Chicago has definitely played a pivotal role for mainstream hip-hop as 2007 saw landmark releases from Chi-town heavyweights, including Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco and Common.
Although these releases were huge hits and more accessible to the masses, there is always something that you haven’t heard yet, and it’s The Cool Kids.
The Cool Kids are an up-and-coming hip-hop duo out of Chicago, consisting of young emcees Mikey Rocks, 19, and Chuck Inglish, 23. In 2007, they released an EP, Totally Flossed Out, which has received praise and made marks on the industry.
The one thing that sets The Cool Kids apart from the rest of hip-hop is the fact that they are excitingly old-school and are doing just about everything to ‘bring ’88 back.’ The duo has gone on record to proclaim themselves as "the black version of the Beastie Boys," according to an "Artist to Watch" feature in Rolling Stone.
Totally Flossed Out kicks off with "Black Mags," the group’s first single and ode to Dyno BMX bikes, which has had some airplay on mtvU. The song was also recently featured in a Napster Rhapsody commercial, where the boys made an appearance as well.
Along with "Black Mags," this album is comprised of witty rhymes, catchy hooks and 80s-influenced beats. Tracks such as "Pump up the Volume" and "88," the latter of which samples the line "Do the smurf/ Do the wop/ Baseball bat/ Rooftop, like we’re bringing ’88 back" from Nas’ "Made You Look," are pinnacles of the album, and would be great choices for singles.
One of the album’s highlights is the track "Gold and a Pager," which is by far the catchiest track. It’s definitely an enjoyable cut with a drop beat and a screwed hook (for the southern hip-hop fan in all of us), and several one-liners about gold-rope chains and Motorola pagers.
Also in 2007, the Cool Kids saw a label switch from A-Trak’s (Kanye West’s DJ) label Fools Gold to Chicago’s Chocolate Industries, an independent label most notable for signing Lady Sovereign.
Things are only looking up for the Cool Kids in 2008. With the Napster commercial, an opening slot on M.I.A.’s 2007 fall tour, a new label and a new album/EP titled The Bake Sale coming out, it’s only a matter of time before the Cool Kids break out and leave their footprints on the mainstream.
The Cool Kids don’t want to revolutionize hip-hop. They simply want to give it a refresher course and bring it back to its roots.
Listen to songs off of Totally Flossed Out here: www.myspace.com/gocoolkids
