Li Chem (Left) and Ratner (Right)
Li Chem and Ratner highlight the nuances of modern relationships with their tender alt-trap ballads. There’s virtue in trying, and their collective wants to prove it. 420 UNLOVABLE consists of nine members* each with their own distinct sound and role. Topy is the godfather of the group according to Ratner, who is a trash-daddy-skunk-boy, according the more reserved Li Chem.
Along with crafting pastel love songs, Li Chem (a.k.a Rome Stalone) studies microeconomics at Baruch College in New York and Ratner is in his last year of nursing school. In the 24 hours preceding our interview, Li Chem got a flat tire, a parking ticket, and $80 stolen from him. Also, Ratner’s car got broken into, his sleeping bag and clothes were stolen, his car window was shattered, and he too got a parking ticket. Despite their valid outrage, Li Chem and Ratner were delighted to link for an interview.
I set up my mic in the dining room as Li Chem waited quietly in his black DGK shirt and white pair of DC Legacys he said he found in a bag somewhere. Ratner cruised in, spotted an Adderall on the ground, asked if it belonged to anyone, and then took it. Li Chem was sipping a Capri Sun and Ratner drank a Modelo.
Li Chem. Courtesy of @li.chem on Instagram
Underground Underdogs: Li Chem, you talk about New York a lot in your music, you talk about LA a lot in your music, you talk about Texas a lot in your music, and here we are in Boston. You seem to bounce around a lot — where do you consider home?
Li Chem: Maine, definitely. I was actually born in Washington state, and then within Maine, my family moved like eleven times. My dream was always to go to a place like New York, so I’m living in New York now. I went to Texas for a minute over the summer, and I once took a vacation to LA for a week, I just romanticize it a lot.
UU: That’s funny. As someone who has lived their whole life in LA, I feel like your music encompasses it better than people who actually live there. People in LA are afraid to be themselves and make indulgent music, and I think that indulgence is what makes your music so great.
Li Chem: What would you say is an example of how my music is indulgent?
UU: It’s really sweet and cute and bubbly and wholesome. It’s endearing. Off the top of my head, on “Crush On Yr Friend,” you sing, “I left my puffy jacket with you, can I come to get it soon.”
Ratner: That’s the Maine winter right there. You gotta get bundled up. Keep the Vans taped up and get ready for the storm!
UU: A lot of times on your album Sextape, you do everything but say someone’s name when you’re telling a story. You’re talking about who’s friends with who, who’s wearing what, and where you are. Has there ever been a time that you’ve released a song and someone was like, ‘Is that about me?’
Li Chem: Yeah, literally all the time. People get it crazy wrong though. There’s maybe one or two people I’ve actually written songs about, but they don’t even know.
UU: How did you two meet each other?
Ratner: The first time we met we got kicked out of science class for playing a fucking dubstep song too loud in our free period.
Li Chem: We had to sit in the principal’s office and I was so scared. Ratner was like, ’this shit happens to me all the time.’
Ratner: I was a shit-bag in high school. We’d make teachers cry every day, it was really bad.
UU: Do you feel like you’ve gotten that mostly out of your system now?
Ratner: Oh hell no. I mean, I’m far more respectful now, I’ve definitely learned how to tone down my explosive ADD.
UU: What have you guys been working on these days?
Li Chem: Oh yeah! Ratner, what’s your tape called?
Ratner: We haven’t decided that yet, honestly.
Ratner. Courtesy of Courtney Meskell @courtneymeskell.tif on Instagram
Li Chem: Yeah you have.
Ratner: I have?
Li Chem: Yeah, you posted it on Instagram, on that video.
Ratner: Oh yeah! I did kind of a joke on Riff Raff’s “What are you going to do when the Vanilla Gorilla album drops!?” I posted this video of me in my house running through a wall and the caption says “When the TrashDaddySkunkBoi album drops.” I think that’s what we’re going to name it. There’s no date for when we’re dropping it yet, we just have to clean a few things up.
UU: Word. What about you, Li Chem, what have you been working on?
Li Chem: I got stuff in the vault that you might not see for a minute. “Karen” was the last thing I dropped, and it blew up. I didn’t even think it was going to blow up. It didn’t blow up blow up but 5,000 plays, that’s my most.
Ratner: It has a super meaningful background to it too.
Li Chem: Oh yeah! Do you want to see my tattoo? I have her name tatted on my chest.
UU: Yes, but who’s Karen?
Li Chem: Okay, so, I got two jobs and I was working part time at both of them to see which one I wanted to work. There were these two women, one at each job, both named Karen. They’re both eighty-year-old women who had been working at this place for fucking ever. One cut cheese in the back room for eleven years straight. At the time, I was like ‘I want a name on my chest, but I don’t know what name.’ Then, I met these two women and made the connection. I was like, ‘I’m getting Karen.’
Keep your eyes peeled for TrashDaddySkunkBoi and check out Li Chem’s latest single, “Karen.”
* 420 UNLOVABLE consists of members BIGDEATH, Topy, 1800sorry, li chem, Ratner, SPLASH DADDY, abby, RED COMET, and oxthxbb.