Fire Is Hot: “Black Mags,” The Cool Kids
Nearly as sparse as the prior post’s production, a clap echo and a distorted note here and there anchor this Detroit Pistons-repping duo’s homage to two wheels. It’s a stripped-down sound in line with The Cool Kids’ ethos: they seem to be all about the late ’80s vibe. And it shines through again in the retro flow that forgoes legerdemain for a ”MacGyver” reference and some bare-boned, old-school narrative.
But while the sound is 1988 in full, the sensibility is definitely 2008; it’s the same alchemy of jargon and nonchalant cool that made “Vans” a sleeper hit online. The song is as slow as a tap of syrup, but it demands repeated listens for deciphering purposes alone, and it’s the kind of underground heat rock that will have hip-hop blogs buzzing into 2008; then, there’s the deal the group has with Rhapsody that will put them in living rooms for some time to come. Either way, be ready for more of both track and artist.
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