HIP HOP

For the past few years hip hop in the states has been suffering. In 2007 album sales nose-dived and the ‘hip hop tycoon’ icon with clothing labels, butlers and perfumes finally crumbled under street level scrutiny. The music Chuck D famously heralded as the ‘CNN of the ghetto’ had changed channels and no one was watching anymore. Into this environment The Cool Kids, have emerged. They ride bikes not Benzes, drink Kool-Aid not Cristal and are fresher than a fish sucking a Smint.

Mikey Rocks and Chuck Inglish are kids of the 80s and fully decked out in the decade. The fashion, the visuals and the attitude all hark back to the hip hop of yesteryear when having fun was premium and the good times rolled. With the basic hip hop groundings sorted, The Cool Kids set upon it with their own blend of future sounds from the underground. Low slung, swaggering basslines, hollow drums, vocoder samples and synth riffs are used sparingly ensuring maximum effect for a minimal sound.

The duo appear determined to set themselves apart form the current hip hop hierarchy, swerving major labels and pitching for the big time on their own terms. They are signed to local Chicago-based Chocolate Industries, a label notorious for picking up on cutting edge new music and the people who brought pint sized potty mouth Lady Sovereign to our attention. Expect gold chains, bright colours and chunky pumps as retro gets reworked and The Cool Kids take hip hop back to the future.