$ilkMoney is the fringe star the mainstream is missing. Operating largely in the shadows, his name may not ring a bell but his unlikely hit “My Potna Dem” is one of the most viral songs in recent memory. His fiercely independent-minded approach and aloof attitude are truly one-of-a-kind, and his music is unapologetically raw, lyrical, and full of chaotic psychedelic energy. With accolades under his belt including a RIAA Certified Gold single, a Top Ten TikTok megahit, and the Highest Pitchfork Rated Hip Hop Album of 2022, $ilkMoney is unquestionably one of the most unique and underrated acts in hip hop today.
A native of Richmond, Virginia, $ilkMoney never set out for virality. Quite the opposite. Growing up his focus was on hanging with his friends, exploring psychedelics, and coming up with the most intricate insider slang imaginable – enjoying the freedom of marching to the beat of his own drum above all else. After finding early success in the mid 2010’s as a part of Richmond-based group called Divine Council and a subsequent major label stint that resulted in a rare Andre 3000 feature, $ilkMoney enthusiastically set back out on his own to pursue the independent path he truly desired.
In 2018 he dropped the first in a series of lengthy-titled solo projects, I Hate My Life And I Really Wish People Would Stop Telling Me Not To, which was executive-produced by Tyler the Creator and contained their popular joint-track “Naga” – another example of $ilkMoney’s early success and organic shadowy. He would go on to drop Get the Fuck Off My Dick: There’s Not Enough Room for All You Motha Fuckas to Be on It Like This in 2019 and Attack of the Future Shocked, Flesh Covered, Meatbags of the 85 in 2020, diving fully into his experimental style and away from anything mainstream.
Ironically, it was during 2021 when he was most focused on doing his own thing that an album cut released all the way back in 2019 inexplicably started blowing up online. By the end of the year, “My Potna Dem” had been streamed over 120M times, soundtracked over 1.6M TikToks (ranked #9 on TikTok’s Hip Hop Charts, #11 overall), and had kids everywhere chanting “D-B-S-B-G-L-O-B-E-A-B-B” and throwing up complicated hand signs that were never meant to be understood by anyone outside of $ilk and his friends.
Instead of leaping at the first chance to sell out on the back of his unlikely viral success, in true $ilkMoney fashion he took all the time he needed and in November of 2022 dropped his latest project, I Don’t Give a Fuck About This Rap Shit, Imma Just Drop Until I Don’t Feel Like It Anymore. Despite not giving a fuck, $ilk’s latest album would go on to receive an 8.4 rating from Pitchfork, their highest ranked hip hop album of 2022.
$ilkmoney’s uncompromising commitment to his own passions and out-of-the-box lyricism are a breath of fresh air, scratching the itch for edgy and thought provoking rap better than anyone in music today. Exactly what his next move is is anyone’s guess, but you can guarantee that it will be on his own terms.
