Kidz In The Hall - The In Crowd: Album Review
Kidz In The Hall, The In Crowd (Duck Down, 2008)
Hipster rap duo Kidz In The Hall put out an album on the new Rawkus a couple of years ago, but it didn't perform very well in the marketplace. I guess having their lead single sound like a budget version of the worst Jay-Z song evar wasn't the most inspired bit of A&R. So now they've signed with Duck Down and are focusing on their strength, such as it is: making songs that kinda sound as if they could've been made in the 1990s.
BLACK OUT
Clearly an homage to "Don't Sweat the Technique." It's got a similar upright bass sound, and when the beat drops out, you can hear those "I Ain't No Joke" drums. Naledge spits: "I'm biracial - half black, half amazing." Which is the kind of corny shit he spits throughout the album.
PAPER TRAIL
Nothing against the kid. He seems like a nice guy. But obviously, this album's saving grace is its '90s-esque throwback production. What it lacks in rhythmic complexity - or any kind of interesting drum sound, for that matter - it more or less makes up for in... well, sounding like the kind of shit I used to listen when I was in high school.
DRIVIN' DOWN THE BLOCK
For example, here's a song (that sounds like one of those early '90s Masta Ace bass records) that's actually about riding around in your car listening to The Low End Theory on cassette. Kids these days obviously couldn't relate. Not only do cars no longer have tape decks, but who in the fuck can afford to ride around in their car for the sole purpose of listening to music?
LUCIFER'S JOYRIDE
If there's a downside to this album, and of course there has to be, it's that the production is so reliant on wanton sampling (how can they even afford this?), and, worse, it gets extra R&B-ish towards the middle. Presumably, they were trying to appeal to women, but how many women would really be checking for some shit like Kidz In The Hall? Probably the same number of women used to check for '90s-era Masta Ace, Rakim, and Tribe, i.e. like five of them.
SNOB HOP
I guess it makes sense to have Camp Lo lend guest raps (this album is chock full of nuts guest raps) on one of the albums more '70s-sounding numbers, but they kinda get buried in the busy production. They should have brought in the guy who used to produce those Camp Lo records. Oh, that's right, a group where one of the guys is a producer can't bring in outside producers. That just wouldn't make sense business-wise.
MR. ALLADATSHIT
Another issue with this album: For having gone to an Ivy League school (and not letting us forget about it), Naledge doesn't seem to have a whole lot to rap about, other than how he's the man, and how he stays higher than giraffe pussy, and how he rides around in cars. Who the fuck does he think he is, Pimp C (who's shouted out here)?
LOVE HANGOVER
Featuring Estelle, the English broad with the fucked up teeth (I know) who did that song with Kanye, this sounds more like an Estelle record featuring Kidz In The Hall than vice versa. And why would I want to hear some shit like that?
LET YOUR HAIR DOWN
Remember when I was saying this album gets extra R&B-ish (and hence teh ghey) towards the middle? Well, this and that last song were about the worst of it. You wonder how the TIs at Duck Down signed off on them. This can't possibly be good for their brand image.
MIDDLE OF THE MAP PT. 1
The first of two tracks in a row featuring dudes from Detroit. It sounds like they might have actually had Black Milk produce these two. They sound way more manlier than anything else on this album.
MIDDLE OF THE MAP PT. 2
The second of two tracks in a row featuring dudes from Detroit. This one is similarly gully, but it loses points for featuring Guilty Simpson, who I don't think is a very good rapper.
THE IN CROWD
From the sublime... to the homosexual. This is like Joe Jackson's "Steppin' Out" meets Cage's "Scenester" - but in a bad way. And this is the title track! If I was in charge, this album would've been called Middle of the Map, Pts. 1 and 2.
THE PLEDGE
The one track featuring labelmates from Duck Down - specifically, Buckshot and Sean Price. But it sounds more like a Kidz In The Hall record featuring those two than a legit Duck Down record. But the one featuring Masta Ace sounds like a Masta Ace record? I don't get it.
INNER ME
The requisite emo track at the end of the record. You know, to help tie things together thematically. I guess at least Naledge doesn't have any kids to rap about. *shudders at the thought*
DRIVIN' DOWN THE BLOCK (REMIX)
A remix of the single, featuring Bun B, Pusha T, and the Cool Kids. Pimp C was gonna be on it, but he's dead now.
COMMENTS: Kidz In The Hall are clearly onto something, they just need to step their manliness up a thousand percent or so. The first song, the single, and the ones with the guys from Detroit all crank, but a lot of the rest of this sounds like motherfucking R&B music. Don't let me find out Naledge had sex with Erykah Badu. I thought she was with Jay Electronica these days. I swear, menopause can't come soon enough for that skeeze.
BEST TRACKS: "Middle of the Map Pt. 1" "Middle of the Map Pt. 2"
BONUS VIDEO: "Drivin' Down the Block"
