The Cool Kids

Midwest rap duo the Cool Kids draw inspiration from 1980s rap classics and unconventional hip-hop beats, layering their distinctive personalities and sharp wordplay over inviting, nostalgic instrumentals. Emerging first as an underground act, the pair achieved mainstream visibility when their 2011 debut album When Fish Ride Bicycles appeared on the Billboard charts. Subsequent years brought partnerships with Boldy James, Chance the Rapper, Mac Miller, Lil Wayne, and numerous others. Following a short break that began in 2012, they resumed activity and issued new material, most recently the 2022 album Before Shit Got Weird.

Mikey Rocks, born Antoine Reed in Matteson, Illinois, and Chuck Inglish, born Evan Ingersoll in Mt. Clemens, Michigan, connected in mid-2005 when Mikey encountered Chuck’s productions online and responded favorably. Their initial plan to craft tracks for other performers in their Chicago-area base soon shifted once they recognized how well their own calm, polished delivery and rhymes complemented one another. Though still limited to MySpace and MP3 blogs in 2007, they gained early attention from Pitchfork, which booked them for its summer festival; this exposure yielded a showcase at New York’s CMJ Music Marathon alongside DJ A-Trak and an opening slot on an M.I.A.-headlined tour. That same year they issued the self-released mixtape Totally Flossed Out before signing with Chocolate Industries, which put out their first EP, The Bake Sale, the following January. Additional mixtapes and live dates paved the way for When Fish Ride Bicycles, released on Green Label Sound in June 2011 and debuting at number 76 on the Billboard 200. Once that campaign concluded, Mikey and Chuck each pursued separate endeavors for several years. What appeared to be a lasting split ended when they resurfaced in September 2017 with Special Edition Grandmaster Deluxe. They maintained momentum through standalone releases such as the 2018 single “OilBass,” the 2019 Layups EP with the Alchemist, and the 2020 mixtape Volumes, which included contributions from Boldy James, Louis the Child, Z Money, and additional artists. In 2022 they unveiled an expansive three-part project anchored by the 21-track Before Shit Got Weird along with the more individual-focused Baby Oil Staircase and Chillout. The set featured an extensive roster of guests, among them Chance the Rapper, Pac Div, Guapdad 4000, 6LACK, and JID on the lead album, with further collaborators appearing across the remaining installments.