Cool, calm, collected. (Did I mention I was cool?)
22/Kidz in the Hall/The In Crowd
When I press play on this album I’m taken back to some place different. A much simpler time. A time where Starter jackets reigned supreme, slouch socks were all the rage, and labels like Avirex, Tommy Hilfiger (Remember that? I know, I know. “WE WERE YOUNG!”), and Nautica were status symbols for the young folks in the hoods, the woods, and the burroughs. Yes, things were much simpler then. As were rap albums. You didn’t pop in a CD or cassette, zoom straight to the single and go from there (okay, so maybe you did it a few times); guest artists complimented tracks, instead of overshadowing them/came along for the ride just to boost sales or the disc’s and/or artist’s popularity. And you? You listened, you hustled, you spread the word, “A, you heard that new _____?” Tilting back heads, swaying to and fro, digging the scene with the gangsta lean, reciting verses found not only in the album’s lead single, but also those nestled deep in the album, near the bottom, in the middle, and the top. Yeah... –Sigh- Remember those days? Kidz in the Hall do. Over the course of this skitless (!!!) 14 track album, the duo of Jabari Evans (Naledge) and Michael Aguilar (Double-O) -with a little help from some well chosen, down for the cause, heart in the right place guest stars- keep it fresh by taking it back, placing an emphasis on the beats, the rhymes, and effortlessly riding said beats, reveling in the youthful braggadocio of the cool, calm, collected poets of rhyme from years past. I’m taking Tribe, Pharcyde, the Beatnuts, et. al. In a year of Weezys, Jeezys, Ludas, and Kanyeezys, keeping one foot locked in the underground may be quite the struggle, but keep that ear to the ground, and get in with this in crowd, who definitely deserve a slice of your undivided attention.
KEY TRACKS: Blackout/Drivin’ Down the Block (Low End Theory)/Snob Hop
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