Intro By Jason Hortillas

“The Cool Kids? What kind of name is that?”

You would think these cats were joking with a name so generic. But in fact, The Cool Kids surpass the status of their moniker, delivering more buzz than acts who actually have albums under their belts. Riding on the strength of singles like the BMX friendly,”Black Mags” and the ode-to-retro track “88,” blog posts have given the duo enough net exposure where they now tour globally. Currently, there still is no full length album (it’s in the works) but there’s more than enough of their audible treats available to keep the people happy.

The duo is comprised of two Chicago natives – emcee Mikey Rocks and beatsmith/emcee, Chuck Inglish. Their sound however is not indicative of their location. Hell, I thought they hailed from the left coast – but even with their limited resume, you can see this is not just another regional sideshow act. Combining the thump reminiscent of a classic Bay area anthem and the swagger of NY old school party rockers, TCK successfully does so, with only Chicago blood in their veins.

Its funny because a lot of the critique about TCK centers not around their music but their apparel. Getting attention in the street wear circles because of their so-called retro look, hipster acceptance has added to the fan base. Image definitely effects response, but will the duo get the same respect from their more atypically dressed counterparts?

So with that we got the man himself, Gottyâ„¢ to talk to the elusive Cool Kids, whose packed schedule has kept them moving at a frenetic pace. TCK’s Mikey Rocks talks about touring the globe, that damn Rhapsody commercial and why they never will come out with their own clothing line.

The Cool Kids

Photography by Rich Parry, Graphics by P.

TSS: Gentlemen, how are you doing this evening?

Mikey Rocks: How are you?

TSS: Just wanted to touch base with you. We’ve been trying to knock this out for a minute. Where you all at now?

Mikey: We’re back in Chicago…

TSS: Back in Chicago?

Mikey: Yeah, chillin.

TSS: You sound a little fatigued. Where were you all at last or this weekend?

Mikey: In Texas. We did SXSW

TSS: How was that for you?

Mikey: It was cool. We did some of the more publicized shows out there so it was cool to go back to SXSW and see what’s changed over a year cause we went there last year & that’s where we basically got started in terms of doing shows outside of our city & stuff like that.

TSS: Yeah, that’s kind of where the buzz originated I guess you’d say, no?

Mikey: Yeah, a little bit of it. Definitely from there because you’ve got a lot of writers & stuff there.

TSS: That’s a good spot to get your name poppin’ because there’s so many different media outlets attending. What did you all see there because I’ve heard various things, specifically that there was more hip-hop this time around. What was the difference in your eyes since you say you were there last year. What was the energy like & what was the audience & acceptance level like?

Mikey: It was really good man. I think a lot of people that were there knew what they were coming for, knew what they wanted to come see. Wasn’t too many stragglers off the street, walking in not knowing what was going on & just trying to check out shows. There was a lot of hardcore fans of people & who knew what they were coming to see. So everybody was really excited & the crowds were really dope.

TSS: I know recently, because I’ve been talking with your manager, that you all were in Australia if I’m not mistaken right?

Mikey: Yeah, we went there before we went to Paris.

TSS: Now how the fuck do two…excuse me, how do two young Black males from Chicago…which side of Chicago ya’ll from?

Mikey: South…

TSS: Southside…How do two young black males from the Chicago’s Southside end up in Paris & Australia? How does that feel to you?

Mikey: It feels good man, because like you were saying, a lot of the people I knew and grew up they haven’t been able to leave the country, let alone the whole continent, ya dig? So it’s just cool to be able to say that we got to got across the world rappin. Even out there, people knew the words to the songs & the shows were sold out. So it was dope to see what we’re doing spread across the globe like that.

