Cool Kids

Sure, the Cool Kids' concerns are mostly material, but the accruements are rooted in a different class: bikes rather than Bentleys, TV dinners instead of La Esquina. "88" features a beatbox breakdown and references Rob Base, dookie chains and the Fresh Prince, while "What It Is" sounds like an outtake from King of Rock. It's hard to pin down exactly why Cool Kids are so appealing. They're only marginally talented emcees, they offer stripped-down interpretations of old-school 808 thump and their style seemingly contradicts a decade-plus of hip-hop bravado. But perhaps that's the point.