THE COOL KIDS EPISODES 2 & 3
We are just a few weeks removed from Episode 1 of The Cool Kids' “Before Shit Got Weird” album and they’re back with 2 more installments. You gotta appreciate the ambitious effort of a triple album, hip hop’s first at that. I told you weeks ago that ‘Before Shit Got Weird’ may be their best release and these new efforts solidify that. There is no maybe anymore. This Triple album is The Cool Kid’s best.
‘Baby Oil Staircase’… Might be one of the best album titles I ever heard. This is Sir Michael Rocks back in his Banco Populair bag but a refreshing updated version. Although he continues to be severely underrated when the conversations of best emcees come up, there’s enough here to make any rap fan update their lists. The consistent bars flow nonchalantly over low-tempo bass-heavy beats.
Mikey shines his best on ‘Avirex’s’ and ‘Diadora Doors’ where Rocks gives us lavish verses filled with designer names and waxes poetic about stories of his day one homies. He’s the man in his city and has hookups just about everywhere he goes which checks out if you’ve ever scrolled through his Instagram full of rare fashion enthused looks. Rocks handles the entire weight of the project with no features and it's a refreshing listen. This may or may not be the last time we hear him solo for a while so there is enough replay value to hold us over. His artistry and pen have only gotten better and both are on full display here.
As Michael’s addition to the album ends Chucks completely changes the radio station with ‘Chillout’. From the very first listen of ‘Mothers Pot’ featuring C.S. Armstrong and Roc Solid it's clear that these truly are 2 separate albums. It doesn’t sound like previous Chuck albums either but has all of the elements that made us fall in love with Chuck Inglish. The funk moogs and baselines, the reverb-heavy snares and bass drums to shake your jeeps are all present. While Mikey decides to do things on his own, Chuck seems to have called in every favor he’s been owed for supplying beats to great artists.
‘Lights’ and ‘Driver’ featuring Ye Ali are the instant standouts that see Chuck supply us with the soundtrack for the next kickback you enter that’s full of good vibes, drinks, and women with perfect pedicures. No beats wasted either. No throwaways. Chuck’s talent for bending genres and blending the old with the new is why he needs to be placed in top producer lists moving forward. Although there’s a feature on EVERY song chucks verses still stick each landing that’s attempted. Some of his best verses here shine but don’t overshadow the artists featured. This plays like a compilation almost and makes me want to hear Chuck go into a DJ Khaled kind of zone of bringing multiple artists together over and over in the future. He knows how to curate of course if you’ve ever been to a ‘Sounds Like Fun’ event you knew that and it's appreciated here.
Now that I’ve said all of that I have things to do, my friends. Those things will all have these albums playing in the background. I also have to find a new barber and if you didn’t know that’s the most stressful time in a man's life. While I do that go stream all 3 episodes of “Before Shit Got Weird” then find me and tell me which one you like best.