TSS: Aiight, you know it’s funny you mention that a lot of people around you haven’t been out of the country etc etc, and I think it harps on a line by another Chicago MC, Common, who said…I can’t remember the track but he says a line like “they should get out the city sometimes see the places I be…” or something like that…

Mikey: Yeah I know what you talking about…

TSS: How does it be when you come back home…do cats bug? Are they like envious? Because I know Chi. I know the box Chevy’s. I know the throwin up the signs every corner you turn on…or I know the 90′s gang-infested Chi.

Mikey: (Laughs) Yeah.

TSS: How is it when you come back home? How do people respond to you?

Mikey: Man, you know how it is like…when you leave, when you leave country to go rap, people like “aww man, he made it. He’s big-time. You’re world famous name.” I mean, we don’t look at it like that but to everybody else, that’s what they see. When you got people who haven’t got a chance to leave their neighborhood, to go across the world and rap, that’s unheard of it. You’re a superstar now in their eyes and stuff like that so…there’s a lot of people that we were close to that are really proud and stuff. Then there’s probably people that might be jealous of that or something like that. You know, like people we might not be that close to. You get both sides of it.

TSS: No doubt. This is a simple question, a basic question – what did your mom say to you about all of this? I expect you have a relationship with your mom. Can I assume that?

Mikey: Yeah, we’re real close. She’s been along with me every step of the way with this, since like I first started walking around trying to get beats when I was younger. She’s seen the steady progress over the years. She’s just proud and glad to see things going well. She’s as much in the business as my managers so she knows everything that’s going on and just happy everything is going well.

TSS: Word. I know everything is lovely for you right now. I think as I was speaking to your manager about the possibility of interviewing you all, or the idea was at least tossed around…I think I was up late one night with my daughter & I was watching Nickelodean and the fuckin Rhapsody commercial comes on.

Mikey: (Laughs)

TSS: And I was like…You know what I’m talkin about? I was like these cats, they don’t even have a fuckin album out but they have a fuckin commercial.

Mikey: (Laughs)

TSS: How has the landscape of hip-hop changed so much that you can not have an album out, but you can be featured in a Rhapsody commercial? How did that even come about in the first place?

Mikey: Actually, one of the directors of the commercial, he got in contact with a friend of ours and it was just that simple. He was like “Yo I want them to do it” and we were like “Aye, of course.” So, we just flew out to L.A. one day, because we were already on tour with M.I.A. and we were in Vancouver at the time. We had to get flights from Vancouver to L.A. the same day and then fly back to Montreal that same night so that was a real crazy day.

TSS: In your mind, what made The Cool Kids the ones to come up on a commercial?

Mikey: I don’t know man. I just thought we were really cool. And maybe he saw something in us that we represent that he wanted to bring out in that commercial. I’m guessing; I don’t know.

TSS: Ahh…if I didn’t already ask you this about that commercial I’d get in trouble. It just came to me. You had on a purple t-shirt on that commercial…

Mikey: …Aww the…

(Pauses & both sides start laughing)

TSS: …The internet calls that a “wolf shirt.” What inspired you to wear that particular t-shirt? Was it just something you picked up along the way or what?

Mikey: Yeah yeah, it was like a gray and purple tee with…

TSS: …it had like the wolf and the Native American type shit on it.

Mikey: Yeah yeah, I mean I just dig the whole art & artistic style of Native American art & stuff like that. So I just decided that that was what I would wear in that commercial…

TSS: Aiight. I just knew it was an odd coincidence because if you check the I just know if you check the internet, the messageboards or whatever, it was like a running joke because maybe like Raekwon or somebody popped up in a few pictures with one on. Then, you turned around and had one on…

Mikey: (Laughs)

TSS: Cats started call’em “the wolf shirt;” kinda threw that little moniker to it. So I mean, when I saw the commercial, I was very proud and thought “these cats really got an opportunity in front of’em.” And, like I said, I kind of know Chicago so I know it’s fierce up there. So any time you get an opportunity like that it’s a blessing.

Mikey: Yeah most def.

