Sir Michael Rocks might have said that The Cool Kids are never coming back, but that doesn't mean that the duo didn't run things during their tenure. Over four years, Sir Michael Rocks and Chuck Inglish released six mixtapes, an EP and a proper album titled When Fish Ride Bicycles.
The Cool Kids' style helped to usher in a new era of hip hop. They were one of the first artists to rise to prominence via an online presence as opposed to radio success. You probably didn't hear too much of their cool style on the FM airwaves, but plenty of blogs put them on, and the recipe has become more and more regular over the years.
The duo collaborated recently on "Super Squad," and so there's no telling if they'll actually never reunite or not; Even Sir Michael Rocks doesn't know what the future holds. While we hope that they do more work together in the future, we've decided to take a look at what they accomplished in the past. Here are ten throwback cuts from The Cool Kids.
"Black Mags"
Here's a low budget video that had big-time impact. At nearly 4 million views on YouTube, "Black Mags" is described as, "The video that taught you how to dress." Whether or not you took cues directly from The Cool Kids, they've probably influenced you in one way or another. Peep the video to see for yourself.
"Pennies"
The duo's appeal is largely due to their lyrics. "Pennies," for example, is about causing trouble in the neighborhood for partying too hard, something most high school and college rap fans can relate to.
"Kick it in the city when we in around town
Next door neighbors tellin us, that is too loud
'Now neighbor, can you please just turn that mess down?'
This is the sound of throwin pennies on the ground"
"Delivery Man"
If you couldn't tell from their name, The Cool Kids are all about being cool. They rock the sickest gear, have a laid-back flow and personalities to match. When Mikey kicks things off with, "I never had a stain on my shirt / I'm Pine Sol pine needle clean in the dirt," you know he means it.
"Mikey Rocks"
He's Mikey, he rocks. And when he's spittin' bars over a Chuck Inglish beat, it's pretty much unstoppable. This was the classic Mikey Rocks joint. Ha.
"Bassment Party"
Way before Vic Mensa was linking up with Kaytranada, The Cool Kids were making dance music with hip hop flows. "Bassment Party," an infectious cut off The Bake Sale, was way ahead of its time.
"Penny Hardaway" featuring Ghostface Killah
There's "Pennies," and then there's "Penny Hardaway," with none other than the Ghostface Killah. Check out the Wu-Tang heavyweight bless a Chuck Inglish beat alongside Mikey Rocks and Inglish himself.
"Bundle Up"
Usually when a minimalistic beat thumps this hard, it had something to do with someone named Dilla. Inglish can ride that style too, though, and he crushed it on "Bundle Up."
"Swimsuits" featuring Mayer Hawthorne
"What Up Man"
The Bake Sale opening track has a lot of elements that many love about The Cool Kids: head-bangin' beats, boastful lyrics, and tons of style. They didn't take anything too seriously, but the music was seriously dude."Gone
"Going Camping"
A couple of talented cool kids made some of the dopest alternative hip hop of the decade. Peep "Going Camping" incase you're still not convinced.
"I can't dig on the chick if she got too many kids
We dig fishes with the spices and the different color rices
I was buying mikes when they was trippin' with the prices
I was here like a pioneer
I'm nasty like your first time trying beer
My rapsheet is a list of the sickest
Got herbs and chickens all ripe for the pickin'
The second one is better like the remix to ignition"