The Cool Kids: What Up Man
It’s easy to look at Chicago and Detroit bred hip hop duo The Cool Kids and see their penchant for dressing head to toe in old school gear, the occasional rope chain, skinny jeans and the latest sneakers displayed on HYPEBEAST daily and dismiss them as revival retro “hipster rap”. However, to do so is purely superficial and completely missing the sonic sophistication they have displayed as they have garnered a fanatic cult following in the underground rap scene. The duo piece together explosive bass booms, bone shattering, hard as nails snares and kicks with occasional light electro accents as if Rick Rubin was back in his NYU dorm room with modern equipment. Lyrically, the boys sound eerily like a teenage Eric Sermon and Parish Smith as they boast and brag their way through their verses that go from the purposely simple to borderline intricate as they explore their lyrical talent and attempt to get comfortable with their flow. The Cool Kids’ “The Bake Sale EP” is out now on iTunes will be released in stores on June 10th. While die-hard fans have heard most of the tracks featured here, new listeners get a chance to hear what the group has in store. On the EP, the combination of sparse minimalist beats and golden era hardcore raps at first sound like you stumbled upon a forgotten release from 1988. But, the playful subject matter that reference custom bikes more than custom whips show a group more concerned with making their mark rather than just some kids who stumbled upon some old Run-DMC records and decided to form a tribute band. The track “What up Man” is probably the best example of the minimalist vibe that perfectly personifies the groups sound.
It’s easy to look at Chicago and Detroit bred hip hop duo The Cool Kids and see their penchant for dressing head to toe in old school gear, the occasional rope chain, skinny jeans and the latest sneakers displayed on HYPEBEAST daily and dismiss them as revival retro “hipster rap”. However, to do so is purely superficial and completely missing the sonic sophistication they have displayed as they have garnered a fanatic cult following in the underground rap scene. The duo piece together explosive bass booms, bone shattering, hard as nails snares and kicks with occasional light electro accents as if Rick Rubin was back in his NYU dorm room with modern equipment. Lyrically, the boys sound eerily like a teenage Eric Sermon and Parish Smith as they boast and brag their way through their verses that go from the purposely simple to borderline intricate as they explore their lyrical talent and attempt to get comfortable with their flow.
The Cool Kids’ “The Bake Sale EP” is out now on iTunes will be released in stores on June 10th. While die-hard fans have heard most of the tracks featured here, new listeners get a chance to hear what the group has in store. On the EP, the combination of sparse minimalist beats and golden era hardcore raps at first sound like you stumbled upon a forgotten release from 1988. But, the playful subject matter that reference custom bikes more than custom whips show a group more concerned with making their mark rather than just some kids who stumbled upon some old Run-DMC records and decided to form a tribute band. The track “What up Man” is probably the best example of the minimalist vibe that perfectly personifies the groups sound.
