1.3.2022

Video: Ricky A Go Go – “DeathTrain” ft. BONES

The Underground Legend Proves That Even Those Who Have Passed On Can’t Resist His Beats

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:

Constantly finding new ways to make his music stand out among the rest, BONES never stops working. Coming through with a nightmare released just before Christmas, BONES embodies his Ricky A Go Go persona and shares “DeathTrain,” his new claymation-animated video. The single finds BONES/Ricky channeling some of the lushest pop sounds of the 1980s, showing off a smooth singing voice and an LL Cool J-inspired flow as the underground legend professes his undying love to his partner. Never one to shy away from wearing his heart on his sleeve, Ricky/BONES sends a vulnerable message to his muse: “I never thought too highly of the world we’re in / until I met you now I got a reason to live.”

In the Alex Machin-directed claymation video, all of the characters are portrayed as skeletons with clothing on, paying homage to BONES’ artist name. Opening up with the characters attending a concert at the Soul Train-esque “Death Train,” the claymation version of BONES rolls up in a casket before hopping out and putting on a show. Even though there are multiple female skeletons losing their minds at the intimate concert, BONES only has eyes for his muse as the music plays on. He even defends her from a particularly diabolical skeleton dressed in period-correct garb.

“DeathTrain” closes a remarkably busy year for BONES, marked by five full-length albums including Scraps, his November collaboration album with TeamSESH producer Lyson. October’s ForbiddenImage immediately followed July’s InLovingMemory, a dark and personal album that featured the recent single “WhiteBoyRick.” In March, BONES released 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 albums recorded under the moniker surrenderdorothy onto DSPs for the first time ever.

If there’s one thing to know for sure about BONES, it’s that he’s always working on his next project. Stay tuned for much more to come from the TeamSESH founder in 2022.

Watch Ricky A Go Go – “DeathTrain” ft. BONES: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyLuK1_QyGo

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).