#rewindreview: Kidz In The Hall ‘School Was My Hustle’ 2006
In the mid-2000’s, Rawkus records staged a comeback after a hiatus that came on the back of albums that tried to compete with mainstream releases and did not hit the mark, as well as a hostile takeover (or shutdown) that was reminiscent of the show ‘Succession.’ This comeback would include acts like The Procussions, Hezekiah and our subject of the day Kidz In The Hall. The idea for Rawkus seemed to bring back the idea of the “underground act” that was a hidden gem, but the attributes that made Rawkus a Hip-Hop stable were long gone by 2006. The internet washed away those moments that included late night mixshows, the joy of discovering new music at record stores and the initial decline of the “mom & pops” record store. Kidz In The Hall would look to be the flagship for this new Rawkus renaissance, and with their most popular track ‘Wheelz Fall Off (06′ Til)’ gaining some traction due to it’s homage of Souls Of Mischief ’93 Til…’ track, one would think the mission was on good course. The Chicago duo which consist of Naledge and Double O who were a rapper and beatmaker team. The dynamics were simple and given the success of Kanye West and Lupe Fiasco, their personas as the “nerd kids” respected by the streets looked to carry on what was coming out of Chicago for those ears wanting “truskool” HOP music. For me the Kidz In The Hall just didn’t seem to figure out where they stood within HOP music. Granted their personas are pretty much what every rapper that started from the internet in the mid to late 2000’s were built off of and maybe that is why I could never really get past this album. ‘School Was My Hustle’ is a solid project that gives the group a chance to take listeners on a journey through the perspective of “kids” not ten toes deep in street activity while not being stepped on by the street cats. Naledge has a flow that is smooth and relatable to the listener that is not ready to hear Company Flow or Quasimoto while Double O’s beats are a hairline away from meeting the quota’s of Roc-A-Fella rappers. This is music to “ride” to but can also be an acquired taste of one feels Kidz In The Hall doesn’t necessarily bring anything new to table especially with the Rawkus name attached to it. What did you think of the album? Singles include: ‘Wheelz Fall Off (06′ Til)’ Listen to QUANTUM LEAP RADIO every Saturday from 4-6p.m. CST & Thursday from 1-3a.m. CST on 90.1 FM KPFT Houston in HD11 Worldwide @kpft.org/listen (under “kpft in HD2”) Catch past episodes by searching and following @https://linktr.ee/QLEAPRADIO