In a grey two-story house in Yonkers, New York, a black Labrador Retriever named Harvey barked endlessly through the night. Around the block lived David Berkowitz, a young postal worker, lying awake unable to get any rest. Berkowitz left anonymous letters for Harvey’s owner, Sam, addressing the noise. Some of the letters threatened Sam’s life. Harvey kept barking.
Berkowitz went on to terrorize New York City from December 1975 to July 1977, killing six people and injuring seven. According to Berkowitz, a demon in the form of Harvey forced him to do it. Near the bodies of his victims, Berkowitz left frenzied letters describing instances of rape, cannibalism, and murder. He referred to himself as the ‘SON OF SAM.’
In 2015, 19 year old Lucki – rising rapper and fan of serial killer documentaries – interpreted the ‘Harvey demon’ a different way. He explains that the visions of the dog forcing Berkowitz to commit crimes is the same as how Lucki has his own vices that have convinced him to do things. “David said demons was speaking to him through the dog, so with that, vices are demons, and my demons are these bitches, me thinking I’m Rick James, this fast life, and drugs. That’s my little comparison to it.”
On March 22, 2016, Lucki released SON OFSAM. At just seven tracks and less than 20 minutes length, Lucki thoughtfully put forth an outstanding mixtape lathered in charisma.
Just like Berkowitz’s letters, the tracklist for SON OFSAM is written in all caps, riddled with typos, and brimming with errors so easily avoidable you wonder if they’re intentional. Berkowitz left hefty clues in his notes, some so expository that they can seem like red herrings (Berkowitz did voluntarily leave letters for the police, after all). Lucki mimics Berkowitz’s emotional density and slapdash ways to yield a similar effect through the mixtape.
On “HIS ONLY…,” Lucki states, “If I crash it’s Sam’s fault, if I talk it’s Sam’s thoughts.” This is an example of how Lucki’s demons can sometimes overpower his morals altogether. Similarly, on “NUN2ME,” (Featuring A$AP Ant) Lucki compares Berkowitz’s documented urge to drink blood to the mindset of the addicts who press him for a re-up: “I flip the block, they crave for blood.”
On closing track “SELFUL,” Lucki’s survival instincts perforate his opiate fog to remind him:
I’m speeding down the interstate // Stay awake, the interstate
As Berkowitz personifies Harvey and the other demons in his head, Lucki personifies the drugs he takes as well as the angel and devil perched on both of his shoulders. He calls lean the ‘purple devil’ while referring to MDMA, Xanax, and Percocet like they’re people.
During times of apparent clarity, when he’s able to reflect on his actions, Lucki pledges allegiance to his demons instead of denouncing them. Continuing on from “SELFUL,” Lucki raps, “Lying to myself saying that I’m not into this no more” and “You should leave before these pills kick in, I know you scared of truth.” Lucki also uses his demons as a crutch, like on “DOUBLE CHECK” he says, “Man that’s a different n****, I wasn’t even there.”
Despite his sludgy voice, and the cobbled together layout of the mixtape’s artwork, Lucki delivers a handful of cunning bars on every track. Some of the best lines include:
• My new grass too green I let the snakes chill
• All summer I just wanted two bricks // I just put Shaq up at the free throw
• On thin ice with my puck ’bout to heat this bitch up and watch us all go for a swim
• It get cold in the summer when you just alone
• Chasing full moons, set a half one on my phone now
• I pop another one watching the critics reload
SON OFSAM stands out as a body of work full of creativity, consistency, and replay value. Contributing producers GRiMM Doza, Kenny Beats, and Plu2o Nash match Lucki’s concept with imaginativley ominous soundscapes. SON OFSAM is an amazing mixtape and perhaps the most noteworthy compilation of Lucki’s entire catalog. Listen to the mixtape below: