Kidz In The Hall - The In Crowd
Written By: Ges Miyashiro
Over the past decade or so, Hip-Hop culture has undergone some extravagant changes that a lot of the Triple O.G.’s who paved the way for us may not quite understand, or have come to terms with, yet. A lot of these changes are of course dictated by our esteemed youth - as it’s always been - and in this day and age the younger generation perceives “greatness” by how much swagger their favorite emcee carries with them, their appearance, how they dress and how they carry themselves - which if you really delve a little deeper into, you may conjure up some very borderline homosexual tendencies. Really, think about it. But beneath all that egotistical riff-raff, there also lies “greatness” by which the aforementioned Triple O.G.’s are known for: razor sharp lyricism, intricate production, shedding light on political views (without dumbing it down), and an all around mass appeal. With that said, Chicago has been dishing out an incredible amount of quality artists, from Kanye West to Lupe Fiasco, Gemstones (Gemini) to The Cool Kids, and let’s not forget Naledge (Born) & Double-O - other wise known as Kidz In The Hall. Now to familiarize yourself with Kidz In The Hall: Naledge is the MC, Double-O the extraordinary producer - think Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth, Gangstarr, Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, Eric B. & Rakim. Both Naledge & Double-O are Ivy League graduates (U Penn) - so the first thing that would come to mind for someone unfamiliar with their material is “conscious.” Yes, they may fall into the conscious category, but they’re more than that, they embody all the elements of what makes Hip-Hop what it is. With the recent release of their sophomore LP, ‘The In Crowd,” the Barack Obama supporters are content on reviving the Duck Down record label they’re signed to and pushing quality music.
- The Blackout (featuring DJ G.I. Joe)
With a bassline reminiscent of an Eric B. & Rakim track (circa mid to late 80’s), Naledge spits vicious over the thumping Boom-Bap - blacking out as if he lyrically embodied the soul of Rakim Allah while DJ G.I. Joe supplies the perfectly synchronized scratches. A perfect way to set things off on the path to the paper trail.
“Spit flames, yeah they so lava like // Hot like cajun, bi-racial - half black, half amazing // Bitches stay honoring, n*ggas stay following.”
- Paper Trail (featuring Phonte)
Phon-tigallo (Little Brother) makes an appearance on Paper Trail - and both MCs speak on their respective roads to success, from the initial grind to garnering the buzz they need, to living the life they dreamed of when first getting into the game.
- Driving Down The Block (featuring Masta Ace)
Now you may be thinking, “Featuring Masta Ace? Why a feature, all they did was sample his voice?” You are partially correct there, Double-O did sample Masta Ace’s “Born To Roll” (Driving down the block like what else should a brother do // It’s Saturday, it’s Saturday, the heat might smother you). But according to a few sources I know, Double-O actually met Masta Ace & got him to re-record his vocals, which makes it even more official. The knocking 808’s and uber-throwback vibe is what made a lot of bandwagon jumpers start labeling Kidz In The Hall as “hipster rap.” SMH.
- Lucifer’s Joyride (featuring Travis McCoy of Gym Class Heroes)
Yup, that’s right, Naledge scoops up Gym Class Heroes’ lead emcee Travis McCoy and, despite his Top 40 / Pop appeal, Travis is nice with the mic. I said it, and what!? But to keep it quite trill, this track really could have been left off the album - it just doesn’t seem to really fit in with the rest of the content. Either way, it’s here and let’s face it, this could definitely be a contender for their next single, as it has a way more MTV TRL influence to it than “Driving Down The Block.”
- Snob Hop (featuring Camp Lo)
The Bronx duo who once proclaimed that Luchini was “pouring from the sky” link up with Naledge Born & Double-O and draw in all things throwback: Black Sheep’s “Flavor Of The Month,” funky, soulful breakdowns and insightful, yet playful lyricism. Snob-Hop is the new Hipster-Rap.
- Mr. Alldatshit (featuring Donnis & Chip The Ripper)
To be quite honest, I have no idea who Donnis is, except that he’s an MC / Producer that hails from Atlanta & has worked with the likes of Spankrock, Santogold, M.I.A. & a few other well knowns. Anywho, Donnis joins Naledge & Cleveland repping Chip The Ripper and have a field day with the mics over a soulful, blackspoitation-esque backdrop. This joint sounds like it was made especially for the Snob-Hoppers as they all spit swaggerdocious about how fly they are: “Cook food for thought, the fruits of the labor // Off my high horse, pop up like screen savers // Fresh off the plane from Prague, hi haters // Raising the bar, I don’t need a spot // Fuck a cosign, you can see I’m hot - n*gga honor me // Purple heart, rhyme veteran // This is special order shit, turn hoes on Late Night Letterman.”
- Love Hangover (featuring Estelle) // Kidz In The Hall - Let Your Hair Down (ft. Skyzoo)
These two tracks lead us into the topic of relationships. Love Hangover matches London’s newest, brightest star, Estelle with the Chicago natives. Naledge spits about the ups & downs of relationships, while Estelle almost seems to outshine the MC on both the chorus and the bridge. Let Your Hair Down is probably the most soulful sounding track on the entire album, which features Brooklyn’s own and Justus League affiliated Skyzoo.
- Middle Of The Map Pt. 1 & 2 (ft. Fooch // Black Milk & Guilty Simpson)
This is where the creativeness comes in. Middle Of The Map Pt. 1 & 2 brings us some of the illest MCs from the midwest, Nick Stylz a/k/a Fooch (repping Chicago) and Black Milk & Guilty Simpson (repping Detroit). Middle of the map. Get it? Both use the exact same sample, whereas Black Milk (who produced Pt. 1) flips it and adds his trademark Dilla-esque chopping. Keep an eye out on Fooch, and if you’ve never heard of Black Milk or Guilty Simpson, definitely keep an eye on them as well. “It’s just 4 backpackers in a cadillac.”
Naledge gets a bit more conscious on us, speaking on groupies and the certain type of women that will do anything to get the shine they believe they were destined for, even if it means strapping on a few pounds of that “nose candy” and carrying it across states. “Fucking with them ball players, trying to be a trophy wife // Sucking off them directors, tryna get some camera shine // Flavor for the moment, steady running out of time // Can’t pay her rent, but them Gucci frames are on her eyes // Cause, she just, she just wanna be in that In Crowd.”
- The Pledge (featuring Sean Price & Buckshot) // Inner Me
The Pledge joins Naledge Born with label mates Sean Price & Buckshot. With these 3 on the mic, you know it’s nothing but hardbody rhymes (PAUSE). Starting off with lush, soulful pads Naledge spits “Music is my passion, but it sorta seems like stress is my hobby // Cause it always seems to follow me // Almost like a shadow tryna swallow me // I’m commonly considered a star, I ain’t talking astronomy.” Inner Me brings “The In Crowd” to a close, and what a fitting track to leave off on. This is where Naledge lets his introspective side shine, delving deep into both past & present demons that haunt him. “I always said when I got a chance to get on // I’d find the first plane back to Chi that I could get on // Rising on the hands of time, to get a grip on // The colors of life that it takes to write a hit song // So this Remy that I sip on, staring at the moon light // Tryna get my mind right, glory in my eyesight // Stress in my rearview, evil in the passing lane // Driving to the fame, at times can be a lonely game.
How could I leave out the ridiculously ill remix to Driving Down The Block? The line-up speaks for itself, Bun B, Pusha T (Clipse), MIkey Rocks, Chucky Inglish and Naledge. All emcees do their thing on here, the highlight being Mikey & Chucky trading verses back & forth. My favorite line: Pusha T “Two doors, minus the top // All you see is head & shoulders like a Jack In The Box (eeeuck) // Still standing over the pot, ask yourself if the dealing ever stops // Wrist watch stone cold, diamond chains tag team // Haters eye wrestling, to them I’m like a bad dream.”
Following a solid debut album, “The In Crowd” absolutely delivers a full, cohesive package that any Rap / Hip-Hop fan can come to appreciate. Although Naledge has lots of growing to do before reaching his full potential as great emcee, he’s definitely heading in the right direction - the same goes for Double-O who holds his own behind the boards. And with the legendary Duck Down label backing them, it’s a sure shot that the Kidz will remain in the in crowd, bet that.
Bonus: Omarion - Ice Box (Double-O RMX) (ft. Kidz In The Hall) | zshare
