Rap died at the end of the 90s, and ever since, we've been treated to a bastardized version of what it used to be. I'm not sure how this trend started, but all of a sudden, songs on Side Two of your best friend's warped mix-tape became number high-charting hits-- and, in the process, becoming ringtone anthems to annoy the crap out of everybody in the room. Songs like This Is Why I'm Hot by wannabe MIMS and Souljaboy make me physically wretch. Aside from a few good Eminem singles, there was no reason to look at the rap charts, because you just knew it was all terrible; but now, even he's gone. But if you're looking for something fresh and tasty, the take 88 Bus to The Bake Sale and get yourself a mouthful, because Mikey Rocks and Chuck D, aka The Cool Kids, have something hot to serve.

There's a whole lot going on here, yet it's still a really minimal album, concentrating more on their rhymes. In fact, they seem to be poking fun at mainstream rap with its terrible Casio-keyboard loops. The Cool Kids can best be compared as a mixture between late-90s rap and a little bit of The Beastie Boys. They can get clever and funny without being cheezy and cringe-worthy. Within the first nano-second, you'll know how tongue-in-cheek these guys can get. What Up Man starts with an interesting production twists. Instead of your standard beats, you heard words: "Tick! Tick! CLAP! Tick-tic-tic-tic-tick! CLAP!" Most of the music on The Bake Sale sounds like they are talking to you like they are in your passenger seat-- and I like that. It's like they're your friends already. "I thought I had TEN dollars-- so you broke then!" The production comes off a lot darker than it is, but really, it's like you're sitting in the Burger King parking lot back in high school. ...gooood times...

I initially checked them out because a good friend of mine bought it and I loved the album cover, featuring an adorable cartoon at what looks like a New York bakeshop. Adorable. I had to get this album. Bassment Party will forever be my favorite Cool Kids track for its genius, clever, and subtly humorous rhymes. If was ever a song to listen to while driving, it's this one. You could be driving to get a root canal, then to the grocery store, then to Mr. Wong's Chinese Restaurant, and you'd still feel like you're on your way to the flyest party of the year. "My say if you got your two dollars then come through to my party, but get bent before you come, 'cause for that liquor I be chargin'..."  If it's one thing I love about these guys, it's the throwback to the origins of rap and hip hop. 88, as the guys say, brings 88 back, as they list off some popular old school dance moves.

This is one of those records where everything fits without sounding like self-plagiarism. While each song has a similar production and style, each one has its own personality and style, and at only a little over a half-hour long, The Bake Sale keeps serving long after its first spin. Black Mags makes The Cool Kids sound thumping and sexy while A Little Bit Cooler is another Beastie-moment that takes a stab at all the wannabes out there: "Eatin' a bowl of them fruity pebbles...how gangsta is that? ...not gangsta at ALL." For an EP, I got a lot more out of this than originally intended. I know that EPs are meant to give its audience a taste of the act, but there's something about The Bake Sale that I can really sink my teeth into-- appropriate title indeed.

Are you cool enough? All I know is that "in the summer, when it's hotter than an oven, we the coolest kids we know."

TRACKLIST
What Up Man
One Two
Mikey Rocks
88
What It Is
Black Mags
A Little Bit Cooler
Gold and a Pager
Bassment Party
Jingling

Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Driving