Chicago's The Cool Kids are the hyped-up hip-hop duo consisting of Antoine "Mikey Rocks" Reed (he represents Matteson, I represent Park Forest) and Evan "Chuck Inglish" Ingersoll. The kids go crazy for these two young guys who met each other just a couple years ago on MySpace. But though they're down with a most modern way to start a band, their music is all relaxed retro raps and beats. And by retro, we mean 1988 (as evidenced in their appropriately titled song "88").

The Cool Kids model their style after Erik B. and Rakim, EPMD and colorfully fun '80s fashion (they make neon look NICE). Their smooth, humorous rhymes over back-to-the-basics beats and simple synths have fans and record label execs clamoring for more. They recently opened for M.I.A. to great acclaim and rocked the house at 2007's Pitchfork Fest and, most recently, Coachella.

The Cool Kids are not only taking it back, they're also injecting a huge dose of fun into the underground hip-hop world.

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The Cool Kids play Knitting Factory, on Saturday, June 7th.