Artist Spotlight: The Cool Kids

Part of the mid-2000s hip-hop movement found kids in all-over prints rapping about their shoes and their favorite forms of transportation (which often weren't cars), the Cool Kids proved to be both an Internet and live show phenomenon. The duo of Antoine "Mickey Rocks" Reed (left) and Evan "Chuck Inglish" Ingersoll (right) met in mid-2005 after Mickey came across some of Chuck's beats online and liked what he heard. They met up in their Chicago-area homes (where Mickey was born and raised; Chuck lived in Mount Clemens, MI, about 30 miles north of Detroit, until he was 11) with the intention of making beats to sell to other artists, but soon realized their own measured, smooth flows and lyrics fit best over their production. In 2007, though they had yet to release any material outside of what was posted on their MySpace site or MP3 blogs, the group started receiving a lot of press attention from fellow-Chicagoans and tastemakers Pitchfork, who invited them to play at their summer festival. This led to a spot at New York's CMJ Music Marathon, where they shared a showcase with DJ A-Trak -- who offered to put out their EP -- and an opening spot on M.I.A.'s solo tour. These guys are a refreshing addition to the hip-hop game right now. Their honest approach to the culture is very reminiscent of groups like Kid & Play, The Fat Boys, and Dj Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. For more information, check their MySpace page.