Get Ratchet is the culmination of over 10 years dedicated to the craft of production and djing. What started as an experimental mixtape project between Nick Flash & DJ So What over a year ago has managed to take on a life of it’s own and become what you see here today. The beat itself was made by the production duo DMNDZ, whom DJ SoWhat and Mister Quid stumbled upon last year as the trap music movement started gaining mainstream recognition. Nick heard the track and knew immediately it’d be the perfect track to lace his flows over for their mixtape.
Of course, none of what you see here today could have been possible without the vision of Murkem, founder of In The Cut Studios, and 1/3rd member of the group Killa Boombox. It was he who believed that what they had was more than just a track on a mixtape, but a visual representation of just how turnt up and ratchet they get in real life. However, Murkem’s knack for making music videos did not just happen overnight. It’s been a long journey on a road paved with trials and tribulations that led him to where he is today. From the first time he helped edit a nightclub video with Nick Flash & Sean Reb, he knew that video production would forever be a part of his life. Since then, he has produced numerous videos and worked with heavy hitters in the game such as Jim Jonsin, Tyler Clinton, Leroy Sanchez, Yelawolf, Cris Cab, Derick G, Young Struggle, & , Jelly Roll, whom he has acquired much skill and wisdom.
As he progressed, he acquired more camera gear and met talented friends like Chad Andreo and Jarred Moore, who challenged each other on all the technical aspects of shooting film. They pushed each other to master their gear in order to achieve the highest cinematic quality possible without breaking their budget. When they decided to shoot Get Ratchet, it was a no brainer that Chad and Jared would be the perfect guys to execute their vision. To top that all off, Murkem brings in the expertise of Jolver Cutino, and really makes for a winning combination. Jolver is a steady cam expert who operates on rollerblades for seamless footage that feels like it’s gliding. He is part of Derrik G’s squad and works on videos for the likes of Rick Ross, Young Money and more. On set he quotes, “You never see anything quite this ratchet in Miami, it’s a Palm Beach thang.”
DJ and Co did all the behind the scenes photos; DJ the scene in Wynwood, and Co Bahn the scene in Bay Bays. “These guys are some of the hardest working photographers in the game” Murkem quotes. DJ is Derrick G’s P.A and manages his blog, along with running his own clothing line Skin & Bones. Co has been making major noise in the car scene with his photos, shooting Flo-Rida’s Buggatti and various other exotic car shows and events.
After assembling the crew, Murkem and Nick took on every aspect of the pre-production themselves. They wrote the treatment, hired models, locked down cameos and made sure every location, prop, and wardrobe piece was properly secured. This process pushed their imagination to the limit and they were surprised at just how much they were able to make happen, just by imagining it so.
After almost a year of searching, Murkem was finally able to track down a pair of stamped Daytons and Vogues, a style popular in the 90’s that is now almost extinct in the car community. Technically, they could have slapped any wire wheels on a car and called it a day, but going the extra mile is what Mukem does best. He quotes “No BRO. There is no way this can be done with any other wheels besides Daytons. Anything less would be unacceptable!”
The Caddilac itself is a 94 Fleetwood, which Murkem found on craigslist owned by a cat named Sixto. Sixto also happens to be a friend of Derick G, so by association, he was more inclined to let them use the whip. The car needed a lot of work. They called on Dave Delcambre, a life long friend of Murkem, to help fix the broken window motors and repair the body. Dave is a reliable production assistant and a tremendous asset on set. He’s worked on Nick Flash’s production Your’s Truly, which he helped create the blood splatter effects for.
Nick took the reins on wardrobe styling. He hand picked looks off of Tumblr for the talent, and found one of a kind pieces for himself to rock onscreen as well. The first shirt he found was a vintage Versace with Zebra patterns from a consignment shop in Downtown Lake Worth named Valentina’s Treasures. The shop specializes in vintage Versace, designer clothing, art, furniture and more.The second shirt was a piece from Tyler The Creator’s clothing line Golf Wang. The shirt actually had chicken and waffle pattern prints on it, talk about coincidence! However, every store in America was sold out of these and wasn’t getting them anytime soon. Luckily, after 20+ hours of searching, he finally found an online store in Australia called The Sure Store. The owner was able to ship it off that same day to arrive in The United States within a week, just days before the shoot!
The casting process itself was challenging because such a specific look was needed. You’d be surprised how difficult it can be to find hot, tattooed girls willing to twerk their ass off on camera if you’re not super famous. Surprisingly, 2 of the 3 models hired for the shoot date bailed at the last minute. The 3rd Model, Flexi Lexi, more than made up for their absence, and stole the show. Decked out in a customized ratchet cop uniform, you would really believe she was an undercover officer and it was her duty to twerk for anyone she caught breaking the law in her district.
The rest of the casting ran smooth. Murkem called in some favors of fellow rappers Ikabod Viens, Doc Strange, and MG Da Bad Guy. All the other extras came through because getting ratchet is what they do best. Ikabod brought the Promethazine, and everyone took turns topping his or her waffles with “syrup.” Not only is Ikabod a rapper on the rise, working with guys like Lex Luger and dropping videos on World Star Hip-Hop, he’s also a tattoo and graffiti artist. A collaboration graffiti piece with his crew LMA serves as a backdrop to the scene shot in the Wynwood Arts District. After the shoot, Ikabod ended up buying the Caddilac and naming her “Dat bitch in da skirt thoo.” He can now been seen rolling around Jupiter with the nickname “Fleetwood Franklin.”
The kids you see popping wheelies were never planned to be there, it was just an organic thing that happened on set. A group of about 10 kids rolled up on bikes and were very curious about the camera gear. So curious, in fact, that Murkem initially thought they would try and rob him. That was not the case however, and during the downtime Joelver was able to follow them on his rollerblades and catch them doing tricks.
The next location used for the video is a restaurant named Bay Bay’s Chicken & Waffles in West Palm Beach. In his verse Nick raps, “You poppin molly’s, You poppin bottles, but Me I’m on that syrup; chicken and waffles.” He claims to have written that after eating Bay bays for the first time. Although Nick said it just to be funny, Murkem actually believed they could shoot half of the video there and made it happen all by sending the owner a simple email. The guys were skeptical he would even go for it at first, which proves skepticism is a load of crap. The proof is in the pudding, or in this case, the waffles.
Get Ratchet is the start of many upcoming projects for the Killa Boombox collective. Spending their time at In The Cut Studios, the guys are busy working on tracks for their debut mixtape, planning photo shoots, recording their new single and video “Maxxed Out”, and a live show that will blow your mind. Until then, keep up with them on Soundcloud and all other social media sites and support the movement!