Bake Sale, The [Digipak] - Cool Kids

"The Bake Sale" is the debut EP from the Detroit and Chicago-based duo named The Cool Kids. The pair are one of few pioneering Hipster Rap acts. This sub-genre to Hip Hop developed as a result of the 'preppy' style which Kanye West, Pharrell Williams and Lupe Fiasco came with, and then extended it for a whole new style, which expresses the freshness of the young today without taking it to the 'Dirty South'.

The duo are go ...
...With the latter one having less of a vocal role, and doing the production for them. Much of the material comes from the mixtapes, "Totally Flossed Out", "That's Stupid", and "Cool A*s Ninjas", and was compiled to build up the hype before their debut album. It came out in Summer 2008.

1. "What Up Man"

To get things going, the introduction to The Cool Kids is a banger of a tune. ... more

"The Bake Sale" is the debut EP from the Detroit and Chicago-based duo named The Cool Kids. The pair are one of few pioneering Hipster Rap acts. This sub-genre to Hip Hop developed as a result of the 'preppy' style which Kanye West, Pharrell Williams and Lupe Fiasco came with, and then extended it for a whole new style, which expresses the freshness of the young today without taking it to the 'Dirty South'.

The duo are go by the names of Mikey Rocks and Chuck Inglish. With the latter one having less of a vocal role, and doing the production for them. Much of the material comes from the mixtapes, "Totally Flossed Out", "That's Stupid", and "Cool A*s Ninjas", and was compiled to build up the hype before their debut album. It came out in Summer 2008.

1. "What Up Man"

To get things going, the introduction to The Cool Kids is a banger of a tune. They showcase their signature style from the start as Chuck Inglish hits us with a bell and himself saying "Clap" (for a hi-hat sound), and "Boom" (for bass) as Mikey comes with some killer rhymes, whihc seem to follow an unorthodox stream of consciousness.

**Five Stars**

2. "One Two"

You have to pull this one up the first time you hear it, because the sick rhymes wil knock you back as they refer to themselves as "The new black version of the Beastie Boys" to what could be the best piece of production I've heard them present. The way that Chuck provides a hook, and quickly replaces it with a new one, shows how much he has in him, and what he's capable of. Mikey's rhymes are equally as strong as the innvoative beats frrom Inglish.

**Five Stars**

3. "Mikey Rocks"

This one is a dedication to The Coll Kids member, Mikey Rocks, and has him do it himself by coming up with a mad set rhymes to show off his strong abilities. In them, he ges a chance to distance himself from most out there today, and he dissis those who may use bad grammar for effect, by using it in a parody. The beats surprise you, as ever, and keep you engaged throughout.

**Five Stars**

4. "'88"

The Cool Kids take it to 1988in this one, and his is done in many ways as they use lots of late eighties Hip Hop techniques as they flow, and rap about the genreal style of the time. The beats are perfect to adapt to the dance which you are told to do in the chorus too. This shows that some New Schoolers still have love for the Golden Age of Hip Hop, and tlaking about beatboxing and breaking are just a couple of the things which are said in this to show that this culure is one which they feel most comfortable in.

**Five Stars**

5. "What It Is"

This is an up-tempo one, and has them switch things up by taking on some breakbeat, rather than the laid-back suff which is prevalent through most of their other tracks. I think that it did more to help me understand why I like them so much. The reverse breaks, where the beats slows, makes sure tha this is still a part of things. Chuck signature sound is still heard through the spacey synth though.

**Four Stars**

6. "Black Mags"

This was the debut single from The Cool Kids, and when I first their freshness (which furthered Lupe Fiasco's vision of fly, skateboard rap, which everyone can get down to), It is an exciting one, due to the innovation, and swich from the genreal trends of todays stuff as they rap about BMXing to minimalistic beats.

**Five Stars**

7. "A Little Bit Cooler"

This is a baner of a track, where you have the pair coming up with a tune dedicated to commenting on how their fahion is miles ahead of the game, and although people are dissing them for playing SEGA, and not rocking Bape now, it will soon be the thing to do. They show they have swag far earlier than everyone else who claims to introduce it.

**Five Stars**

8. "Gold And A Pager"

Showing that they don't just take from the Golden Age of Hip Hop, this one has a hook which is driven by the use of the 'screwed' technique, from the 'Dirty South' as The Cool Kids get busy, and flow to heavy bass and genreally beats which hit right right in the face with their incredible force.

**Five Stars**

9. "Bassment Party"

This one sounds as if they had just listned to J.J. Fad's "Supersonic", whihc Fergie recently re-worded to make "Fergalicious, and so the tempo is brought up as they give you some mid-'90s-sounding Miami Bass. It is an exciting one, and furtherly expresses their influences from back in the day. They work just as well on this party tune as they do on ost of their slower ones.

**Four Stars**

10. "Jingling"

Ending it all off, you get even more of what you heard throughout the Ep as you hear Chuck Inglish hit you with even more of the bassy production with original sound effect added onto them. Mikey's flows are big and comment on things which everyone can relate to, as opposed to the limited audience whihc Gangsta Rap can engage with.

**Four Stars**

This banger of an album shows that the Hipster Rap movement, which posesses acts like Kidz In he Hall, Kid Cudi and The Knux, are likely to be stars in the Hip Hop scene for '09. The Old School throwbacks mixed with all that's great about the modern stuff, is what makes this so strong, and acts as the perfect alternative to what you generally see in Hip Hop. If you were well into Eric B.& Rakim, then this is for you, as it is basically a 2000s version of that duo. 

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