The Cool Kids

TSS: Speaking of that, you know we gotta touch on the clothing and the whole nine yards because the persona of sorts. What do you all have in the works? Are you trying to do any apparel deals? I know you all are big Nike fans. You got anything poppin off from that angle?

Mikey: Nah, I mean we’re definitely not going to do any clothing lines for sure.

TSS: Why you say it like that?

Mikey: Not interested in doing a clothing line or anything like that. I might do some designing with friends of mine that have clothing lines. But I’m definitely not making any “Mikey Rocks” gear or whatever. No “Cool Kids clothing” or nothing like that. That takes away from people that are up & coming clothing designers that might have really good ideas. But, because we would be more famous than them, we would take a spot that they could potentially have just because of who we are and stuff like that. And, I’m not really about that at all.

I definitely think that people should stick to more of what they do and stop taking spots from people that really want to do that. Don’t do it because you can. Let that spot go to somebody who is really passionate about that and wouldn’t get a chance to do it. Basketball players should stay playing basketball. Not go into acting and movies because it might be somebody who’s a really dope actor but since you’re in the NBA, you’ll get that role because you’re famous. As opposed to a really good actor who doesn’t have a name, you know? Everybody should just stick to what they do. I’m not really interested in making any clothing lines or anything like that.

TSS: So right now, the number one focus, the main focus, is the music. That’s where you’re at right now?

Mikey: That’s all this is about man. Nothing else happens unless we’re doing this. Unless we’re making music, none of this other stuff matters. And that’s where people get caught up & get lost in the whole confusion of things. They got all these other side projects workin’ badda badda blah & the initial reason that you really are where you are is because of your music so…I’m not gonna let that (music) go.

TSS: Word, I can definitely vibe with that. I mean that’s respectable because you gave a specific reason. I mean, I guess looking at the industry…you cats are kinda young right? How old are you?

Mikey: I’m twenty and Chuck’s twenty-three.

TSS: That’s still relatively young, I mean…what’s been one of the biggest surprises? The glamor and the bright lights make things seem one way but then you’re watching the videos, listening to the radios & reading the interviews…from music as a whole, what’s been the biggest disappointment thus far?

Mikey: Making videos is…hard, man. Making a video is really hard. There’s a lot of work. You gotta do the same scenes over & over until they look right. Like during our video, it was the middle of July you know so it was 90+° and we had to do it for a week straight. It was hot and you gotta keep doing scenes over & over. It ain’t fun. But the end result, if you make a cool video, it’s worth it. But that’s probably the biggest misconception – videos are fun. Videos are not that fun.

TSS: Yo, I went to one video shoot. I went to one. I was like I never want to go again and I couldn’t imagine doing a fuckin movie if I had to (laughs)

Mikey: Man…and they gotta do that shit for like two years straight.

TSS: There was like there’s no way because I looked at all the energy & time that went into making that five-minute video clip…

Mikey: Yeah man & then think of a two hour movie. That’s like two years of just straight hell. I could never do it.

TSS: That’s why those cats make the cake they do. That’s why Will Smith is gettin multi-millions to make a fuckin movie because that shit takes dedication man. It’s way past what anybody can even realize…

Mikey: It’s hardcore man. Movies could probably be one of the hardest things you could ever do.

TSS: Aiight. Yo where’s Chucky at man?

Mikey: Ahh, he lost his voice so he’s a little sick. He just went to the bathroom.

TSS: Ahh, I ain’t even gonna plug him in because me & you are flowing right now. Only one or two more questions though. Is there anything you want to pitch out there and let people know? Anything you thing you think the people may have gotten twisted, from the media or even from their own perceptions, that you want to try & clear up?

Mikey: Uhmm…(pauses to think)

TSS: I mean because they throw a lot of labels your way, let’s just keep it funky. They throw a lot of labels, saying that you all are “hipsters,” you all are this you all are that…

Mikey: That for sure. All that can pretty much get thrown out the window. It’s just sometimes with journalists who may not want to put in that effort to actually investigate us or see what’s really happening, they go off what another journalist may think. I find that happens a lot. There’s a lot of lazy writers who may just go off what someone else said and not really check anything on their own. They’ll be the first ones to throw out some “throwback” stuff or “hipster rap” or something wack like that.

