Kidz In The Hall - 'School Was My Hustle' (Nocturne) Released 02/04/07

Friends and classmates Naledge and Double O, now Kidz In The Hall, are staging a dramatic return to Rawkus Records form with their new album ‘School Was My Hustle’. The album immediately slaps you in the face with the ‘Hustler’s Intro’ – letting you know exactly what you’re in for over the next forty minutes – a total team effort with an immediacy that can’t be denied.

Enter the true opening track ‘Ritalin’, evoking images of hip-hop legends and contemporaries Jay Z and Kanye West. Driving sampled drum beats with a rolling break down lead the listener nicely into the clearly West-influenced ‘Wassup Joe’. The use of horn samples backing up Naledge’s undeniably skilled MC work may seem a little generic in today’s modern hip-hop scene; however, there’s enough originality on show here to place this release at least a notch higher than the majority of current hip-hop/rap releases.

Double O’s production is also noteworthy, with some crisp beats and almost sexy backing tracks (see ‘Wheelz Fall Off (’06 Til))’. The overall standard of music on offer here is certainly impressive; it’s not ‘in your face’ crunk-style hip-hop, instead it plumps for an almost trip-hop sound. The backbeats frequently remind of UK trip-hop master Aim (circa ‘Hot Water Music’), meaning the album can easily be enjoyed whether you’re chilling at home on a Sunday afternoon or cruising the streets in your low-ride on a Friday night.

Overall, whilst Kidz In The Hall are nothing totally new and nothing totally original, they do showcase a distinct talent for what they are doing, perhaps due to their Rawkus Records heritage. Their life-long friendship shines through on every track, lending a synergy and comradery to the album which sets it apart from the generic hip-hop which is so prevalent in today’s scene.