producer and rapper. Earlier this year, BONES shared his BURDEN album and released earlier albums recorded under the moniker surrenderdorothy onto DSPs for the first time ever.

With InLovingMemory, BONES seeks to remind the world of his singular talent and convince sleepers to give him his flowers before it’s too late. Stay tuned for much more music from BONES in the near future.

Watch “WhiteBoyRick”: https://youtu.be/I4jh4ojwSoM

Buy/Stream InLovingMemory: https://music.empi.re/inlovingmemory

Check out BONES’ recent interview in Interview Magazine:
https://www.interviewmagazine.com/music/bones-gives-a-rare-interview-about-love-identity-and-fatherhood

InLovingMemory tracklist:

InLovingMemory (prod. greaf)
AnyLastWords? (prod. grayera)
GoHardHuh (prod. Stereoryze)
RainCloudsFollowMe (prod. lyson)
WhiteBoyRick (prod. ?)
DemolitionFreestylePt3 (prod. lyson)
P250 (prod. Stereoryze)
BrandNewExpectations (prod. lyson)
ChatLog (prod. greaf)
SawedOff (prod. lyson)
EverybodysFavoriteScumbag (prod. lyson)
Hitchhiker (prod. Grey Cigar)
IThinkIWillBeOk (prod. greaf)
Focus (prod. Kamil & Secretive Suicide)
Zippo (prod. lyson)
SoulFood (prod. lyson)
TwasTheDarkestNight (prod. lyson)

Please contact Michelle or Kerry for more info.

The Background:

BONES has proven to be one of the most enduring, influential, and creative hip-hop artists to emerge in the early 2010s. The TeamSESH founder has recorded dozens of albums, racking up hundreds of millions of streams and feeding a fanbase that eagerly awaits his every move. Despite remaining fiercely independent and true to his underground roots, his music has permeated the mainstream–in 2015, A$AP Rocky sampled BONES’ song “Dirt” for “Canal St.” (124 million streams), and in recent years, BONES has performed in prime slots at festivals such as Rolling Loud as a member of Seshollowaterboyz (along with Xavier Wülf, Chris Travis, and Eddy Baker).