Lucki Eck$ Says He’s Chicago’s Most Innovative Rapper, and He Might Be Right

A body high is a pleasurable state when the body feels no pain and every bit of contact is magnified and exhilarating. This term is often used to describe the physical element of drug experiences. Creating music to capture the essence of that feeling can be a daunting task, but rapper Lucki Eck$ nailed it on his aptly titled Body High mixtape.

ANTENNA recently sat down with the rising Chicago teen to discuss the new project, his tour run with Danny Brown, his FKA twigs collaboration, and more.

Who is Lucki Eck$?

Lucki is probably the most innovative dude in Chicago on the rap scene. A kid who loves to make music.

Tell us a little about your upbringing. How did it affect your sound and content?

I get my sound and inspiration from hanging out in Hyde Park with my friends and soaking in the influences from there.

Your first project, Alternative Trap, really grabbed rap fans on the internet. Why that title, and what space were you in when you made that mixtape?

I was in a weird creative space then, as I was formulating my sound while being a full-time student. The name of it came from talking about trapping over very wavy, alternative beats.

You have some pretty interesting videos like “Count on Me,” blending trippy elements with an organic feel of you just hanging with the homies.

My earlier videos were like freestyle videos in a sense, where I would just create an energy in front of the camera. Now my music is very creative so I feel like my videos have to represent that sound. I am striving with my next couple videos to really keep people interested.

You said once in an interview that Vic Mensa used to be your favorite rapper. Like Kids These Days Vic? What has changed with the texture of his music that you don't dig?

We are just different people. I am from the West Side and Vic is from the South Side. I don’t have a problem with him now. His music now is way different than it was when I was 15. I could say back then he was one of my favorite rappers.

Tell us a little bit about how you linked with Drew from Fakeshore Drive. How instrumental is it having him managing you?

Drew is no longer my manager, but it’s no bad blood. I wouldn’t say I am experimenting anymore with my music. I feel like I am a mad scientist who knows the basis of how to create something, but wants to make his chemical stronger.

On that tip, you've worked with FKA twigs, how did that come to pass? What about the new song with Danny Brown?

FKA is the homie. She did production as well as added vocals on the song ["Ouch Ouch"]. She is a real good friend of mine and an amazing artist. In regards to Danny Brown, I did five dates on his last tour and Red Bull linked us together. It just made a lot of sense. Danny is a good dude. He is someone I can go to for advice.

Tell us about that tour run with Danny.

It was a great experience for me. I really built up my stamina during those dates. You are performing in front of huge crowds and you have to bring your best each night. The most important thing I learned was how to control the crowd. I would watch FKA twigs and we would talk after my set and share ideas.

You have spoken before on how you feel your writing process is much longer than the average rapper. What are your thoughts on the industry now and the rapid demand from fans for new music? Do you think this can hurt the quality?

For some people they may feel the pressure but not me. I interact with the fans a lot and I know when it's time to release content. I want to drop music all the time, but I know timing is everything.

You have said before you sometimes don't like to collab on music, does that still stand?

I would change that to, I won’t collab unless I really like the music.

You chose Audiomack as the platform to release the new tape, instead of LiveMixtapes or DatPiff. Audiomack feels like the next big platform, but why did you choose it?

I like the fact that you see the stats on all levels. It’s also way more organized to me. You can see what’s trending on the page and everything.

Tell us a little bit about the new project. For starters, how did you come up with the title?

The title came about during a time I was taking a lot of Xanax. I felt a lot of body highs. I would wake up off the Xans and it was just a natural feeling.

One word to describe the sound on Body High?

Mastered. I feel like on Alternative Trap I could hear a couple flaws on what I was doing. On Body High I feel like I tightened up on the little things.

Are you looking to tour soon? If you could hit the road with some underground artists who would it be and why?

I would like to hit the road with Yung Lean. His fan base is super intense and locked into his music. I like The Underachievers as well. They have a very passionate fan base also.