Hip-hop has always been a music genre that I have celebrated. It’s danceable, bass-heavy, and head-boppable. But recently, it’s been next-to-impossible to find acts that have both catchy beats and smart lyrics – an artist is lucky to nail one or the other. On the beats side, we have stars like M.I.M.S. and Lil’ Mama. No one can deny that “This is Why I’m Hot” and “Lip Gloss” are feet-stomping, ass-shake inducing, sharply produced tracks, but all anyone has to do is read the song titles to realize how completely devoid these songs are of any lyrical creativity. On the opposite end of the spectrum, artists like Common and Talib Kweli, have an undeniable knack for thoughtful rhymes, but sometimes their songs can be a production snooze-fest (Don’t get too mad at me, I said sometimes). My point is, there has been an overall surplus of artists, but a definite shortage of talent coming out of the hip-hop factory as of late. Until the Cool Kids came along. Mikey, 19, and Chuck, 23, the Cool Kids' two members, boast the perfect recipe for hip-hop success: clever lyrics and a bass-heavy, of-the-moment, original sound. My favorite song is “One Two,” a spare but bumpin’ track that you just want to hypnotically break your neck to. On the single, Mikey boastfully claims they’re the “new black version of the Beastie Boys,” and for once, a hip-hop group actually can live up to its decidedly not-so-humble self-acclamations. Check out their retro BMX-worshipping beats this Sunday (yup, 4/20 for all you tree lovers) at the Vogue, and find out why Rolling Stone magazine named them one of ten artists to watch in 2007. Tickets are only $15. Click here for ticket info for the Cool Kids show at the Vogue.
Click here to view the Cool Kids MySpace page.