I want to definitely dismiss that stuff because all you gotta do is listen to the music basically. Don’t just look at pictures and judge our whole musically being off that stuff. You gotta listen to the songs especially, man. Just listen to the songs…

TSS: When you’re writing the songs, you obviously have a picture in the songs? Let’s say a nine year old kid is listening, what do you want him to walk away feeling or having learned after listening to your music?

Mikey: Whatever I’m saying in that song, that’s what I want the kid to walk away with. We’re really concrete with our writing. Whatever we’re saying is what we mean…

TSS: It’s straightforward…

Mikey: I’m not putting a bunch of subliminal messages and yadda yadda yadda. I’m not trying to push my political views on you, or my religious views so you just gotta listen to the raps.

The Cool Kids

TSS: Ain’t nothing wrong with that. Personally, I like what you’re doing. To be honest, and it kinda goes against all of the labels put on you all, it’s almost like you all have a stripped down, almost Too Short sound to your music. Most people don’t even realize that was a huge part of rap at one time & what Short was doing – coming straight out of the trunk, spittin over the 808, you know just bare bass line & his voice being one of the instruments. Not a lot of extra stuff going on; it’s just pure hip-hop.

Mikey: Yeah, that’s how we look at it. When a beat is made, Chuck don’t look at it as what else can you put inside the beat to make more noise. It’s more or less what can we leave out & still have it remain ill. A lot of people like to over-produce stuff just for the sake of it, just to have 9,000 instruments at the same time. We end up looking at like what can we not put it in here & it still remain better.

TSS: I feel you because then, at the same time, you end up with an album that can be hot on the first listen because the beats are bad. But after you listen to it on a few repeat listens, you’re like “yo…this shit ain’t about nothing. There is no substance, no nothing.” It’s not even fuckin entertaining after two listens.

Mikey: Right. And we want people to just listen to what we’re saying and when you got all kinds of strings, synths, explosions and drums all over the place, then it’s hard for them to do that. So that’s why we like using the type of production that we do.

TSS: All that’s in house? Chuck’s doing the beats & you’re doing the raps. You may chime in but for the most part everything’s in house between you all, right?

Mikey: Yeah, definitely. From the beats to the recording, the mixing, everything. We do it all ourselves.

TSS: One last question. Chicago. The Cool Kids. I definitely think the Midwest is on the comeup. Where do you see yourselves playing in the mix with that? You’ve got a lot of prominent names & promising music coming out of Chicago right now. Where do you all see yourselves fitting into the big scheme of…not having Chicago on your back but just representin’ what Chicago is?

Mikey: I think we’ll hold it down nicely. We don’t want to continue to regionalize hip-hop like it’s always been. When you look at other genres of music, they don’t really do that, you know. They don’t have Down South bands or East coast bands, West coast bands & stuff like that. Where you’re from is important and it definitely shapes who you are. but I don’t think that should make who you are or that it should limit they style of music that you get to put out there & experiment with. I think we’ll hold it down real good for Chicago…but I don’t want that to be our claim to fame, like “Chicago rap group. They’re from Chicago, that’s why they’re good,” you know. We definitely just want to establish The Cool Kids as being just an ill rap group basically.

TSS: Aiight, I’m definitely appreciating the time. We’re glad to hear from you & wishing you all continued success & we’ll be behind you supporting you any way we can.

Mikey: Aiight man, we appreciate it. One.

View Andy Johnson’s captures from The Cool Kids performance at Miss Libertines in Australia.

For info, visit www.myspace.com/gocoolkids.

Previously Posted — “Reinventing The Wheel…” – The Cool Kids’ “Totally Flossed Out” EP