New Orleans rap duo
$uicideboy$ rose from the dark corners of the underground, merging hip-hop with a punk and occult aesthetic fit for graveyards and clubs alike. With dozens of projects to their name (including at least 20 installments of their Kill Yourself EP series), they released their official full-length debut,
I Want to Die in New Orleans, in 2018. Without much mainstream attention, they racked up multiple gold-certified singles and stormed charts around the world. In 2021, they issued their sophomore LP,
Long-Term Effects of Suffering, their second consecutive U.S. Top Ten.
Even though they combined their talents in 2014, the pair were already well-acquainted as cousins. Ruby da Cherry and
Scrim grew up together, white kids in Black neighborhoods on the east and west banks of the Crescent City. However, they initially veered down different paths. Ruby (aka Suicide Leopard) dabbled in punk rock, influenced by
the Misfits,
Minor Threat, and
Leftover Crack. Meanwhile,
Scrim (aka $lick $loth and Suicide Christ) was a DJ and songwriter. Once they joined forces, the result was a dark blend of horrorcore glitch-trap bubbling with booming bass, ominous atmospherics, and occultist, drugged-out rhymes. Signed to G59 Records, the
Boy$ released the ambitious ten-part series Kill Your$elf. With titles like The $uicide $aga, The $eppuku $aga, and Re$urrection,
$uicideboy$ layered their twisted raps over short tracks, releasing additional EPs like Black $uicide (with
Black Smurf), Grey Sheep, G.R.E.Y.G.O.D.S., and
My Liver Will Handle What My Heart Can't in 2015.
By 2016, with SXSW and international shows under their belts, the recordings continued, notching nearly 30 full-lengths within two years. Radical $uicide, their 29th release, arrived in the summer of 2016. The five-track EP produced by
Getter peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Rap charts. In 2017, the pair revived their Kill Yourself series with
Kill Yourself, Pt. 11: The Kingdom Come Saga. Ten volumes were issued that year, closing with XX: The Infinity Saga.
Early 2018 saw the release of single "FUCKALLOFYOU2K18." Later that year, they issued "Carrollton" and "Meet Mr. NICEGUY," a pair of singles that appeared on their fall release,
I Want to Die in New Orleans. Issued in September 2019, the album landed at number nine on the Billboard 200. After closing out the year with collaborative EP
Live Fast Die Whenever (with
Travis Barker), the duo returned in March 2020 for their 45th project,
Stop Staring at the Shadows. Also that year,
Scrim made his solo debut with
A Man Rose from the Dead.
Continuing their prolific streak, they released their official sophomore album,
Long-Term Effects of Suffering, in August of 2021. The set debuted at number seven on the Billboard 200, their highest showing to date. The duo kicked off 2022 with the single "The Evil That Men Do." ~ Neil Z. Yeung