Send "The Cool Kids " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Popmatters |
 I vividly remember the December night I stumbled on the Cool Kids and thought, in many ways, I’d discovered the future. The group had their six existing songs uploaded to an Imeem account on which I spent at least two hours, leaving the music on repeat as I smoked a bowl and prepared my physics and chemistry homework for the next day. As the days progressed, I was consumed with the idea that I’d found my generation’s version of EPMD, a group so simplified and, for lack of better syntax, cool that they were likable enough by the mere experience of their sound. Eventually the group would craft enough tracks to release a mixtape titled Instant Classics sponsored by the re-introduction of Napster, a mixtape that was eventually whittled down to the Bake Sale EP that became their first retail offering. But this discovery occurred in 2006, the tape in 2007 and the EP in 2008. In two years, the new tracks were minimal and the forward momentum stunted despite TV commercials featuring “Black Mags” and an avalanche of internet hype. The fact of the matter was the group was surviving on the hype of some tracks that were becoming years old, and their momentum seemed as stunted as any other internet phenomenon.More mixtapes and a theme track for NBA 2K10 would follow, but the past three years, ultimately, have not been kind to the group that I felt would rise to the top of the crop in a short time. Their LP, When Fish Ride Bicycles, was quickly become an aptly titled piece of musical fiction, something whose release seemed as likely as a DOOM and Ghostface collaboration or, in the name of a tight narrative, Ghostface hopping on a Wu-Tang tribute to Ol’ Dirty Bastard. Chuck Inglish became something of an in-demand producer, developing his style beyond the sound that was “bringing ‘88 back” into a Kanye Westian sound full of ‘80s synths, ‘00s bass and multiple musical movements within his beats that called to mind few peers. His evolution found its then-crest on Chip tha Ripper’s free LP earlier this year, Gift Raps, an album which seemed to elevate both musicians into a sphere beyond our understanding of their talents. Chip was suddenly one of the most easily enjoyable rappers in the game, and Chuck one of the genre’s most talented and forward-looking producers. But where was Mikey? Where were the Cool Kids?...full text |
| Prefixmag |
| It’s been nearly four years since Cool Kids announced themselves as rap’s most vocal throwback nostalgia act, discussing their preference in bike parts on “Black Mags.” It’s been three years since Cool Kids issued their debut EP, The Bake Sale, an EP that was supposed to be a warm up to their inevitable debut LP, the same year that they released a single (“Delivery Man”) on Mountain Dew’s Green Label Sound. It’s been two years since Gone Fishin, the group’s finest long-form statement to date, the mixtape produced by mixtape heavyweight Don Cannon that was intended to preview the group’s “almost finished” debut LP, When Fish Ride Bicycles. It’s been nine months since the group announced they were free from Chocolate Industries, their longtime label, and saying they were “ready” for When Fish Ride Bicycles. It’s been five months since the Cool Kids announced that they were back in the loving arms of Green Label Sound, and would be dropping When Fish Ride Bicycles “soon.” And now, it’s arrived. The Detox of the indie rap set, the Chinese Democracy of throwback boom-bap. Of everything you can say about Cool Kids, know this: When Fish Ride Bicycles exists. It’s got 11 songs, and one of them is named after Penny Hardaway. There’s even a superfluous Asher Roth cameo, and it was recorded with Pharrell Williams, in case you forgot that this is made with some corporate backing. When Fish Ride Bicycles exists, roughly 36 months after its arrival would have made SEO bucks, and when mags like Rolling Stone were still sniffing around. So in some ways, Cool Kids beat the Internet hype cycle by subverting it: You can’t call them a bust because they’ve outlasted all challengers by refusing to play. Kid Sister? Done. Kidz In the Hall? Done. Pac Div? Who? And here stand the Cool Kids, with a debut LP in tow. But here’s the thing: the problems of 2011’s When Fish Ride Bicycles are the same problems that 2008’s theoretical When Fish Ride Bicycles would have had. As charming as they are in videos, Cool Kids are personality deficient, with both MCs relying on shout-outs to NBA Jam-era ballers (though a Larry Johnson “grandma-ma” reference is sublime), talking about physical properties of speakers (they go boom, more or less) and the summer, and rhyming more monotone than Dharma Initiative instruction videos. And once you figure out the essential thesis of their beats—that Eric B and Rakim perfected forever how hip-hop should sound—they start coming off as hip-hop’s answer to slowcore: Never changing, and moving like a glacier....full text |
| Hiphopdx |
| Despite releasing a number of official mixtapes and gathering a large MySpace presence back when that still meant something, The Cool Kids are just now releasing what is technically their debut album, When Fish Ride Bicycles. Having signed on with Green Label Sound, Mikey Rocks and Chuck Inglish have taken advantage of their new opportunities as Official Emcees to expand on their sound. While some of these changes may be unexpected for first-wave fans, The Cool Kids do still sound like the duo they friend requested years ago. Known for old-school influenced, percussion heavy beats, Chuck Inglish has added a wider range of instrumentation to his production. The Cool Kids have collectively evolved over time and, for better or worse, their references this time around are a little more current. “Penny Hardaway” (with Ghostface) incorporates string samples and Southern-style high hats, a pretty noticeable departure from the Bake Sale tracks that were all kick drums and emptiness. They go even further on “Swimsuits,” bringing in Mayer Hawthorne for a dancey track that just as easily could’ve belonged to Pitbull....full text |
The Cool Kids lyrics Music videoclips
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