Whether you're a casual fan of hip-hop or an underground connoisseur, hearing The Cool Kids' name probably makes you have some strong reaction. The duo's retro style and unintimidating lyrics have made them a huge hit amongst the hipster crowd, and thanks to MySpace, they've taken the indie scene by storm. What's even more intriguing is they haven't even released a full-length album yet.
The Cool Kids (Antoine Reed and Evan Ingersoll) first met online with the intention of trying to sell their beats to more well-established artists. It didn't take long for them to realize that their own rhymes were what fit best over their stripped-down, electropop-influenced beats. It was in 2007 when people started to notice their songs posted on MySpace, and Pitchfork jumped on them fast, putting them on the bill for the Pitchfork Music Festival. Shortly thereafter they signed with the Chicago label Chocolate Industries and released the Bake Sale EP. Their success continued to soar, and many critics started to wonder if the Cool Kids were for real.
Though they were accused of being nothing more than hipster hip-hoppers, The Cool Kids stayed, well, cool, remaining confident in their diverse appeal. Since then they have been touring worldwide, and magazines such as URB, Vice and Fader have been supporting the Cool Kid revolution. Comparisons to the Beastie Boys have been made, which the Kids consider the highest honor of their young career.
To up their game, they released the single "Action Figures," which is the most controversial song they've released thus far. It explores the environment they were raised in in a way that is both mature and startling. This has left fans accustomed to the duo's club-rap style scratching their heads in confusion. This new direction may lose the Kids some fans, but it will ultimately attract a new audience looking for some depth and validity. The Kids are looking to make moves in 2008 with a full-length album that could make or break them in the indie music scene, but it might be safe to say that the key to the Kids' success is simply the will to grow artistically.
For more information, visit their website: http://www.myspace.com/gocoolkids
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